Free & Cheap Things to Do in Everett

Family Fun

Everett's three-story downtown children's museum is one of the largest in the Northwest, with hands-on exhibits for ages 1–12 across a Seashore toddler zone, maker spaces, climbing structures, and a rooftop play deck. Self-guided play makes it an easy half-day for families, especially on its discount days.

Address: 1502 Wall St, Everett, WA 98201

Tip: Every Tuesday is half-price ($11), the last half-hour (3:30–4 PM) is free for all, and EBT, WIC, or Apple Health cardholders pay $5. The museum is closed most Mondays.

Museums & Culture

At the gateway to the Boeing Everett Factory — the largest building on earth by volume — Future of Flight pairs an aerospace gallery with a rooftop Sky Deck for planespotting over Paine Field. General admission covers both; the famous factory tour, where 777s and 787s are assembled, costs extra.

Address: 8415 Paine Field Blvd, Mukilteo, WA 98275

Tip: The gallery and Sky Deck are the budget option at $14; the Boeing Everett Factory Tour runs $42–46 and kids must be 4 feet tall to ride. It's in Mukilteo at Paine Field, about 6 miles southwest of downtown Everett.

Arts & Culture

This free downtown art center mixes rotating gallery exhibitions with a working hot shop where visitors watch glass artists at work. Galleries spotlight Northwest artists and the gift store sells local handmade pieces. A genuinely free, easy indoor stop in the heart of Everett's arts district.

Address: 2921 Hoyt Ave, Everett, WA 98201

Tip: Open Tuesday–Sunday, and gallery admission is always free. Time a visit to catch live glassblowing in the hot shop. Street parking nearby is free evenings and weekends (90-minute limit otherwise).

Quirky Landmarks

Funko's 17,000-square-foot flagship store anchors downtown Everett with towering, immersive displays for Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, DC, Harry Potter, and more, plus a giant Pop! figure photo-op out front. It's free to walk through even if you don't buy a single bobblehead.

Address: 2802 Wetmore Ave, Everett, WA 98201

Tip: Open daily 10 AM–6 PM. Even non-collectors enjoy the over-the-top themed rooms — it's one of the most photographed free stops in Everett. Exclusive store-only figures change often.

Beaches

A two-mile, human-made island off the Everett waterfront, Jetty Island is a flat, warm-water beach of dunes and tide flats with some of the warmest saltwater swimming on Puget Sound. There are no concessions — just sand, shallow water, and big views — reached by a short passenger ferry.

Address: 10th St & W Marine View Dr, Everett, WA 98201

Tip: The free island is reachable only by the Jetty Island Days ferry, running Wed–Sun July 8–Sept 6, 2026 — reserve ferry tickets online in advance. Bring water, shade, and everything you need.

Lighthouses & Parks

Six miles southwest of Everett, this 14-acre waterfront park wraps around the photogenic 1906 Mukilteo Light Station. There's roughly 1,500 feet of sandy beach, driftwood fire pits, a boat launch, and sunset views toward Whidbey Island. The lighthouse itself is free to tour on summer weekends.

Address: 609 Front St, Mukilteo, WA 98275

Tip: The Light Station and its small museum open weekends and holidays noon–5, April–September, by donation. Parking is paid unless you have a Mukilteo resident sticker. Grab a beach fire pit early on summer evenings.

Parks & Waterfront

The Port of Everett's redeveloped Waterfront Place centers on the largest public marina on the West Coast, with a boardwalk, public art, pocket parks, and small beaches. It's free to stroll, with marina views, paddle-craft launches, and a growing cluster of restaurants and weekend events.

Address: 1205 Craftsman Way, Everett, WA 98201

Tip: Park free and walk the boardwalk to Boxcar Park for skyline and Olympic Mountain views. Summer brings free outdoor concerts and a farmers market, and it's the departure point for the Jetty Island ferry.

Gardens

Tucked inside Legion Memorial Park, this free volunteer-run arboretum packs themed plantings — a woodland trail, a Japanese maple grove, a conifer collection, and a native-plant rain garden — into a few peaceful acres above the Snohomish River valley. It's open dawn to dusk year-round.

Address: 145 Alverson Blvd, Everett, WA 98201

Tip: Spring and fall bring peak color, especially the Japanese maples. It's small — about a 30–45 minute stroll — and pairs well with the adjacent Legion Park rose garden and river overlook.

Parks & Nature

Everett's 197-acre wooded park has miles of forest trails, a swim center, picnic shelters, sport courts, and a summer water-play splash park. Its biggest free draw is the seasonal Animal Farm, where kids meet goats, pigs, ponies, ducks, and rabbits daily through the summer at no charge.

Address: 802 E Mukilteo Blvd, Everett, WA 98203

Tip: The free Animal Farm runs daily 10 AM–4 PM in summer (roughly late June through August) — check everettwa.gov/animalfarm for current dates. The splash park is a hot-day favorite; a few sport courts are closed for construction.

Parks & Beaches

A bluff-top park on Puget Sound, Howarth's signature is a pedestrian bridge arcing over the BNSF railroad tracks down to a long sand-and-cobble beach with driftwood, tide pools, and an off-leash dog beach at the north end. Hillside forest trails and a water-view path round it out.

Address: 1127 Olympic Blvd, Everett, WA 98203

Tip: Use the north parking lot for the shortest walk to the footbridge and beach, and time low tide for tide pools and driftwood. The south end has a playground, tennis courts, and a level water-view path.