Several Seattle holiday attractions are open on Dec. 25 including Teddy Bear Suite, Gingerbread Village, Garden d’Lights and Fantasy Lights.
Looking for something to do after the presents are opened Sunday, or fun activities to do this week with kids off from school or visitors from out of town? Going for a winter walk and taking in a movie are popular holiday pastimes, but there are other options to get out and about this weekend and beyond.
Holiday attractions open on Sunday, Christmas Day, include the Teddy Bear Suite, a room in the historic Fairmont Olympic Hotel remade into a Teddy Bear wonderland. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Monday; free, with donations for Seattle Children’s requested. Also in downtown Seattle, the Gingerbread Village display with a “Celebrate the Magic of the Holidays” theme is open daily through Jan. 1 at Sheraton Seattle Hotel; it’s free, with donations to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation requested.
Holiday light displays open Sunday include Garden d’Lights, a blossoming winter wonderland at Bellevue Botanical Garden, open from 4:30-9 p.m. daily through Dec. 31, and the Fantasy Lights drive-through display of light sculptures in Spanaway, open daily through Jan. 1.
Teddy Bear Suite
Info: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Dec. 26, 206-621-1700 or fairmont.com/seattle/press-room/teddy-bear-suite-celebrates-20th-anniversary.
Gingerbread Village
Info: Daily through Jan. 1, Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 Sixth Ave., Seattle; 206-621-9000 or sheratonseattle.com.
Garden d’Lights
Info: 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily through Dec. 31, Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St., Bellevue; $5, ages 10 and younger free; 425-452-6844 or gardendlights.com.
Fantasy lights
Info: 5:30-9 p.m. daily through Jan. 1, Spanaway Park, 14905 Bresemann Blvd. S., Spanaway; $14/vehicle; 253-798-4177 or co.pierce.wa.us/index.aspx?NID=1253,
Seattle Aquarium Winter Fishtival
Info: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 26-Jan. 2, Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle; $16.95-$24.95; 206-386-4300 or seattleaquarium.org/fishtival.
Museum of Flight Winter Family Fun
Info: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 26-Jan. 1, Museum of Flight, 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle; $13-$23; 206-764-5700 or museumofflight.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Calendar-of-Events/3279/winter-family-fun
Bellevue Magic Season
Ice Arena: Hours vary through Jan. 8, Ashwood Park, 10820 N.E. 10th St., Bellevue; $9-$12 includes skate rental; 425-453-1223 or bellevuedowntown.com/events/magic-season/main-events/ice-arena,
Snowflake Lane/Celebration Lane: 7 p.m. Dec. 23-24 and Dec. 26-Dec. 31, Bellevue Square, Bellevue; snowflakelane.com.
Wondering About Wildlife
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28.
Cost: Free.
Location: 19901 Cedar Falls Road S.E., North Bend.
More info:seattle.gov/util/EnvironmentConservation/OurWatersheds/CedarRiverWatershed/ProgramsTours/index.htm.
Seattle Art Museum
Info: 206-654-3100 or seattleartmuseum.org.
Pacific Science Center
Info: 206-443-2001 or pacificsciencecenter.org.
Museum of Pop Culture (formerly EMP Museum)
Info: 206-770-2700 or mopop.org.
Take a spin on Bellevue Magic Season’s outdoor Ice Arena, daily through Jan. 8, including from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Snowflake Lane at the Bellevue Collection continues Friday and Saturday, Dec. 23 and 24, returning Monday, Dec. 26, as Celebration Lane, welcoming the New Year nightly through Dec. 31.
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Starting Monday, local museums host special events and extended hours to welcome holiday-season visitors. Seattle Aquarium Winter Fishtivalhas activities to learn about marine animals in the Aquarium and Puget Sound, featuring a different sea animal each day, Monday, Dec. 26, through Jan. 2. The Museum of Flight hosts Winter Family Fun aerospace and aviation activities, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, through Jan. 1.
Several museums have extended hours next week, including the Seattle Art Museum, featuring “Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style,” and Pacific Science Center, featuring “The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes.” Both exhibits run through Jan. 8 and are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Monday, Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. The Museum of Pop Culture (formerly EMP Museum) is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Dec. 30.
Wednesday, Dec. 28, take a day outdoors in North Bend’s Cedar River Watershed at Wondering About Wildlife, which has activities for all ages to learn about the wildlife in Seattle’s largest protected watershed. Take a guided nature walk along the shore of Rattlesnake Lake, examine owl pellets to see what the owls have been eating and explore the center’s indoor “Water is Magic” exhibits. Meet Washington state Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Karelian Bear Dogs, trained to help resolve conflicts between humans and cougars and bears. Snacks are provided, but there’s no food service on site; visitors are invited to pack a lunch.