Note: If you are going to a number of
places in a short period of time, consider buying a City Pass. It covers
admission to six attractions (Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Seattle
Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Museum of Flight, Seattle Art Museum) for a fixed
rate for each age group. Purchase the pass at any of the six sites. It is
valid for one week.
Pike Place Market
First Avenue and Pike Street,206 - 625-4764, Nine decades old,
Pike Place is one of Seattle's most popular landmarks, as famous for the antics
of its vendors as it is for its merchandise. Its most popular buildings are the
Main and North arcades, with the carefully arranged stacks of produce, fresh
fish, crabs and mollusks piled high with ice. The best time to visit the market
is on a weekday morning. Over half of the
market's open-air stalls are now devoted to locally made arts & crafts, and its
lower levels are filled with small shops, from Indian spice stalls to magicians'
supply shops. The streets surrounding Pike Place Market continue the maze of
shops, with ethnic food stalls, plant shops, galleries and gift boutiques. Pike
Place Market is in the northwestern corner of downtown, close to the waterfront.
Seattle Center
305 Harrison Street ,206 - 684-7240, Fax: 206 -
684-7342,Seattle Center
general information: 206-684-7200.The 1962 World's
Fair, also known as the 'Century 21 Exposition', brought in over 9 million
visitors from around the world for a glimpse of Tomorrow, Seattle-style. What
remains of the futuristic groupings of exhibition halls, arenas and public
spaces is today called the Seattle Center.
The grounds are
home to dance, theater, opera, museums and Key Arena.
The following are
part of the Seattle Center:
(1 ) Space Needle
219 4th Avenue North,206-443-2100 ,Elevator hours are
Sunday 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.;
Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight. There is no elevator fee for restaurant
patrons. 206-443-2111 .The Space Needle
is a 600ft (180m) rocket styled observation station and restaurant. After the 41
second ride up its elevators to the top, visitors are treated to breathtaking
360° views. The top of the 605-foot Space Needle is the best place to orient
oneself to the city and its surroundings
Observation Towers
Bank of America
Tower (formerly Columbia Seafirst Tower), 701 Fifth Ave., offers a dramatic but
less panoramic view from the 73rd floor because its observation deck doesn't go
completely around the building. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays;.
206-386-5151.
(2) Monorail
206-441-6038; A 1.5 mile
experiment in mass transit, is another signature piece of the 1962 fair. Today,
it provides fun and frequent transport between downtown and Seattle Center,
covering the distance in only two minutes. It runs at least every 15 minutes
daily, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday
and Sunday, between Seattle Center and Westlake Center.
(3) Flag Pavilion & Plaza
(4) International
Fountain
with jets of water
that pulse to the beat of music point to the cosmopolitan sympathies of the
fair.
(5) Seattle Opera
House
home of the
opera, symphony and ballet
(6) ">Pacific Science Center
200 Second Avenue North, For general information, call
206-443-2001
Laser Light Show:206-443-2850,Planetarium: 206-443-2920.
IMAX Theater: 206-443-4629
The Pacific
Science Center
has hands-on exhibits for children, an impressive new Boeing IMAX Theater and a
gift shop. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and to 6 p.m. weekends and
holidays. Admission charged. Located at the Seattle Center,
the Pacific Science Center houses the Willard W. Smith Planetarium, with
ever-changing shows on such subjects as dinosaurs, space exploration and Alaska.
(7) Fun Forest
Amusement Park take children on
Fun Forest amusement park rides (open noon to midnight daily in summer)
(8) Children's Museum at Seattle
Center
c/o Seattle Center House 305
Harrison,206 - 441-1768, Admission
charged. 206-441-1768.The Center has
exhibits and hands-on activities for the whole family. Check out "Mountain
Forest," which describes and shows the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest,
and "Discovery Bay," an infant/toddler area designed to exercise motor skills.
Seattle Children's
Theatre has two theaters. Recommended for ages 8 and up. 206-441-3322.
