There is no shortage of fun things to do in Seattle, whether your tastes run to the educational, natural, or quirky. Within walking distance of the convention center, check out Pike Place Market, one of the country’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ markets, for a variety of produce, food, art, and crafts. Also close at hand are the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), which includes the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, the award-winning Seattle Public Library, and the Olympic Sculpture Park. A little farther afield, you’ll find Elliott Bay Bookstore, the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center, and much more.
From the Seattle waterfront, you can take a variety of tours on the water, including boat rides through the Ballard Locks, tours of Elliot Bay, and day trips to Blake Island.
A bit farther afield but still in Seattle, you’ll find the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), the Woodland Park Zoo, the Museum of Flight, and the Burke Natural History Museum. Local neighborhoods add personality, fun shopping, and more great restaurants—check out Fremont, the University District, or Ballard.
If you have a few extra days, Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument are all in day-trip range from downtown. The Hoh Rainforest is stunning, as is the Olympic Hot Springs Resort, a wine trail, several cideries, and again, plenty of opportunities for amazing natural views.
For a guide to the standard tourist attractions, check out Visit Seattle’s list of Top 25 Things to Do. For a slightly more offbeat Seattle experience, take a look at Atlas Obscura’s list of quirky attractions.
Restaurant Scene
Seattle is a foodie town, and the restaurant scene is both varied and awesome. You can get any cuisine you want in downtown Seattle. The Summit Convention Center itself has food outlets including Bombo Italian Kitchen designed by chef Ethan Stowell. Look for the publication of our restaurant guide, currently under development!
Fannish Culture
Seattle’s fan history is long. From hosting Seacon in 1961 to this Worldcon, the Pacific Northwest has a shared history of coming together to throw events, learn together, and participate in creating new things through conventions like Norwescon, GeekGirlCon, OrcaCon, PAX West, Britcon, OryCon, Sakura-con, Conflikt, Radcon, Emerald City Comic-Con, Crypticon, Foolscap, and so many others.
We are home to Funko HQ, Dead Gentlemen Productions (makers of The Gamers series of films), leading game companies such as Wizards of the Coast, Nintendo, Twitch, Pathfinder, Bungie, PopCap, Niantic, Big Fish, and Green Ronin, and tech leaders like Microsoft, Google, Adobe, and Amazon. The region is well-known for its maker culture. Our conventions tend to have a significant number of hands-on workshops and ways for people to come together, create together, and learn together. Come geek out with us!
