What are your favorite free and cheap things to do with out of town guests? (Seattle: 2015, rent)

[mamainfl]

My sister will be here in July 22-28, and my parents will come in early October. Since we are new to the area ourselves, and we are all very frugal people, what should we not miss?

We will take the bus a lot (coming from West Seattle) There are lots of things we have not done yet either. Loved the locks. (When do the salmon run?) We like walking tours, historical things, unique just to the area. So, if it is accessible by bus, tell me your ideas!

[Ruth4Truth]

There are several salmon runs during the year, because there are multiple species of salmon. Maybe you could Google it.

West Seattle has a couple of parks that are gorgeous! And there's the underground tour, downtown. And of course, Pike Place Mkt. You can take part of an afternoon to stroll the UW grounds and gardens. If you start in the morning, you can rent a canoe with your sister at the UW waterfront center, and paddle around the bay, there. There are ducks living in the marshes, and it's just a fun thing to do. You could bring a picnic lunch, then afterwards, walk north through the campus exploring the gardens, etc. From there, you could drive to Greenlake and go skating around the lake (there's usually someone there renting skates), or go swimming in the lake, OR drive to Matthew's Beach on Lake Washington instead, and swim there.

The only part you have to pay for is the canoe rental.

I think tours of Boeing, in Everett, are free. And there's the Museum of Flight, in the south end of town.

[Gardyloo]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I think tours of Boeing, in Everett, are free.

Nope, $18 in advance for adults, $20 walkup.

http://www.futureofflight.org/tickets

[slan490]

Ballard Locks, Golden Gardens, Alki beach, Arboretum, if you like dogs Magnuson has a great dog park that ends up on a beach on Lake WA.

Gasworks park...Fremont Market.

[CrazyDonkey]

Free:

Ballard Locks:

When the salmon are running: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/counts/sockeye/
Event schedule: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/LocksandDams/ChittendenLocks/CalendarofEvents.aspx

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park: http://www.nps.gov/klse/

Frye Art Museum: http://fryemuseum.org

Olympic Sculpture Park: Olympic Sculpture Park - SAM - Seattle Art Museum

Out-to-Lunch Concerts: Downtown Seattle Summer 2015 Out To Lunch

Seattle Center:
International Fountain: Live At Seattle Center
Movies at the Mural (July 25): Live At Seattle Center - Mural Movies - Movies at the Mural

Music Under the Stars: In the Park - Seattle Chamber Music Society

Seafair Festival Events: http://www.seafair.com/events
Renton River Days (July 24-26): IKEA Renton River Days
Hispanic Seafair - Seattle Center (July 27): Hispanic Seafair Festival

In early October, many Seattle museums are free on First Thursday: Free Museum Day Seattle - A List of Free Seattle Area Museums and Seattle Area Museums With Free Admission Days

[flyingsaucermom]

International fountain and the new playground at Seattle Center are great (if you've got kids coming along).

Steward Park has good views of Rainier (and also a fun zip line at the playground).

If you want more Sound then Alki (already mentioned) and Carkeek Park also has good beach access and you can walk a bridge over a very busy rail road.

Gene Coulon Park in Renton is good and has a nice beach but gets busy on hot days.

If you've had enough Seattle tourism and just want a frugal day I suggest going to Ikea and the feed the family for cheap then walk over to the budget Regal for a movie (of course you can get all the movie streaming for cheaper, but sometimes it's just nice to sit in a cold, dark theater).

[homesinseattle]

Must see the Troll under the bridge in Fremont!

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

International fountain and the new playground at Seattle Center are great (if you've got kids coming along).

Steward Park has good views of Rainier (and also a fun zip line at the playground).

If you want more Sound then Alki (already mentioned) and Carkeek Park also has good beach access and you can walk a bridge over a very busy rail road.

Gene Coulon Park in Renton is good and has a nice beach but gets busy on hot days.

If you've had enough Seattle tourism and just want a frugal day I suggest going to Ikea and the feed the family for cheap then walk over to the budget Regal for a movie (of course you can get all the movie streaming for cheaper, but sometimes it's just nice to sit in a cold, dark theater).

Don't know if it's forever, or just for repairs, but Seward Park's zip line is not currently there.

[homesinseattle]

Go walk around the International District just east of the stadiums in Seattle, look down little alleyways. There is always something neat to see and food is very affordable. If you can pull a few nickles together, The Wing Luke Museum is exceptional.

[kaday]

Walk on ferry to Bainbridge Island then stroll the village there. Come back at sunset for awesome views of the waterfront. Ferry for walk aboards is pretty inexpensive. I think around $6 but I could be wrong.