My niece had been wanting to see the Space Needle forever and we promised her that one day we’d go. This summer we finally made this happen on a beautiful sunny day when my sister and her twins came to Seattle. I looked up various admissions for all the things we wanted to do (and thankfully I have a bunch of memberships in our city that include guest admissions or discounts) but because we wanted to go to the Space Needle and Seattle Aquarium I figured out that the best deal for us at the time was to use the the Seattle C3 CityPASS. (and then thankfully I was also gifted a few Seattle C3 CityPASSes to help us on our adventures for the purpose of this review.)
CityPASS has two options for Seattle
For Seattle you can get a C3 CityPASS that includes 3 attractions or a Seattle CityPASS that includes 5 attractions (With the Seattle CityPASS you must visit the Seattle Aquarium and Space Needle as two of your choices which would have been perfectly awesome for us too). But we only had a short visit and I have memberships for a few attractions on the pass that help with admission so a C3 pass was the one that worked best for what we wanted to do. If you are in Seattle maybe before or after a cruise and want to see as much of Seattle as you can, the Seattle CityPASS will probably give you the most discount on activities in the most convenient way (it comes with an app to help with reservations for activities that need it) and it’s nice that the pass is valid for 9 days.
Did you know that the Seattle Space Needle has the world’s only rotating glass floor?
And I don’t know how but it seems like kids have a far easier time with the glass floor than grownups. My niece and nephew barely flinched as they walked across. I had a hard time wrapping my head around stepping out onto the glass floor but also I found this so much easier than leaning against the side of the glass windows at the top of the Space Needle. Our brains trick us so much! But both were exhilarating when I finally accomplished my goals. We also had a great time looking for familiar Seattle buildings and places from high above and I’m really glad my niece encouraged us to visit. (We last visited at the end of 2019 and it feels like that is a lifetime ago)
The Seattle Aquarium has added a New Ocean Pavillion in 2024
The New Ocean Pavilion is across the street from the original Seattle Aquarium and is included with admission. This wasn’t finished yet when we visited in the summer but I went recently and there are some really cool new things to see in this pavilion. My favorite part of the Seattle Aquarium is still the Underwater Dome where my kids and I have a lot of memories eating snacks when they were little. I can’t wait to explore the new pavilion more now that it is open too.
What other activities are available with the C3 or Seattle CityPASS?
If like my family you wanted to go to the Seattle Aquarium and the Space Needle, there are a few activity options that will be right near your first two choices. I’ve done the Argosy Harbor tour in the past and that is walkable from the Seattle Aquarium. It’s only about an hour long and you get gorgeous views of Seattle. Going on this tour has made me try boat tours in other cities and some of these photos have been my favorite souvenirs.
The Space Needle is near MOPOP, Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Pacific Science Center. With kids, the Pacific Science Center is usually our first choice because there are lots of hands on activities for all ages. The MOPOP has an exhibit where you get to try a bunch of instruments in sound-proof rooms and we’ve had fun trying this with my niece and nephew when they were small. And my teens still really like the MOPOP.
I would always choose Chihuly Garden and Glass if I’m at Seattle Center and have the opportunity to visit. It’s a gorgeous art-filled space and fabulous to photograph. The Woodland Park Zoo is a bit of a vehicle ride away (but not too far maybe 10-15 minutes from both the Space Needle and Aquarium) and it’s one of our favorite zoos in the world, especially the penguin and the Grizzly bear habitat. I don’t think you could actually go wrong with any of the options on these Seattle passes and they’re worth checking out if you come to Seattle for a visit or even if you’re a local too.
(PS. if you love Chihuly Garden and Glass you might also want to visit Tacoma where there is a lot of glass art and if you need places to eat in Seattle, especially with kids in tow, I have a list of places we enjoy as well.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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