When you think of Seattle, you think of water -- the very best place to view what lives in that water is the Seattle Aquarium

 Seattle Aquarium
1483 Alaskan Way on Pier 59
Phone: (206)386-4300

If you belong to a zoo or aquarium in your hometown, you will likely find the Seattle Aquarium on your list of places you can visit for free by showing your member pass. If not, the best deal for visitors is the 9-day, 6-event CityPass. It allows entrance to the Seattle Aquarium (with an IMAX show), Woodland Park Zoo, Argosy Harbor Cruise, Pacific Science Center, the Space Needle, and the Museum of Flight. City Pass prices are as follows: Adults - $42.00, Youth (6-13) - $29.

The Seattle Aquarium provides a pleasant, very enjoyable experience for all visitors. We've taken our teenage son since the time he was a baby and we always find something new and exciting. My favorite exhibit includes the puffins. These birds swim underwater and are fun to watch. My husband prefers sitting inside the domed aquarium where he can watch life go by. My son has always enjoyed the "touch tank" the most since he can pick up the little critters and enjoy their various colors and textures.

The major exhibits at the Seattle Aquarium include tropical fish, plants, a salmon spawning program, Northwest native fish, sea otters, a domed aquarium where visitors and fish seem to swap roles, and an IMAX theatre.

Right now the aquarium is experiencing the joys of parenthood. Lootas gave birth to a new baby sea otter. Lootas came to the aquarium as an abandoned orphan and last year became the youngest otter to give birth in captivity with a surviving pup. That pup is now on his way to Chicago to add diversity to their breeding program.

Aquarium for the Future
The Seattle Aquarium, in conjunction with the City of Seattle is building a new Pacific Northwest Aquarium on Seattle's waterfront. The exhibits are being designed by the firm that designed the fantastic Congo Gorilla Forest at Woodland Park Zoo. Their plans includes zones for the Pacific Northwest Rocky Coast, the Diverse World of Water, Journey to Puget Sound, and numerouse interactive exhibts.

Sea Sounds at the Seattle Aquarium
In addition to viewing great fish and sea life, the Aquarium presents concerts of local talent this fall and summer on the Sound. You can purchase tickets online at the Aquarium website


© 2001-03 Sue Barton