8 Free Things to Do in Washington That Won’t Bore You to Death

You can enjoy Washington on a tight budget

Washington has some of the coolest free stuff to do, and most tourists don’t even know about half of these spots. Here are eight of the very best ones.

Get Spooked at Abandoned Ghost Towns

Got a taste for the supernatural? Check out the old Great Northern Tunnel under Seattle, or venture to Govan’s eerie old post office and schoolhouse.

Check out Old Robe Canyon’s train tunnels, now covered in ferns. And don’t forget Molson, where you can really see what life was like during Washington’s mining days.

Watch Fish Flying Through the Air at Pike Place Market

You haven’t really been to Seattle until you’ve seen fish flying through the air.

Since the 1980s, the fishmongers at Pike Place have turned selling fish into a full-on show. They toss huge salmon back and forth while shouting funny catchphrases and chants. And while you’re there, grab yourself some free samples as well.

Get Weird at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

Ye Olde Curiousity Shop it’s been freaking people out since 1899 and it just keeps getting better with age. You’ll find two actual mummies (Sylvester and Sylvia), some shrunken heads (they’re rubber now), and stuff like a tugboat entirely out of matchsticks.

There’s also amazing Native American art everywhere, from towering totem poles to intricate masks

Track Down Washington’s Oddball Landmarks

Washington’s roads are full of bizarre surprises. There’s Rosie the Walking Fish in Sekiu, a massive troll living under a bridge in Seattle, and the World’s Largest Egg in Winlock. There’s also a teapot-shaped gas station somewhere in the state, but we’ll leave it to you to find it.

Hang Out in a Park That Used to Be a Gas Plant

Gas Works Park is what happens when someone looks at an old gas plant and thinks, “You know what? This could be awesome.” Now it’s this huge 20-acre park right on Lake Union.

The old factory parts are still there but they look like art now. Climb up Kite Hill and you can see the whole city spread out in front of you.

Go on a History Treasure Hunt

Washington’s packed with historical souvenirs most people walk right past. For instance, check out what’s left of the infamous “Galloping Gertie” bridge. There’s even a full-size Stonehenge replica built as a war memorial.

If you’re in Tacoma, there’s this place called Fort Nisqually where you can see buildings from way back in the 1850s.

Hit Up Some Offbeat Museums

There’s plenty of excellent museums in Washington, but there’s no shortage of weird ones either.

How about checking out thousands of nutcrackers in Leavenworth? Or learning about comedy at the Rubber Chicken Museum in Seattle? The SPARK Museum in Bellingham will shock you with electrical inventions, and the Museum of Museums is just plain fun.

Feel Like an Ant at Grand Coulee Dam

This monster of a dam powers half the state, keeps the Columbia in check, and waters eastern Washington’s farms. Walking across the top gives you a view of Lake Roosevelt that’ll make your jaw drop. It’s definitely one of Washington’s most impressive sights.