Trains, light rail and ferries for kids around Seattle
For a train fan, the ride is the destination. Seattle's options run from free to vintage steam, and most of them don't involve parking downtown.
Easiest is the Link 2 Line: elevated from South Bellevue all the way to Downtown Redmond, free for anyone under 18. The Seattle Monorail takes 2 minutes and threads through the colored skin of MoPOP; expect to ride it twice. On a weekend in Snoqualmie, the Northwest Railway Museum's heritage train runs along the river to above the falls and back, and Remlinger Farms in Carnation has a steam train. For a change, walk onto the ferry at Colman Dock for 35 minutes to Bainbridge, watching gulls chase the boat from the deck. Train fans will also love the footbridge at Carkeek Park, where freight trains rumble right underneath.
- 4 places
- 4 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
4 places
Drive times from Bellevue
Ride the Link 2 Line
5.0Bellevue · 5 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free at the South Bellevue station park and ride; Bellevue Downtown station is walkable
Seattle Monorail
5.0Seattle · 25 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Garages around Westlake about $15-25/day; or the Seattle Center garage
Ferry to Bainbridge Island
5.0Seattle · 25 min drive
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Garages near Colman Dock about $20/day; 10-minute walk from Pioneer Square light rail station
Northwest Railway Museum train ride
5.0Snoqualmie · 30 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free street parking around the old depot
💡 Good to know
- Anyone under 18 rides buses, light rail and ferries free in Washington; kids 6 and up should get a free Youth ORCA card.
- The Northwest Railway Museum's Santa Train sells out within days of going on sale in early October; keep an eye on it.