Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is the soul of Seattle and one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers markets in the United States, running since 1907. For families, it offers a sensory-rich adventure that combines food, performance, and discovery in a compact, walkable space. The market is covered, making it one of Seattle's best rainy-day activities -- and in Seattle, that matters.

The fish throwing at Pike Place Fish Co. is the iconic moment every family comes for. When a customer orders fish, the fishmongers hurl whole salmon, halibut, and other seafood across the counter in a choreographed display of skill and showmanship.

The calls, catches, and crowd interaction make it feel like theater. The vendors are genuinely funny and engage children in the act -- ask nicely and they may stage a photo opportunity with your child appearing to catch a fish (a rubber prop, not real).

Beyond the fish, the market's nine acres contain over 500 businesses across multiple levels. The main arcade (ground level) features produce vendors with towering fruit displays, flower stalls with some of the cheapest bouquets in the city, and craft vendors selling handmade goods. The lower levels -- known as the Down Under shops -- are where the hidden gems live.

A magic shop, comic book stores, vintage poster dealers, and oddity merchants occupy the labyrinthine corridors that most tourists never explore. For kids who love treasure hunting, these lower levels are more interesting than the main floor.

The food offerings span from quick bites to sit-down meals. Daily Dozen Doughnuts produces tiny, fresh mini doughnuts that kids inhale by the bag. Piroshky Piroshky sells Russian stuffed pastries (sweet and savory) that are perfect walking food.

Pike Place Chowder has won national awards. Beecher's Handmade Cheese has a viewing window where kids watch cheese being made before ordering the famous World's Best Mac and Cheese ($7 for a cup).

The gum wall in Post Alley, just below the main market entrance, is a sanitation nightmare and a childhood highlight. Decades of chewed gum stuck to the brick walls create a colorful, sticky mosaic that kids find simultaneously disgusting and wonderful. Bring gum and let them add to the collection.

Nearby, Post Alley itself offers a quieter walking experience with small shops and the original ghost tour meeting point.