After Hours: Valentine’s Day @ Seattle Aquarium

You otter go 🦦

📸: Courtesy Seattle Aquarium

Tuesday, February 14th • 6:30 – 9:30 pm

Sometimes, the Seattle Aquarium opens its doors past closing and forbids anyone under 21 years old from entering. It’s tranquil and you can look at the otters without a bunch of kids putting their hands all over everything, or whatever kids do. The aquarium will host one of these magical nights for Valentine’s Day. I highly recommend you check it out.

There’s something eerie and exciting about being at the aquarium after dark. I’m convinced the after-hours aquarium is a liminal space. The perfect example of this is the underwater dome in the Seattle Aquarium. The Puget Sound waters outside the criss-crossed concrete dome turn inky black, and the bluish light in the room gives everything an ethereal feel. It’s magical.

From 6:30 to 9:30 pm on Valentine’s Day, you and your valentine can traipse through the aquarium, listening to music from Indigenous band Khu.éex’ and sipping drinks from the bar. Sneak a kiss in the underwater dome, stroll through the arch of moon jellies, and hang out with the river otters, who tend to be more nocturnal around humans. 

The aquarium will also host “animal-themed activities” during the evening. I’m unclear about what those will be, but how could they be lame? It’s the aquarium!

💌 Be Our Pen Pal! Find out what’s happening in Seattle by subscribing to our newsletter.

Author

Nathalie Graham

Nathalie is a writer focused on anything she finds weird or fun. Sometimes this includes local politics and the environment, sometimes this involves scootering half-nude in Tacoma. She used to work as a staff writer at The Stranger where she did a lot of that sort of thing. She detests dentists and loves costume parties.