Rainy day things to do in Seattle
When my husband and I visited Seattle, it was raining the whole time we were there; not a torrential downpour but a relentless drizzle. This came as no surprise; apparently it rains 150 days a year on average. Fortunately there are a bunch of things to do in Seattle even on a rainy day.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
The visit to Chihuly garden and glass was the highlight of our trip. This exhibit contains the works of Dale Chihuly, a Washington native and a glass sculptor. The exhibit is divided into three parts; the Glasshouse, the garden and the interior galleries. The Glasshouse is modeled after a conservatory and contains a 100-foot long suspended glass sculpture in a yellow-red tone.
At the center of the garden is the Sun which shines everyday unlike its namesake. It is made of over 2000 yellow and orange glass elements. It is easy to forget while looking at these massive installations that they are made from thousands of glass pieces. Another commendable fact is that the sculptures in the garden are resilient against the elements of nature.
Each of the eight interior galleries is stunning. While almost all the installations had a strong red / yellow tone, the sea life tower depicting creatures of the sea, was a departure from the rest. Pictures do not do justice to the beauty of these sculptures.
Pike place market
Pike place market is a public market that contains fresh produce stalls, craft stores and family run restaurants. The market building consists of several covered levels and there are hundreds of unique shops selling antiques, collectibles, comic books etc. We found a store selling sculptures made of the volcanic ash from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. A popular photo-op here is with Rachel, the 500 pound bronze cast piggy bank. The Pike place fish market is famous for the flying fish where the fishmongers throw the fish to one another while processing a customer’s order.
Underground tour
The underground tour in Seattle takes you through a network of underground passages and basements in Pioneer Square. During the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, most of the buildings in Pioneer Square burnt down. Since this was an area that flooded often, after the fire, the decision was made to rebuild the street at a higher level. As a result, the first floors of the buildings ended up underground and the second floor was at street level.
There was a gap between the raised streets and the existing buildings and these gaps(what used to be sidewalks) are where the tours happen now. The sidewalks were covered on top to make the new sidewalks at the raised level and pavement lights were installed in the new sidewalks to provide light underneath.
The tour takes slightly over an hour and is insightful and funny. There are plenty of places nearby to grab a bite before or after the tour. The Merchants Cafe and Saloon which is the oldest bar in Seattle is a few steps away from the starting point.
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is an air and space museum that has a wide variety of aircraft on display including an Air Force One, a Concorde and fighter planes used in the world wars. The exhibits include a NASA Space Shuttle Trainer and one of the buildings from the original Boeing plant, the Red Barn.
Fremont troll
The Fremont troll is a public sculpture in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle made by local artists. It is based on Scandinavian folklore of a troll living under the bridge. Because the 18-ft sculpture is under a bridge, it is protected from the rain and so are the visitors.
Space Needle
Technically you can go to the top of the space needle without getting wet and look outside from the covered observation area. But when we went to the top, the visibility was not great and it was a very average experience. If you must go when it is raining, preferably go during the day time.
