If you are planning a trip to Seattle, you might find the itenerary you planned ruined by a rainy day – but don’t worry, Seattle has plenty of things to do on rainy days- we’re used to it!
In this post, I’m sharing local insight into the best things to do on a rainy day in Seattle. With my insider help, you’ll learn how to enjoy the best things to do in Seattle that you can only enjoy on rainy days.
Here’s how to make the MOST out of a Rainy Seattle Trip:
(Scroll on down for Local Tips for Each Activity!)
🌲 See Seattle’s Temperate Rainforests: Embrace the rain and see the lush greenery of Seattle’s rainforests burst into life. From Seward Park to the Seattle Arboretum, you’ll be surrounded by a vibrant atmosphere and incredible acoustics that only rain can create.
🌊 Go WaterFall Hunting: When rain falls, rivers swell, and PNW waterfalls turn into incredible wonders. In this article, you’ll learn my recommendations for waterfall hunting both in the city limits and beyond.
🦀 Beachcombing and Low-tide Exploring: Seattle offers an incredible beach day in the rain, you just have to adjust your mindset. Splashing around in the wet sand at low tide will reveal wildlife you’ve never seen outside an aquarium!
🌂 Artful Rain Gardens: Seattle boasts some of the best rain gardens in the country, metal art, water-flows, hydrophobic murals, and sound installations come alive when rain falls and 99.99% of tourists miss it!
🏛️ Cozy Indoor Adventures: When you’re ready to dry off, Seattle’s got plenty of indoor activities too. Catch a show, explore the Central Library, or head to the city’s tiny indoor national park.
Remember: Mindset makes the Trip in Rainy Seattle
Before jumping into rainy day things to do, here’s the key you’ve gotta know: embrace the rain.
When it rains in Seattle, us locals just continue with life as normal! Rain in Seattle tends to be gentle rain with small raindrops 🌧️(not the pounding rain of the south or midwest US ⛈️). Because of this, it’s easy to carry on with normal activities with no special equipment other than a good pair of shoes and a light raincoat.
The following activities are some of my favorite things to do in the rain in Seattle, ranked in order of my preference. Many of these activities are actually more fun on days with rain and clouds than when the sun is out.
Seward Park and Seattle Arboretum
Seattle rain tends to be more of a mist than a downpour.
With a decent raincoat, you can still explore without getting too wet. In fact, Seattle’s temperate rainforest arboretum and parks are actually more vibrant on days with rain.
Walk the trails at the Arboretum and attached gardens to enjoy this rain-enhanced space- the rain means you may even have the space all to yourself.
Seward Park trails lead through old mossy trees that grow green and glossy when the rain falls. With thick branches overhead, you’ll stay mostly dry while the branches allow you to explore a moss-covered world that comes alive in the rain.
Beach Combing / Low Tide
Low tide exploring is one of my favorite things to do in Seattle- and it can be an incredible experience in bright light, rainy days, or even after dark!
One advantage to looking for things to do in Seattle on rainy days is that you’ll get to experience rain in one of the world’s largest temperate rain forests. In both the forests and the waterfronts, rain transforms the landscape- creatures specially adapted to this environment thrive in the wet weather.
While Seattle has a mostly-indoor aquarium, beachcombing and low-tide exploring in the rain can be a memorable adventure! I always recommend visitors check the Tide Forecast and plan a beach visit when the tide is at its lowest.
The best beaches on my list of things to do in the rain for low tide exploring are:
- Constellation Park – West Seattle
- Edmonds Ferry Dock – Edmonds
- Richmond Beach Saltwater Park – Shoreline
- But starfish and other marine life are often visible on the downtown waterfront in pocket beaches I wrote about here.
Visit Rain Gardens
Because Seattle is accustomed to so many days of rain each year, rain gardens are elevated to an art form art here.
Rain gardens trap and channel rainwater into decorative (and often functional) landscapes. In the Puget sound regions, rain gardens serve an additional purpose- diverting rainwater along more convoluted courses than directly into storm drains. In an urban landscape, if all rainwater is directed to storm drains, the drains are at risk of overflowing. Overflowing storm drains cause untreated water to flow directly into the Puget Sound. Rain gardens work like sponges that help hold water and release it back into the ground and waterways at a manageable rate.
Seattle’s thousands of rain gardens- big and small- enhance the beauty of a rainy day, provide ambient sound, and help keep the Puget Sound on an upward trend towards improved water quality.
“A rain garden is a shallow depression containing spongy soil and a variety of plants that thrive in northwest sun, soil and moisture conditions. It collects water from your roof downspout and allows it to safely soak into the ground.” – 7milliongallons.com
Rain gardens can be visited rain or shine any time of the year, but unlike most adventures, they provide a special bonus for rainy day adventurers.
