Family fun is Seattle Archives - Roaming Red Feather

One thing I love about Seattle is all the great outdoor spaces and outdoor activities but in the winter time those options are not realistic. It’s cold, gray and rainy; sometimes windy. So, I was looking for more indoor options and found Seattle Spheres on Facebook and decided to check it out.

What Are The Seattle Spheres?

The Spheres are a work space for Amazon employees in the heart of Seattle. It is 3 connected spheres that houses over 400 plants from countries all over the world. It is a mini 4 story rainforest in Seattle! Which is cool!

When is it open?

This new iconic structure is open to the public on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. The Spheres are easy to get to. I walked from Westfield Mall and it took about 10 minutes.

How much does it cost and how do I make a reservation?

Admission is free and if you visit this link https://www.seattlespheres.com/the-spheres-weekend-public-visits

On the “Visit the Spheres” tab “Book a Visit” will be highlighted in blue on the right under the picture.

Here are a few things to know about reservations.

You must bring government issued photo id for everyone over 18.
If you have to change a name-especially if you are changing the name of the original person who booked it you MUST email the spheres with all name changes.
You can bring in drinks. I would definitely bring water. The Spheres is a fairly tropical climate; kinda hot and a little muggy. They do serve water on the 2nd floor but it is lukewarm and they only have tiny cups.

What will I see?

**Plants are marked with small round tree wood markers.**

I can not describe all various plants there are, so I won’t try, but what I will say is that each area, while distinct flowed seamlessly into another that continuously draws the eye to interesting displays.

Seattle Spheres are more than a collection of plants and flowers that are from exotic places like Africa and Asia, it is a well laid out space; filled with tall trees, inventive seating areas, and let’s face it, the building is so freaking cool!

Other things to know:

You are not allowed to touch the plants; pictures are allowed-no flash photography.
It is self guided. I like this option. I want to explore at my own leisure.
There is a 4 story living plant wall that is 50ft. high.

**Take pictures of the wall at each level to capture more of the foliage.**

Other things that I loved.

The Seattle Spheres is a great plant to visit a small rainforest in a really greatly designed building but that was not all that is cool about the Spheres.

**The seating spaces throughout were really fun!**

Things to keep in mind:

It is warm inside. I know I said this in the beginning but if it’s 30 degrees outside and 78 degrees inside it feels super hot! So dress in layers and bring that water bottle.
There are 4 flights of stairs. The Seattle Spheres is easy to navigate and laid out extremely well! The stairs are not steep and there are plenty of places to relax if you have bad knees or whatever, but you will be climbing up and up.
One of the thing I liked best is that all the levels looked over the other levels so you could see everything under you. Keep this in mind if you are afraid of heights.

The Seattle Spheres is a quick, fun and free way to add value to your time in Seattle. I would definitely recommend a visit.

Amazon HQ is right next to is and you can book a visit to this famous place of business. http://www.amazonhqtours.com/

There is no end of fun venues in Seattle for St. Patrick’s Day to be enjoyed by everyone! Music, parades, beer, free stuff-that’s the best. Whether you need family fun, 21+fun, music, free fun; are looking to connect with your Irish roots, want to be active, want to eat too much, whatever. Seattle is a great place to get your Irish on! And not just on March 17th but there are celebrations before and after the big day. So, settle in with a Guinnes and start looking forward to a marvelous St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade: March 17th at 12:20p.m. Raising of the Irish flag with the Irish and U.S. anthems at the King Co. admin. building. The Parade begins at 12:30p.m. at 4th&James, ending at Seattle Center at 2:30. This is a free event full of fun and frivolity! Good for all ages, so don’t miss it.
Irish Festival: March 17th 10:00a.m.-6:00p.m. and March 18th from noon to 6:00p.m. at the Seattle Center (Seattle Armory). Free admission on both days. Chock full of entertainment, food and drink, singing and dancing, Celtic and Irish product to buy, art, cultural displays, etc. Also great for kids with games and contests. You can attend the Irish Reels Film Festival, a genealogy workshop on the 18th or win a free vacation to Ireland-drawing is on the 18th. http://ishclub.org/irish-festival-seattle/
The Landing of St. Patrick: March 16th at South Lake Union. St. Patrick was brought to Ireland by pirates, this year St. Patrick will be brought to Seattle by the Pirates of the Emerald Isle. You will even be able to climb on board at Pioneer Square. A free, kid friendly event that will probably be packed, because, Pirates! I want to go this for sure! Ahoy, all ye Irish and Irish and at heart. https://www.axs.com/free-family-friendly-events-in-seattle-for-st-patrick-s-day-2018-128141
St. Patrick’s in Bell Street Park: March 17th 4:00-7:00p.m. Grab your freebies such as chocolate coins, bead necklaces and coupons for discounts at local restaurants. Get your picture taken with Lucky the Leprechaun. https://www.mybelltown.com/st-pattys-day-park-feelingluckyinbelltown/

Fun for those of us over 21: Drinking, dining and singing are just about everywhere! I found that Trip Savvy has a great list. https://www.tripsavvy.com/st-patricks-day-in-seattle-2965010

For the active: St. Patrick’s Day Dash:March 17th. Event starts at 8:00a.m at 2nd&Mercer and has timed and untimed waves. Packet pick up time is 6:00a.m at the Fisher Pavilion. There is a lap option for kids and participants are encouraged to dress up(costume contest!) At the end of the race they have a beer garden. There are buses too, if you don’t want to park http://stpatsdash.com/index.php

For the devout: Mass for Peace luncheon at St. Patrick’s Church on March 16th and in Tacoma’s Little Theatre you can catch “Jesus Christ Superstar”.

Fun on the water: Waterways St. Patrick’s Day Trivia Lunch Cruise from 11:30-1:30. They offer military and senior discounts as well as children rates. On March 17th they offer a 21+ party cruise from 8:30pm-11:30p.m. The cruise sails Lake Union and Lake Washington.

Go Big! Plan a trip to Ireland. There is a tour company that offers a 10 day trip to Ireland that include r/t airfare from SeaTac. You could book a cruise that includes stops in Ireland; some will offer overnights in Dublin. Sorry, there are none departing from Seattle though.

So, with so many options it’s time to plan on having a outstanding time! I am not Irish but for a few days I could be; and so could you!

Seattle Spheres: A Fun, Free Experience.