We're traveling to Seattle for the first time for 4 days next weekend and the forecast is for lots and lots of rain every day. Which we pretty much expected booking a trip in February. While I don't mind walking around with a hooded raincoat and umbrella - excuse me, bumbershoot - I'm thinking that it would be nice to have a few suggestions for recommended indoor sites to check out while we dry off and warm up. Pike Place Market is, of course, already on our list. I'd love to hear about some great don't-miss spots, museums, historic spots, etc. that we can get to (hotel is downtown) without a car. Also, would love to find out about any fun music venues downtown, blues preferred but not absolute, that we could check out after dinner some evening.

There is no cover charge for this event:
http://www.thetripledoor.net/Calenda...ate=2015-02-08

We like Jazz Alley, too.

There are often discounts available through Gold Star: http://www.visitseattle.org/Visitors/Events.aspx

This events calendar may give you more ideas:
http://www.visitseattle.org/Visitors/Events.aspx

HTtY

We really enjoyed the underground tour. And it's under cover.

http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/

http://www.empmuseum.org/

http://zinzanni.com/seattle/

All great to do!

Some thoughts and places to start...

http://www.thestranger.com/

Here's a good events/venue guide - http://www.seattleweekly.com/calendar/#/?i=1

Music venues, both great -
http://www.thetripledoor.net/
http://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/

The Chihuly Ego garden is half indoors/outdoors at Seattle Center; you can also visit the EMP/Sci-Fi museum nearby.

One personal "rainy day" fave is Uwajimaya, a terrific pan-Asian supermarket/department store in the International District - great for gifts, cool food court, play "name that vegetable"...

Pacific Place in the middle of downtown is a vertical shopping center with a great collection of shops, plus a big multi-screen movie complex at the top.

Also consider renting a car for the day and heading out to Snoqualmie Falls, around 40 min. east of the city off I-90. Pretty spectacular in the winter. Nice spa/hotel/restaurant complex perched on top of the falls, the Salish Inn.

Normally, I would say the Space Needle is at the top of the list, but with rain, the visibility will be lousy. However, it is still an interesting site because of how and why it was built and you are indoors at the top. Also at the Seattle Center near the Space Needle are the Chihuly Glass Museum and the Experience Music Project (a rock n roll museum that can be a lot of fun if you're in the mood for it). A trip to the International District and the Wing Luke Asian Museum might be fun combined with some lunch. Read the novel "Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" to give you a sense of history for that area.

And the Seattle Art Museum is another good indoors stop.

Although this is partly outdoors, I always recommend the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island and Winslow for short Seattle visits. Great view of the downtown from the ferry, and you can walk onto the ferry and then to downtown Winslow for lunch and boutique shopping. Hitchcock has a great lunch deli, but we also like Café Nola.

+1
"Read the novel "Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" to give you a sense of history for that area. "

Stop in The Panama Hotel's Tea Room. Have a cup of tea. Look at the floor when you walk to the back and to the large room on the right. That's all I am saying; if you read the book, you'll know right away.

http://www.panamahotel.net/teahouse.htm

http://www.panamahotel.net/history.htm

I see the website indicates tours, I'd do that for sure. We went to a jazz concert in the tea room a while ago. It was great.
http://www.stevegriggsmusic.com/panamahotel.htm

I recommend the Teatro Zinzanni- dinner and an evening of wacky entertainment! So fun!

Wow, great suggestions, everyone. My list fillith up!

Seattle Art Museum, Pike Place Market, Underground Tour, Smith Tower, Klondike Museum, Pacific Place and Westlake shopping malls, Seattle Aquarium.

Frye Museum (on 1st Hill, not right downtown).

The Triple Door & Jazz Alley. Teatro Zinzanni, the cabaret show at the Pink Door.

ps - We call umbrellas, "umbrellas", we don't call them bumbershoots -haha!

Suze - got it! I'd heard the bumbershoot term fromsomeone who grew up there, but many years ago. And thanks for your list.

Anyone eaten at The Triple Door? Looks great as a music venue and I like what's on the calendar, but wondered whether we should eat elsewhere first or give it a try - the menu looks good.

They have a really cool public library downtown--very architecturally interesting!

Triple Door shared the kitchen of Wild Ginger... it's very good food.

SeaF - you can bet that as an architect, the library has been at the top of my must-sees for my trip to Seattle! Looking forward to seeing it.

http://seattlearchitecture.org/tours/

Not necessarily for a rainy day, but since you mention architecture, check out the link above.

Oh, darn - those look like some great tours, but our arrival & departure times don't mesh with their schedule.

Just a thought