Cinema Under The Stars - Outdoor Movies In the Greater Seattle Area

There is something amazing about watching a movie outdoors.  The sounds and sights are amplified by the openness of the venue.  Add in a crowd that is unfettered by the limitations of the theater and you have a spectacle that is unlikely to be recreated at your local Cinerama.  Luckily in the Seattle area there are several locations where you can watch a film with the sky above you.  The Fremont Outdoor Cinema is the longest running of the bunch with Seattle Parks and Recreation (at both Westlake and Occidental Parks), Magnuson Park, Marymoor Park and  the Seattle Center all hosting their own movies within the last few years. With this many venues, there are movies playing 3 to 4 nights a week. As an added bonus, many of the showings encourage dressing up and several showings have movie trivia or other activities before the show starts.  So gather up your low beach chairs, pack yourself some snacks and spread out a blanket under the stars....

Wednesday, July 6: Back to the Future – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 7: Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Magnuson Park

Wednesday, July 13: Jurassic World – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 14: Labyrinth- Magnuson Park

Friday July 15th:  Movies in the Park: Inside Out - Westlake Park

Saturday July 16th: DEADPOOL | 21+ - Fremont Studios

Wednesday, July 20: Inside Out – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 21: Star Wars: The Force Awakens- Magnuson Park

Friday July 22^nd: Movies in the Park: The Goonies - Westlake Park

Saturday July 23^rd: Pretty Woman 21+ - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Wednesday, July 27: Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 28: The Incredibles- Magnuson Park

Saturday July 30^th: Mad Max: Fury Road 21+ - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Saturday July 30^th: The Princess Bride Quote-Along - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 3: Aladdin – Marymoor Park

Thursday, August 4^th: Guardians of the Galaxy – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 5^th: Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same - Cal Anderson Park

Saturday, August 6^th: Grand Budapest Hotel 21+ - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Saturday, August 6^th: Mad Max: Fury Road - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 10: Singin' in the Rain – Marymoor Park

Thur. August, 11^th: Zootopia – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 12^th: Spaceballs - Cal Anderson Park

Saturday, August 13^th: Galaxy Quest - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 17: Zootopia – Marymoor Park

Thur. August 18^th: The Sandlot – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 19^th: Dudefest V - The Big Lebowski - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Friday, August 19^th:  Barbarella - Cal Anderson Park

Saturday, August 20^th: West Side Story - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 24: The Princess Bride – Marymoor Park

Thur. August 25^th: The Goonies – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 26^th: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Cal Anderson Park

Friday, Aug 26^th:  Movies in the Park: Labyrinth - Occidental Square

Saturday, August 27^th: Life of Pi - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Friday, Sep 2^nd:  Movies in the Park: Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Occidental Square

Come Sail Away - Model Pond Boat Sailing @ Lake Union Park

Have you wanted to feel the wind in your hair and the sun in your face while commanding your own ship?  We recently were able to make those dreams a reality ...on a smaller scale. Every Saturday and Sunday from May to November, The Center for Wooden Boats rents out model boats for at the model boat pond.  Sailing the boats is as easy as pointing it into the wind and giving it a little push. The hard part is running around to other side after each voyage to sail it back. Pairing sailing with a visit to the MOHAI and a picnic makes for an amazing day out! Boat rentals are a $5 per hour suggested donation and the rentals are open from 11a.m. - 2p.m.

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Travel Through Time - MOHAI

Time travel is high on my list of impossible things to do.  I would love to experience moments in history first hand (or at least observe them safely from a distance.)  That's why I love the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).  The history of Seattle, and to some extent the Pacific Northwest, is laid out in an entertaining and informative way.  Many icons from the past are on display along with interactive displays that kept all of us, from the 4 year-old on up, entertained.  The museum sits on the south end of Lake Union in a beautiful park that is perfect for picnics and boat watching.  http://www.mohai.org/

Free Museum Days - First Thursday Free Admission

A trip to the museum is always high our list of things to do.  Whether historic (MOHAI, Museum of Flight) or artistic (SAM, Wing Luke), our family has a great time.  And the best part is, that most of them are free on the first Thursday of the month.  Every month we choose one museum to go to (sometimes more if we start early enough) and make a day of it.  Discussing and observing art and history from two different perspectives (4 year old and 11 year old) is an amazing and satisfying experience. http://www.freemuseumday.org/sea.html

Free Arts and History! - Seattle Public Library Museum Pass

Library cards are known for taking you to amazing places and showing you the fantastic.  Now, with the help of The Seattle Public Library Foundation, it can take you somewhere closer, but no less amazing.  With a bit of planning, you can gain free admission to many of the museums in Seattle using your library card.   You are able to pick from about a months worth of dates at a time and, after entering in your card number, you can print out free passes to the museum of your choice.  You can get one pass per week and can't visit the same museum more than once in a 30 day period.  Most of the passes are good for several people so it's a great excuse for a family outing.  And if you do it right, you can cycle through a year's worth of exhibits for free. http://www.spl.org/library-collection/museum-pass

Watch the Sky Explode – Family Fourth on Lake Union

Every year the skies above hundreds of cities in the country light up in celebration of our country.  We happen to be in one of the top 10 cities in the countries to watch the sky explode. The Family 4^th at Lake Union isn’t just about the fireworks though.  This year the entire perimeter of Lake Union has activities for the whole family.   Lake Union Park is the home of The Center for Wooden Boats which is celebrating its 36^th annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival.  The Festival allows you to tour several historic boats and build your own toy boat among other activities. Lake Union Park will also host one of two stages providing live music throughout the day.  The other stage is located as what is arguably the center of the party – Gasworks Park.  Gasworks not only has one of the live music stages, but it is also host to a large amount family friendly activities.  Inflatable play center for the kids, dual slides, Microsoft Kinect Zone, and a giant zipline….Gasworks will have something for everyone.   So bring your sunscreen and umbrella, this is Seattle, and celebrate the Fourth! Family 4th at Lake Union