Seattle Center, just north of downtown Seattle, offers an assortment of fun things for teenagers to do. The Experience Music Project, or EMP, is dedicated to popular music, including jazz, rock'n'roll, soul, gospel, country and blues, hip-hop, punk and grunge/alternative rock. The exhibits are often interactive using cutting-edge technology. Seattle Center also houses the Pacific Science Center which offers hands-on exhibits and experiments, 3D IMAX movies, a planetarium, and laser shows to popular music, such as the Beatles and Queen. Other exhibits include a tropical butterfly house, robotic life-sized dinosaurs, science games and outdoor water cannons. Seattle Center also hosts a Science Fiction Museum for teens interested in that genre of literature.
Another fun adventure for teens at Seattle Center is the Space Needle's Observation Deck, which is 520 feet above ground. The elevator offers spectacular views going up and down and once atop, one can behold a 360 degree bird's eye view of the city below, and the mountain ranges to the east and west, including Mount Rainier. There are also amusement park rides in the Fun Forest section of Seattle Center, and there is a food court which offers options ranging from full local seafood meals to caramel apples and cotton candy on carts.
Seattle's Downtown Waterfront offers several activities for teens. The Pike Place Market is one of the oldest farmers' markets in the country. This bustling town center offers live street performers, crafts vendors, magic shops, comic book stores, and fruits and vegetables, as well as local specialties such as fresh salmon. At the foot of the Market lies the waterfront and the Pacific Aquarium. On exhibit at the aquarium are giant Pacific octopus, sharks, sea otters, seals and other ocean life. The Seattle Waterfront has many interesting stores along it, including the popular Ye Ole Curiosity Shop, which is packed with wild historical items such as "Sylvester," the mummy. Ceiling to floor this shop offers a mixture of carnival lore and tourist trade, and is a fun trip in and of itself.
The Center for Wooden Boats in South Lake Union has a floating museum of historic boats on display on the water. You can walk around the center and view boats of all kinds, while also learning about sea shanties, canoe carving, and local maritime lore. On the northern end of Lake Union, you will find the Burke Museum. located on the University of Washington campus. This museum offers an extensive collection of Native American artifacts and historical displays which may interest some teens. Green Lake, also located in North Seattle, offers rental bikes to ride the three-mile circular bike path around Green Lake, and in the summers, also rents out rowboats and paddleboats for use on the lake. Green Lake has playgrounds with basketball hoops, baseball diamonds, a running path, a swimming area with life guards, and also offers fishing.
All of the above attractions are accessible via public transportation available to teens via King County Metro Transit. The bus system in Seattle is affordable and reliable. The Seattle Monorail, which travels every few minutes between downtown Seattle and the Seattle Center, is another convenient mode of transportation for teens.
