Pacific Science Center

The Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center has been the city's premier hands-on science museum since it was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Its distinctive white gothic arches remain a Seattle Center landmark. For families, the combination of interactive science exhibits, a tropical butterfly house, IMAX theater, and planetarium provides a full day of engaging, educational entertainment -- and as an indoor attraction, it is invaluable during Seattle's frequent rainy days.

The Tropical Butterfly House is the emotional highlight for most families. A climate-controlled greenhouse maintains the warm, humid conditions that hundreds of tropical butterflies require. Walking through the enclosure, butterflies from Central America, Southeast Asia, and Africa flutter around visitors, landing on clothing and skin.

The contrast between stepping out of gray Seattle rain into a warm, flower-filled greenhouse surrounded by butterflies is genuinely magical. Docents stationed inside help visitors identify species and explain butterfly biology.

The hands-on exhibit halls span multiple buildings connected by covered walkways. Science exhibits rotate but consistently include earthquake simulations (kids build structures and shake them on a seismic table), water physics displays, light and optics experiments, and engineering challenges. The dinosaur exhibit features animatronic models that move, breathe, and roar with impressive realism.

For very young visitors, the Just for Tots area provides age-appropriate sensory play for children under 5.

The IMAX theater houses one of the largest screens in the Pacific Northwest, and the dome format wraps the image around and above the audience. Nature documentaries and space films shown in this format are immersive in a way that home screens cannot match. The planetarium offers star shows and astronomical presentations. Both require separate tickets beyond general admission.

The evening laser shows (typically Friday and Saturday nights) are a distinctly different experience. The planetarium dome becomes a canvas for laser light choreographed to classic rock albums -- Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Led Zeppelin's catalog, and other selections vary by night. The combination of darkness, vivid laser patterns, and loud rock music creates a concert-like atmosphere.

These shows appeal to tweens, teens, and parents far more than to young children.