First it was Woodland Park Zoo. Then the Seattle Aquarium. Now, just in time for the rainy season, some Seattle museums are slowly reopening. If you want to take the kids to the Seattle Art Museum, The Museum of Flight, the National Nordic Museum or find a newly-opened animal adventure, we’ve got the scoop on how to make it happen. Read on!
photo: Alaina Weimer
The Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is “cleared for takeoff” and ready to welcome visitors once again. Starting Labor Day weekend the museum will be open Fridays through Mondays, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Then on September 24, they’ll be open five days a week, Thursdays through Sundays with the same hours. Event details.
Safety first: The museum will operate at 25% capacity and will used timed tickets to reduce crowding. All visitors over the age of two will be required to wear a mask, and you’ll find social distancing reminders and additional hand sanitizing stations throughout the museum. Visitors should also expect a “brief, contactless health screening” before being allowed to take flight.
Open exhibits: All five buildings, plus the open-air Aviation Pavilion and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park will be open to visitors . The Boeing 747 and 787 Dreamliner are included in these now-open perks. Visitors will also get to experience a new exhibit, Untold Stories-World War II at 75, starting September 19. Yep, it’s included with admission.
Closed exhibits: Families should keep in mind that easy go-to spots like the Flight Zone, Aviation Pavilion Kidport and Alaska Airlines Aeorospace Education Center remain closed, as does the Café. But kids will still find lots to explore and learn about when you visit. Get the full scoop on closures here.
Get tickets: tickets.museumofflight.org
9404 E. Marginal Way
Seattle, WA
206-764-5700
Online: museumofflight.org
photo: Courtesy of the Nordic Museum
National Nordic Museum
Also reopening on Labor Day is the National Nordic Museum. Visitors can enjoy all the museum has to offer on Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Here’s the breakdown. Event details.
Safety first: Reserved tickets will help reduce crowding and make social distancing easier for museum visitors, and they’ll be operating at reduced capacity (25%). Masks are a must and visitors will be asked to “go with the flow” throughout the galleries, so look for the signs. The museum’s coat check will remain closed, and although large bags are not allowed, diaper bags always are.
Open exhibits: Plan to peruse your favorite permanent exhibits when you visit, with the addition of two exhibits originally scheduled to open in March that you can finally enjoy. Families should definitely check out Johan Bävman’s photography exhibit Swedish Dads (through Oct. 4), featuring “touching and often humorous portrayals” of kids and their doting fathers (aww!). Also up is a retrospective of designer Gudrun Sjödén entitled A Colourful Universe, through October 18.
Get tickets: nordicmuseum.org
2655 N.W. Market St.
Seattle, WA
206-789-5708
Online: nordicmuseum.org
photo: Benjamin Benschneider
Seattle Art Museum
The doors are opening at SAM mid-month. Families can get tickets now for the September 11 grand re-opening. Here’s what you need to know. Event details.
Safety first: The museum will be open Fridays through Sundays, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and families will need to reserve timed tickets to visit. There will be a quick health screening before you enter, and masks are needed for any aspiring artists over the age of two. Expect one-way traffic in a few of the smaller galleries, with other staying closed.
Open exhibits: Many of galleries and installations will be open for art lovers of all ages, and the two special exhibits that opened in March—Georgia O’Keefe: Abstract Variations and the John Akomfrah: Future History—have been extended. Admission to these special exhibits, and fall’s upcoming special exhibits, focused on Seattle art world icons, are included with admission and are free for kids 14 and under.
Closed exhibits: Parents should take note that the children play areas, TASTE Café, Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center and Bullitt Library will be closed for the time being. Find out what other galleries are included on this list.
Get tickets: secure.seattleartmuseum.org
1300 1st Ave.
Seattle, WA
206-654-3100
Online: seattleartmuseum.org
photo: Ingrid Barrentine
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
We’re crushing hard on the three up-close animal adventures that have opened at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Families can book either a Groovy Goats or Pacific Seas Behind-the-Scenes experience to add flair to their weekend. Animal lovers ages five and up (and their parents) get to pet, brush and scratch Point Defiance’s loveable goats at the Contact Junction when they get tickets to Groovy Goats ($100/household, up to 5 people). Families with kids ages eight and up can go where only aquarists are allowed when they book a Behind-the-Scenes experience ($440/members; $465/non-members, for up to 5 people). You’ll get to pet a moon jellyfish, feed an anemone and even wave to hammerhead sharks above Baja Bay on this 75-minute long exclusive tour. Then on September 10, families can book a jaw-some good time in the water. Cage diving is back in the South Pacific Seas Outer Reef habitat, where families (up to 4 people, ages 8 & up) will go eye to eye with more than a dozen sharks that call these waters home. Part adventure outing, part immersive classroom, this is one you won’t want to miss.
5400 N. Pearl St.
Tacoma, WA
253-404-3800
Online: pdza.org
photo: courtesy Northwest Trek
Northwest Trek
If you’ve ever wanted to take a safari, how about hopping on this one that’s within driving distance? Northwest Trek has recently started running their Keeper Adventure Tours again ($400). It’s a chance for families to jump in the back of the open-air Jeep and head off over grassy hills and paved roads to see bison, elk, moose and more. The tours, offered Fridays through Sundays at 10:30 a.m., make for an exciting family adventure. Kids must be five to ride.
Good to know: Northwest Trek is still offering its Wild Drive and Wild Walk experiences.
11610 Trek Dr. E.
Eatonville, WA
360-832-8117
Online: nwtrek.org
—Allison Sutcliffe
RELATED STORIES:
Go Wild! Your Insider’s Guide to Woodland Park Zoo
To the Moon & Back: Your Guide to The Museum of Flight’s New Exhibit
Northwest Trek’s Newest Experience is a Seriously Wild Drive
Your Guide to Northwest Trek’s Newest Exhibit & Can’t Miss Attractions
Beyond the Cage: An Underwater Adventure for Little Shark Lovers
#OutdoorFun #JustOpened #Sea-feed #LaborDay #IndoorFun
