Looking for something fun to do in Seattle this summer? How about a free outdoor movie? We rounded up the best places to watch outdoor movies in Seattle this summer. All of these options have kid-friendly films in the lineup, although there are some PG-13 films planned as well such as the Twilight series and Say Anything. If you haven’t seen the new Wicked yet, several places on this list are planning to screen it. Best of all: almost all of these are free!
Read on for all the options!
1. Center City Cinema
Every year, Seattle Parks and Recreation offers a free summer movie series at Seattle parks called Center City Cinema. It starts on Wednesday, June 18 at Freeway Park with Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and concludes on Wednesday, September 24 with Breaking Dawn Part 2 at a surprise location that will be “iconic.” Additional movies being shown this summer include Jaws, Wicked, and Shrek. We won’t list this summer’s entire lineup because there are almost 30 movies planned at various city parks! You can check out the entire schedule on their Facebook events page.
2. Movies at the Mural
Every summer, Seattleites are treated to free outdoor movies under the Space Needle at Seattle Center. There will be five movies in total this year, starting on Friday, July 25 with Ratatouille and ending on Friday, August 22 with Wicked. Read more about this year’s Movies at the Mural before you go.
3. Movies at the Tower
Maple Leaf Reservoir Park hosts Movies at the Tower every August. In addition to the free movie, there will be a 21+ beer garden opening at 6:30 p.m. plus live music and movie trivia with prizes at 7:00 p.m. The films start at dusk. There will be complimentary popcorn as well as food available for purchase. Below is this summer’s lineup:
- August 9: The Wild Robot (PG)
- August 16: Metropolis (unrated)
- August 23: Real Steel (PG-13)
4. Movies at Marymoor Park
Marymoor Park in Redmond is only a 20-minute drive from downtown Seattle so don’t miss out on their outdoor movie series that starts on July 2 with The Goonies and ends on August 20 with Wicked. There will be pre-movie entertainment and food trucks every night. Movie tickets are about $10 per person and free for ages 5 and under. Read more about this year’s Movies at Marymoor Park before you go.
5. Bellevue Downtown Movies in the Park
You can make the short drive from Seattle over to Bellevue Downtown Park for free outdoor summer movies every Tuesday from July 15 through August 19. The pre-movie fun starts at 7:00 p.m. and the movies start at dusk. We’ll update this when this year’s movie and entertainment lineup is announced. See more info here.
6. Movies at Juanita Beach Park
Kirkland’s annual Outdoor Summer Movie Series at Juanita Beach Park is back this July 12, July 19, and July 26. Each night features two movies: one starting at 6:00 p.m. and the later one at 8:00 p.m. This event is free. Bring your own seating and settle in for a fun double feature! See more info here, and check out the lineup below:
- July 12: Despicable Me 4 (PG) and Wonka (PG)
- July 19: Migration (PG) and Madame Web (PG-13)
- July 26: Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG) and The Marvels (PG-13)
7. Everett’s Sail-In Cinema
This annual waterfront movie series at the Port of Everett is back this summer on Friday nights from July 25 through August 22. If you have a boat, you can dock at Guest Dock 7 (there is limited guest moorage on a first-come, first-served basis) and then come ashore to watch the movie in Boxcar Park. All the movies are free and family-friendly. We’ll update this with the movie lineup when we have it. See more info here.