Free Things to do in Seattle

While museums often have a price tag associated, many local museums are involved in a free museum day in Seattle on the first Thursday of the month. If you're a local, library cards through both the King County Library System and Seattle Public Library can get you into some museums and other local attractions, though restrictions apply. Check their respective websites for details on how to redeem museum and park passes.

Participating Museums in Free Museum Day in Seattle

• Museum of Flight: Ever wanted to see what the inside of Air Force One looks like? This museum houses the first-ever Air Force One and a Blackbird spy plane – it’s free from 5-9 p.m. the first Thursday of every month.
• Seattle Art Museum (SAM): Visit on the first Thursday of the month for free – and make sure to take your picture with the giant “Hammering Man” sculpture out front!
  
• Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI): Chronicling more than 150 years of Pacific Northwest history, MOHAI offers free admission on the first Thursday of the month from 6 p.m.- 8 p.m.
  
• Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture: Head to the University of Washington’s campus and see a Northwest Coast totem pole and many more Pacific Rim cultural artifacts – it’s free the first Thursday of the month with extended hours from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Seattle Asian Art Museum: This local museum has a different free admission day. Located in Volunteer Park, you can visit free of charge the first Saturday and second Thursday of the month – its collection features paintings, pottery, sculptures, and textiles from the Pacific Rim countries of China, Japan, Korea, India, and many more.

Free Museums in Seattle Southside and Beyond

• Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST Center): One of Seattle Southside’s more popular free attractions! Open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., this aquarium includes 11 different aquariums with two touch tanks. There are many times when there are live dives, or professionals onsite to provide more information on the sea life below, so double-check online before visiting to make sure you’re going on a day when there will be an expert available.
• Frye Art Museum: Learn more about 20th-century German, French, and American art – admission is always free, plus complimentary tours are available Wednesday through Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
• Center for Wooden Boats: Take out a rowboat for an hour for free Wednesday - Sunday 11 a.m - 7 p.m. When you are done, visit the center for a free hands-on museum that explains maritime traditions and aims to preserve the art of handcrafted wooden boats. They also offer a monthly special sailing session on one of their larger ships! Learn more about their free programs here.

Big fan of the arts? If the museums listed above made you want to check out some artwork, take advantage of some of the free outdoor art on view in Seattle Southside!

• Outdoor Art in Seattle Southside Guide: Check out our local guide to free outdoor art on display in our region.
• Self-Guided Des Moines Art Tour: Take a tour of Des Moines public artwork and enjoy the art around the beautiful seaside town of Des Moines.
• Seattle Southside Scenes Trail: Here's a free way to learn about art, history, landmarks, and more around our area. Take a self-guided tour of these landmarks and you can earn free rewards, too! With videos to walk you through each stop on the trail, you're sure to learn a ton.
• Maury Island Incident Walking Tour: This free tour by foot walks you through the history of the Maury Island UFO Incident and explains art pieces connected to the incident.
• Olympic Sculpture Park: Explore nine acres of art on the Seattle waterfront. What used to be an industrial site is now a green space dotted with contemporary works by artists set against the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains in the background.

Seattle is well-known for the world-famous Pike Place Market, but did you know there are other farmers markets in Seattle where local farmers and merchants sell their fresh produce and wares? Even if you're just browsing, a Farmer's Market is a fun way to browse and enjoy local wares. Seattle is home to some of the absolute best farmers markets around, and there are a ton of them.

Seattle Southside Farmers Markets

• Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market is a local favorite. Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., June through the end of September, this local market is a must-see for any local or tourist. Situated on next to the Des Moines Marina and Beach Park, this market offers food trucks, local foods, and entertainment. Plus, the view from the marina is incredible and it makes for a one-of-a-kind market experience.
• Tukwila Village Farmers Market is run by the Food Innovation Network as a way to support small food businesses getting their start in our area (Wednesdays, 3 - 6 p.m. from May through October).
• Burien Farmers Market: Every Thursday, this market located at Burien Town Square Park (480 SW 152nd St., offers a platform for farmers and food processors to directly sell their products to the public. From May to October, it's open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from November to April, the hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that the market is closed in January.

