Our Favorite Seattle Museums and Attractions to Visit This Fall

Here are our favorite Seattle museums and attractions for visiting this fall, updated for 2024.

 

Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo’s beautiful outdoor exhibits are not to be missed. This beautifully landscaped zoo has a large variety of animals and natural-looking exhibits. Fortunately for us, it is located only 2 miles south Greenlake Guest House in Woodland Park. In fact, some of our guests even walk to the zoo. Most outdoor exhibits have covered areas that are comfortable even in rainy weather. Don't miss the lights festival called Wild Lanterns that will be happening in the evenings after 4pm this fall and winter from November 15-January 19.

 

Museum of Flight

The huge Museum of Flight in South Seattle is the largest independent, non profit air and space museum in the world. The museum includes the original Boeing Red Barn, many vintage planes, and a Space Shuttle trainer. It is probably our favorite museum. Anyone who is interested in history or aerospace will be fascinated. Many of the museum's knowledgeable docents are pilots and retired Boeing engineers. Plan to spend at least 2-4 hours there in order to see everything.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

The Chihuly Garden and Glass features spectacular indoor and outdoor glass installations by Dale Chihuly, who is a Seattle native. It is located just below the iconic Space Needle and is consistently ranked as Seattle’s top attraction on Trip Advisor. The museum is a photographer's dream, with picture-perfect views around every corner and even above you through its glass ceilings.

Seattle Space Needle

Seattle’s Space Needle, built in 1962 for the World’s Fair, was completely remodeled in 2018 to include an all glass floor below and an open-air deck above as well as a new lounge 500 feet above Seattle on a revolving glass floor. You can see most of Seattle from its deck, along with Puget Sound. On clear days, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains including enormous Mt Rainier pop out in the distance. With a new state of the art UV-C sanitizing program it is safer than ever. You can save money by purchasing a combination pass with the Chihuly Garden & Glass.

National Nordic Museum

The National Nordic Museum, located in the nearby Ballard neighborhood in a new, architecturally stunning building, it is dedicated to the history of the area’s many Nordic immigrants. The museum features both permanent and temporary exhibits. One of its most popular current exhibits is called Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King by acclaimed Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Six enormous wooden troll sculptures were built and installed in mostly wooded locations around Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. The Nordic Museum features one of the six trolls, "Frankie Feetsplinters" guarding the entrance. "JuleFest" is the Museum's popular Scandinavian Holiday Market and festival that happens each year on the weekend before Thanksgiving.

 

Seattle Japanese Garden

The Seattle Japanese Garden is located in Washington Park Arboretum northeast of downtown Seattle. This 3.5 acre, meticulously groomed garden is especially lovely in the fall when the leaves turn brilliantly red and gold. Be sure to bring your camera!

Pike Place Market

Fall may be the best time to visit the partially outdoor Pike Place Market  because it is typically less crowded than  in summer. Fall is the perfect time to purchase local produce like apples and pears and fresh items with a pumpkin or harvest theme. Many of the restaurants like Matt’s in the Market, Il Bistro, Radiator Whiskey, and Le Pichet offer pop up patios, street-side dining, and rooftop balconies to take advantage of Seattle's typically mild, early fall weather. Be sure to stop in for handcrafted cheese across the street in the Post Alley at Beechers, a bouquet of fresh flowers, or some fresh fish for the full Seattle experience.

If you are traveling to Seattle and Greenlake Guest House, we think these are the not to miss museums and attractions this fall. Enjoy this colorful and cozy season as you spend time both inside and outdoors in one of the prettiest times of the year.