Tourists for the day with Seattle CityPASS

One thing that never gets old is getting out and exploring the city, but with three little ones, it isn’t always easy. Deciding which places to visit and navigating long lines often leaves me defeated before I even start. Recently, my family and I got a chance to play tourist for the day, in our hometown of Seattle, and visit some attractions that have been on our list for a while. We had a blast and CityPASS made it all possible. With the best attractions the city has to offer and incredible noteworthy savings, CityPASS took the guesswork out of the decision making and made it really affordable for my family of five to get up, out, and see the city.

The Seattle CityPASS gives you access to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Woodland Park Zoo, and Chihuly Garden and Glass, and I loved that it was a good mix of places we had been to before and some we had never experienced. So for our first day of outings, we chose to visit an old favorite, the Space Needle, and see something new. I have had Chihuly Garden and Glass on my list for a while and couldn’t wait to check out the Glasshouse, so we chose those two attractions.

We stayed in downtown Seattle and parked our car in a garage, opting to explore the city using our feet and the varied public transportation options, like the Seattle Center Monorail. This was perfect because it got us close to all the CityPASS attractions we chose and made navigating with our littles so easy.

The Seattle Center Monorail is a fun and fast way to travel between Westlake Center and Seattle Center. Tash Haynes

Our first stop: Chihuly Garden and Glass. My family has never been before, and we loved seeing all the gorgeous blown glass. The exhibit was so vibrant and stunning. Our whole family loved walking through, learning more about Dale Chihuly and his passion for glass blowing, and seeing the impact his work has had on shaping Seattle’s creativity. Our favorite part was the mixed media that could be found in the garden outside of the Glasshouse, right under the Space Needle. It was amazing seeing the blown glass intermixed with the natural elements.

Chihuly Garden and Glass gallery showing the Mille Fiori series. Tash Haynes

Our second stop for the day was the iconic Space Needle. I have been to the Space Needle more times than I can count, and recently had the opportunity to check it out after its major remodel that was completed in 2018, but my children, who have each seen it their whole lives, have never had a chance to experience it from the inside. My 3-year-old talked about going up the Space Needle all afternoon and her excitement made me want to burst. Bundling Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Space Needle was the perfect afternoon outing for us because they pair so beautifully with their close proximity to one another. But if you want a perfect day of activities, I would consider adding the Museum of Pop Culture (which is also located in Seattle Center) to round your activities out.

The Space Needle did not disappoint. We went up right at dusk so that we had the opportunity to see both day and nighttime views, but the CityPASS is so convenient because it allows you a daytime and nighttime entry so that you get a chance to experience the Space Needle in both ways. The girls were mesmerized by the vastness of the city from this angle. They LOVED the revolving glass floor and couldn’t get enough, and even my littlest baby launched out and danced all over the revolving glass. They are much braver than their mama, who is afraid of heights, and my husband, Ike, came from behind the camera to the front to capture his own epic Space Needle images.

Stepping out onto the revolving glass floor at the Space Needle was one of the highlights! Tash Haynes

What I love most about CityPASS is you get nine days to redeem your admission across the different attractions, so you never feel rushed. You can also make a reservation at most sites so you don’t have to wait in line and that is a mama’s dream when traveling with littles. Here’s how it works! Go to CityPASS.com and select your city. From there you will decide between two options, the full CityPASS (which gives you access to 5 major attractions and saves you 44% on ticket prices across admission) or the C3 option (which gives you access to three major attractions including The Museum of Flight and Sky View Observatory, and saves you 30% on ticket prices across admission). In addition to Seattle, CityPASS is available in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Southern California, Tampa Bay, and Toronto.

Our day was incredible, and I cannot wait to get outside and to explore more of Seattle using our CityPASS. It will be my first stop when visiting new cities in the future.

About the Author

Tash Haynes

Hi, I’m Tash! (a.k.a. @itstashhaynes on Instagram). I am a professional full-time wedding and portrait photographer + lifestyle & family travel blogger based out of Tacoma, WA. With 10+ years of experience in the entrepreneurship world as a small business owner, speaker, and coach, my platform exists to inspire the beginning entrepreneurs, the working or stay-at-home mom, and every woman in between. I do my best daily to model a life that is possible and attainable while pursuing my purpose and raising a family. The thing that makes me happiest is raising up strong, confident, resilient young women, and I love being a mom of three to my daughters Wisdom, Courage, and Glory.

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