Farmers Markets Near Seattle Southside

• Fremont Sunday Street Market (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) is the perfect place to find antiques, collectibles, estate sale treasures, and more – it’s an enormous garage sale! There are also street food vendors if you get hungry searching through treasures. Even through the winter, this market is open rain or shine under the Fremont Bridge!
• University District Farmers Market: Seattle’s oldest and largest “farmers-only” neighborhood market, featuring more than 50 local vendors (Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., year-round) at the corner of University Way NE and NE 52nd Street.
• West Seattle Farmers Market: Since 1999, this market has featured more than 35 Washington State farmers and small food processors (Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., year-round) at the corner of California Avenue and SW Alaska Street.
• Capitol Hill Farmers Market: Just in front of Seattle Central Community Colleg,e this market offers not only local in-season fruits and vegetables but live entertainment and cooking demos (Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Year-round at the corner of E. Broadway and E. Pine streets, with the market also being open on Tuesdays over the summer from 3-7 p.m.).
• Columbia City Farmers Market: With more than 40 vendors, this market has been operating since 1998 (Wednesdays, 3 - 7 p.m., May-October, and on second Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. November-April on S. Edmunds Street and 35th Street).
• Phinney Farmers Market: One of the newer neighborhood farmers markets, operating on Fridays, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., June through September in the upper parking lot at the Phinney Neighborhood Center at N. 67th and Phinney Ave N.
• Lake City Farmers Market: You can find some of the best local produce here on Thursdays, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., from June 13th – Oct 3rd. This market is changing locations but has not yet announced where exactly it will be for the 2024 season.
• Magnolia Farmers Market: Celebrating its inaugural year, this market offers fresh produce and herbs for every cook to enjoy (Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., June 1st – Oct. 12th at the corner of 33rd Ave W and West McGraw Street).
• Ballard Sunday Farmers Market: Continuously expanding its vendors, this market offers a selection of local farmers, culinary artists, and craftsman designers (Sundays 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Year-round on Ballard Ave. NW between Vernon Place and 22nd Avenue Ballard AVE NW)
• Wallingford Farmers Market has been around for 12 years and features fun activities for the whole family including weekly cooking demonstrations (Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m., May through late September).
• Madrona Farmers Market (Fridays from 3-7 p.m., mid-May through late October) at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and E. Union Street.

Looking for free things to do in Seattle Southside? Check out our local events calendar, which is regularly updated with upcoming free and low-cost events! And be sure to keep your eyes peeled for some of these recurring events.

Spring Events

• Cherry Blossom Viewing: Watching the beautiful spring cherry blossoms is always free. Make an event out of it by adopting the Japanese tradition of hanami, or watching the cherry blossoms as you picnic beneath the petals.
• Opening day of many of the above-listed farmers markets takes place in the spring.

Summer Events

• Pride Month Activities In and Around Seattle Southside: Find parades, festivals, gatherings, and more celebrating LGBTQIA Pride Month! While not all events are free, many of them are.
• Des Moines Concert Series: Playing every Wednesday at 7 p.m. over the summer from July 17 until August 21, this is a great free entertainment activity for the whole family or a perfect date night. With many different genres represented, you're sure to find music you'll love too!
• SeaTac Summer Concert Series: Wednesdays in July, includes both a special kids' storytime and a kid-friendly concert, followed by a concert for adults.
• Friday Flix: Free outdoor movie screenings in SeaTac on Friday nights in August.

Fall Events

• Halloween Events: With both free and paid spooktacular things to do in Seattle Southside, you'll have lots of ghoulishly good options.
• Fall Events: Fall is about more than just Halloween! With Oktoberfest, the leaves changing color, and more, there's lots to celebrate around town.

Winter Events

• Winter Holiday Events: Free events like holiday tree lighting ceremonies and craft markets make this festive time of year lots of fun, even on a budget!

Is relaxing and walking around in nature more your thing? Seattle has dozens of great urban parks for you to enjoy – a few even have great complimentary guided tours for you to learn more about the plants and natural wildlife sharing the city.

Gardens

• Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden is a gorgeous place to visit for a tranquil afternoon stroll amidst beautiful flowers with a wide variety of different gardens to explore, including the incredible Seike Japanese Garden.
• Washington Park Arboretum: Explore the 230 acres of 10,000 native plants in this internationally recognized garden. You can learn more about this spectacular park and the tree and animal species that call it home during one of their free tours. Check the Arboretum's calendar of events for details.
• Woodland Park Zoo’s Rose Garden: Did you know there are more than 280 varieties of roses and that the Pacific Northwest’s moderate climate is one of the best places to grow them? Stop to smell the roses here – it’s one of 24 All-American Rose Selections Test Gardens in the country! Open from 7:30 a.m. until dusk every day of the year, free of charge!

Beaches

• Des Moines Beach Park offers a self-guided historical walk through the park by following the informational plaques.
• Redondo Beach: This beach and boardwalk area is a great place for a sunny stroll.
• Angle Lake: This is a family-friendly lake plus a water splash play area that has many different picnic and swimming options, making this one of the better cool-off spots for the whole family.
• Summer Beach Guide: Check out our full guide to beaches and swimming spots in and around Seattle Southside!

Parks and More

• Seattle Southside Trail Guide: Take a hike – literally! Get out on the trail and explore. Do you prefer to bike instead of hike? We also have a bike trail guide.
• Seattle Southside Park Guide: Find your spot in the great outdoors!
• Discovery Park: With 534 acres, Seattle’s largest City Park overlooks the Puget Sound from Magnolia Bluff. The park is situated on Magnolia Bluff on what was the former Fort Lawton site – you can still see the 26 historic homes in the park, which used to house officers and their families stationed at Naval Station Everett and now are available to rent.
  
• Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park: There is no better place to see Seattle than the water tower here – Seattle Weekly readers voted this part the “best free view in Seattle.”
• Hiram M. Chittenden Locks: See some of Seattle’s biggest private boats go from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. From the public viewing window, you can also see salmon as they climb the fish ladder. The Locks offers a free, guided tour from March through November.