Best Rain Gardens:
An umbrella-themed art installation/rain garden sits at 2801 1st Ave, as well as the nearby artist-design Vine Street Rain Garden (both adjacent to the Olympic Sculpture Park which is, itself, a giant rain garden)
Some of the top rain gardens in Seattle include the roof of the Ballard Library, the SAM sculpture park, and the Sea/Tac transfer center. Many rain gardens are discrete- but you can find a listing of rain gardens at 12000raingardens.org.
Cinerama
Seattle has fun inside adventures as well. In the heart of Seattle’s downtown-adjacent neighborhood of Belltown lies “Cinerama,” one of only three remaining movie theaters in the world that can show three panel Cinerama films. The landmark movie theater and its signature curved screen is open daily showing new releases, and open occasionally to show vintage Cinerama flicks. In 2020, (Cinerama closed during mandatory shutdowns in 2020. They announced in early 2021 that the venue would not not be reopening.)
Seattle Public Library Central Branch
One of my favorite things to do in Seattle on a rainy day is taking visitors to the central branch of the Seattle Public Library.
Inside this iconic, asymmetrical glass building there are seating options on each floor positioned perfectly for enjoying the rain rolling off the steel and glass latticework exterior of the library. It’s the perfect spot to sit and read, chat, work on a travel journal, catch up on work, or time your visit for a grown-up story hour.
As a bonus, it was recently rated as the most instagrammable library in the world– and includes a notoriously-creepy 4th floor worth exploring for the more adventurous of travelers.
Other libraries in Seattle worth visiting in the rain include the Suzello Library on the campus of the University of Washington and its Hogwarts reminiscent architecture (however, limited parking options mean it’s a rather long walk in the rain to visit this building.)
Waterfall Park and Pioneer Square
This secluded urban oasis of the UPS Waterfall Park is privately owned but open to the public.
This perfect spot for visiting Seattle in the rain is tucked behind Occidental Square Park.
This monument built by the UPS corporation to mark its original location features a 22-foot urban waterfall.
With tables and seating under a covered overhang, it’s the perfect spot to eat lunch, read a book or just relax in the small and quiet sanctuary of this “secret” little park. Read more about this mini adventure here.
Seattle’s Secret (Urban) National Park
Adjacent to the Waterfall Park, there’s a national park- yep, a National Park!- right in the heart of downtown. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is owned by the National Parks Service and thus, is given the official designation of a national park. You can learn more about this museum and park commemorating an important part of American history via the National Park Service’s Website for this Park.
Rain Art Hunting
Seattle is a hub for modern creators, and among this is the creator of a “superhydrophobic coating” used to create art in public spaces that shows up only on rainy days.
Seattle has dozens of street art installations created using superhydrophobic (water repellant) coatings. These installations are designed to be invisible and only to appear on rainy days when walls or pavement are wet. You can find a map of “rainworks” here.
Snoqualmie Falls
30 miles from the heart of downtown Seattle lies Snoqualmie falls, a 268-foot waterfall that roars to epic proportions during rainfall. If you’re looking for a way to spend a rainy day in Seattle- it’s worth a gamble heading to “the falls.” The Pacific Northwest’s many microclimates mean that by the time you’ve arrived at the falls you may have found clearer weather- or it will still be raining and you’ll be treated to the epic rain-swollen cascade.
Final Thoughts on Seattle in the Rain
As a local, I can confidently proise that Seattle is a great place to explore even on rainy days. The city is used to rainy weather and if you pack a good raincoat- you’ll thrive here too.
- 🌲 Exploring Seattle’s Rainforests – Because of the weather, Seattle has many activities that can be enjoyed in wet conditions. Even outdoor spaces like Seward Park and Seattle Arboretum are beautiful places to explore on rainy days- the rain creates a unique and vibrant atmosphere.
- 🦀 Beachcombing and low-tide exploring in Constellation Park, Edmonds Ferry Dock, and Richmond Beach Saltwater Park can also be a memorable adventure.
- 🌂Seattle’s rain gardens, including some of the best in the country, are another great attraction that can be best enjoyed on a day with rainy skies. These beautiful gardens also help divert rainwater away from storm drains, helping Puget Sound sea life and adding vibrant art to neighborhoods.
- 🏛️Cozy Indoor adventures. For indoor adventures on Seattle’s rainiest days, theaters, the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library, and Seattle’s tiny national park offer indoor activities that can be enjoyed by all ages.
So if you’re hesitating about planning a trip to Seattle during the rainy season, fear not- Seattle has plenty to offer, even on the rainiest of days.
Lynli Roman’s unique approach to travel is informed by decades of experience on the road with a traveling family and, later, years spent as a solo international traveler. When she’s not writing about Seattle from her Pike Place Market apartment, Lynli writes on-location while conducting hands-on research in each destination she covers. Lynli’s writing has been featured by MSN, ABC Money, Buzzfeed, and Huffington Post. She is passionate about sharing information that makes travel more accessible for all bodies.