Cheap Date Ideas in Seattle

Free gallery admission makes the Frye Art Museum in First Hill an easy place to start a date, with art to look at and talk about as you wander. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

If you are driving, factor in parking: street spaces and nearby lots are available, but neither is free.

For a date that leaves room to wander without a set plan, meet at Seattle Central Library. Admission is free. The library is open Monday from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday through Thursday from 10am to 8pm, and Friday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

If either of you has a library card, you can also check out passes for free admission to select local museums.

Volunteer Park Conservatory offers a warm, tropical-feeling escape for a winter date inside an ornate 1912 glass building on Capitol Hill. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Adult tickets cost $6, while ages 6 to 17, college students, and seniors 65 and older pay $4. For a free visit, go on the first Thursday of the month, when no tickets are required.

Pair an art date with a waterfront walk at Olympic Sculpture Park, where you can wander among the sculptures and take in views of the bay and mountains for free. The park is open daily, and a sunset stroll is an easy way to keep the date going.

From October through April, the park is open from 7am to 8pm.

Meet at Kerry Park in Queen Anne for a sunset date with space to talk and a view of Elliott Bay and the city. On some days, Mount Rainier appears in the background too.

The park is open from 6am to 10pm, leaving time for an evening visit.

Build a date around a long walk at Kubota Garden in Rainier Beach, where admission is free and picnics are welcome. Pack a snack and settle in to the garden where you can stay through sunset.

Parking is free in the lot and on nearby streets. If you prefer a guided walk, free Fall Color tours run Saturdays and Sundays at 10am from October 17 through November 1, lasting about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Explore the paths and wetlands together on a free walking date at Washington Park Arboretum, or turn the outing into a paddle date. The grounds are open daily from dawn to 8pm.

The Japanese Garden has a separate admission charge; the rest of the arboretum is free.

For time together on Lake Union, the Center for Wooden Boats offers rowboat, sailboat, and canoe outings with skyline and houseboat views.

The South Lake Union museum is always free to visit. Boat rentals are paid separately, so allow for that cost if you want to head onto the water.

Start at Pike Place Market and head toward Waterfront Park for a downtown sunset date. The public park stretches along Seattle's central waterfront, with piers, Pier 58, and the Overlook Walk to explore.

Unless a sign says otherwise, the park's hours run from 7am to 10pm every day.

Make getting from one stop to the next part of the date with a ride on the Seattle Center Monorail. The short trip connects Seattle Center and Westlake Center downtown, close to Pike Place Market.

The monorail runs Monday through Thursday from 7:30am to 9pm, Friday from 7:30am to 11pm, Saturday from 8:30am to 11pm, and Sunday from 8:30am to 9pm, with later hours on concert nights.