Though not on a par with Seattle's nationally lauded Woodland Park Zoo, the aquarium – situated on Pier 59 in an attractive wooden building – is probably the most interesting sight on the waterfront, and it's a handy distraction for families with itchy-footed kids.

The entry lobby instantly impresses with a giant fish-filled tank called 'Window on Washington Waters'; background music is sometimes provided by live string quartets. The aquarium houses harbor seals and resident sea and river otters, who float comically on their backs. An underwater dome on the lower level gives a pretty realistic glimpse of the kind of fish that inhabit the waters of Puget Sound, and the daily diver show here is probably the best of the aquarium's live events. For kids there are plenty of hands-on exhibits, including a pool where they can stroke starfish and caress sea urchins.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Seattle Great Wheel

0.09 MILES

This 175ft Ferris wheel was installed in June 2012 with 42 gondolas, each capable of carrying eight people on a 12-minute ($14!) ride. The wheel sticks…

2. Main & North Arcades

0.12 MILES

The Main & North Arcades, sandwiched between Pike Pl and Western Ave, contain some of the most quintessential Pike Place Market ephemera: flower stands,…

3. Gum Wall

0.13 MILES

Seattle's famous gum wall is one of those cultural monuments you can smell before you even see it. The sweet aroma of chewed gum wafts from this strip of…

4. Pike Place Market

0.13 MILES

A cavalcade of noise, smells, personalities, banter and urban theater sprinkled liberally around a spatially challenged waterside strip, Pike Place Market…

5. Corner & Sanitary Market Buildings

0.16 MILES

Across Pike Place from the Main Arcade are the 1912 Corner & Sanitary Market Buildings, so named because they were the first of the market buildings in…

6. Victor Steinbrueck Park

0.2 MILES

When you’ve had enough of Pike Place Market and its crowds, wander out the end of the North Arcade and cross Western Ave to Victor Steinbrueck Park, a…

7. Hammering Man

0.21 MILES

Although not unique to Seattle, Hammering Man, the 48ft-high metal sculpture that guards the entrance to the Seattle Art Museum on the corner of 1st Ave…

8. Seattle Art Museum

0.22 MILES

While not comparable with the big guns in New York and Chicago, Seattle Art Museum is no slouch. Always re-curating its art collection with new…