Five of Seattle’s Free Hidden Gems

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pWhether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned local, you’ll find plenty of things to do in Seattle. In addition to famous sights like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, Seattle offers some lesser-known but equally fun — and best of all, free — experiences to enjoy./p
pstrongBill Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center/strong br Located across from Seattle Center,this free attraction invites visitors to enjoy hands-on exhibits and interactive games, and discover innovations, like the dry flush toilet, that help improve lives in Seattle and around the world. br Tues. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Summer Hours)brTues. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Regular Hours)br 440 5th Ave. N., Seattle, WA br a href=”http://www.gatesvc.org” target=”_blank”www.gatesvc.org/a/p
pstrongFrye Art Museum/strong br This free museum in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood displays a permanent collection of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century European paintings, as well as exhibitions of works by internationally renowned and emerging artists. br Tues – Sun., 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.br 704 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA nbsp;br a href=”www.fryemuseum.org” target=”_blank”www.fryemuseum.org/anbsp;/p
pstrongWashington Park Arboretum/strong br Take a free tour of the beautiful 230-acre public park, located on the shores of Lake Washington, which features an always-changing collection of plants found nowhere else in the world. br Open daily, dawn to dusk.br 2300 Arboretum Dr. E., Seattle, WAbr br strongSuzzallo Library at the University of Washington/strong br Built in the 1920s, this Gothic-style library houses terra-cotta statues, hand-painted globes and one of the world’s biggest books. br University of Washington Main Campus, Seattle, WA br a href=”www.lib.washington.edu/suzzallo” target=”_blank”www.lib.washington.edu/suzzallo/a/p
pstrongBallard Locks/strong br No list of things to do in Seattle is complete without a visit to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard, where kayaks, tugboats, yachts and more pass between the Puget Sound and Ship Canal; and in certain months, migrating salmon join them via the fish ladder. br Open daily, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. br 3015 NW 54th St., Seattle, WA br a href=”www.seattle.gov/tour/locks.htm” target=”_blank”www.seattle.gov/tour/locks.htm/a/p