A Dinosaur Lover’s Wonderland: Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History

When Peeper was just a few months old, we traveled to New York for a good friend’s wedding. While we were there, we went to the Museum of Natural History, one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire city. We took a photo of infant Peeper in front of a triceratops skeleton, which now holds a special place on the wall above the dining room table.

We look at it every day, so when we planned to visit Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History with kids, my little dinosaur lovers were beyond excited.

Despite my own fascination with dinosaurs and fossils, I’d never been to the Burke Museum in Seattle. Heck, I’ve been to Seattle dozens of times, but I’d never even heard of the Burke Museum until I started researching kid-friendly things to do in Seattle.

Most people haven’t, either—but that makes this gem much less crowded than other family-friendly spots in Seattle.

So when I came across this natural history museum that had a dinosaur exhibit in Seattle, I put it on our list of activities. (I don’t plan an itinerary or set anything in stone when doing family vacations—I prefer to allow for lots of flexibility, which means less disappointment in the end.)

And we definitely weren’t disappointed. We were all excited to see dinosaur bones—and we ended up getting even more than we hoped for.

Exploring the Dinosaur Museum, Seattle

Complete skeletons of prehistoric animals populate the Seattle dinosaur exhibit that you’ll first see at the Burke Museum of Natural History’s entrance. I was especially partial to the fossils of the mammoth, with its enormous tusks.

Can you imagine meeting one of those in the wild?! Clearly, the girls were excited to see this big guy, too!

Why the Burke Museum is a great place for kids

There are plenty of fossils and dinosaur skeletons in Burke Museum of Natural History and it’s no wonder people often refer to it as the Seattle dinosaur museum! Kids have a great time looking at them and it makes for a fun outing in the city.

What’s more, hands-on activities—like feeling a cast of a dinosaur’s footprint—help little ones engage with natural history.

I love that the Burke Museum also addresses the science behind evolution in a kid-friendly way. One entire wall is covered in a tree of evolution that shows how different animals share a common ancestor. And right after that display, a dinosaur skeleton that looks remarkably like a bird hints at the connection to modern-day avians.

In addition to the main dinosaur exhibit, you can see scientists working on several projects—including uncovering a Tyrannosaurus Rex skull.

Admittedly, I was more interested in watching them work than my kids were (“Look, girls, a real-live paleontologist!!!” #fangirl), but it did give them a chance to see how the fossils get to look museum-perfect.

More than fossils at the Seattle Natural History Museum

The entire bottom floor of the Burke Museum of Natural History is dedicated to Native American artifacts and other cultures. The section featured textiles, masks, carvings, and other beautiful relics from Pacific Northwest Tribes.

I admired how the Burke Museum treated the sometimes dubious history of how collectors got some of the artifacts.

One carving, for example, had been stolen from the roof of a Native American building a century ago. The Burke Museum reached an agreement with the tribe to keep the carving for a short time longer before it will return it.

While we were at the Burke Museum, they also featured an exhibit of home shrines from around the world.

Visiting Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History for kids: What you need to know

• The Burke Museum of Natural History is housed on the northwest corner of the University of Washington campus.
• Entrance fee for kids under 5 is free; older children and adults have a $22 entry fee.
• Coat check is free. Wahoo!
• Parking can be tight around the University of Washington. Instead of driving around, you can pay for your parking at the UW kiosk at the university entrance; they’ll tell you where you can find an open space.
• In the main dinosaur exhibit, there’s a section in the back with a bunch of plastic dinosaurs for kids to play with. It’s a great opportunity for little ones to do what they do best: play!
• Kids will need 1-2 hours to explore the dinosaur museum. You can see all the exhibits in that time.

So if you’re looking for things to do in Seattle with kids—especially if your children love dinosaurs—the Burke Museum is an easy win, free of crowds and an inexpensive but memorable visit. Enjoy, and ROAR!

What do you do in Seattle with kids? What is your favorite family-friendly activity, destination or restaurant in Seattle?