The U District
University of
Washington
The U District is
3 miles (5km) northeast of downtown and accessible by bus.The campus sits at
the edge of a busy commercial area known as the U District. The main streets
here University Way, commonly called the Ave, and NE 45th St. are filled
with affordable restaurants and cafes, art houses, cinemas and student bars. 'U
Dub', as most people refer to the university, is a lively place that's
definitely worth touring, especially in spring, when pink and orange flowered
azaleas paint the campus in brilliant hues.
Washington Park Arboretum
206-543-8800,Daily 10-4,Donation requested. The park features
5500 different plant species within 200 acres (80ha) of mature forest and
gardens. At the southern edge of the arboretum is the Japanese Garden, a
collection of koi pools, waterfalls and manicured plantings. Bird
watching is popular at the northern end of the arboretum, as are canoeing,
fishing and swimming. Free public tours are offered.
Broadway its multitudes of sweets shops and cafes, it's also a fine place to locate sugar
and caffeine. Adjoining St Marks Cathedral where a chorus features a chorus
that performs Gregori dotted with
restaurants and pubs along the neighborhood's main strip. With an chants on
Sunday nights.
Pike/Pine Corridor
A nightlife
hotspot of all-night coffeehouses, live-music clubs and rowdy, smoke-filled
bars. If you're looking for late night action, this is one of Seattle's most
lively scenes. Capitol Hill is a mile (2km) northeast of downtown and connected
to the city center by bus.
Queen Anne
Rising above
Seattle Center is Queen Anne - a neighborhood of majestic red-brick houses and
apartment buildings, sweeping lawns manicured to perfection and gorgeous views
of the city and bay. Queen Anne is not nearly as established as other
neighborhoods, but it does have cafes, trendy music clubs and some old-time
Seattle entertainment. The main reason to visit is to check out the view.
The observatory deck at 3rd Ave and Highland Drive is the best spot for it,
especially at night or sunset. Queen Anne is just over a mile (2km) northwest of
downtown and has frequent bus connections to the city center.
Experience Music Project
Museum of Rock ‘N’ Roll combines exhibitions of artifacts with interactive displays that help people
create and play music on their own. A tribute to the “Seattle Sound,” the
museum was financed by billionaire Paul Allen who was inspired by Jimi
Hendrix, the legendary Seattle guitarist of the 1960’s. Memorabilia from the
bands Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden and many other local groups are
displayed along with the history of the bands that sprang from Seattle and
redefined the industry.
Seattle Art Museum
100 University Street, 206 - 625-8900, Fax: 206 -
625-8913 , Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm,
Thursday till 9 pm. Free the first Thursday of the
month. Save your ticket! It will
admit you to the Seattle Asian Art Museum if you go within one week. 100
University St. at 1st Avenue. Phone 206-654-3100. The mammoth Hammering Man
sculpture guards the museum's entrance. Within are four floors of African,
European and Northwest Coastal Native American art. Jonathan
Barofsky's towering metal "Hammering Man" makes the museum at 100 University St.
easy to spot. Visitors pass the gift shop and climb an impressive staircase to
the main galleries. Among the museum's
most distinguished permanent collections are African, Northwest Coast Indian and
Asian art. "The Russian Decorative Arts: The Plestcheeff Collection" offers
visitors a look at Russian porcelain and decorative arts. And "The Northwest
Art/Asian Affinities" exhibit explores the relationship between Asian aesthetics
and recurring motifs in the work of Northwest artists.
Seattle Asian Art Museum
1400 E. Prospect. 206-654-3100. Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm,
Thursday till 9 pm. Admission charged.Free the first Thursday and
Saturday of the month. Your ticket is also good for
admission to the Seattle Art Museum within one week. This museum houses one of the
nation's most important collections of Asian art. The building itself is a
gorgeous example of art nouveau architecture. Ample free parking.
Woodland Park Zoo
5500 Phinney Ave.
N, 206-684-4800, Open 9:30 a.m. to
6 p.m. daily, Admission charged. Discount for King
County residents. Butterflies and
Blooms," an outdoor exhibit representing nearly 1,000 butterflies of North
America, opens May 13 and runs through summer at the award-winning zoo. Another
summer exhibit (opening May 27) is the Dragons of Komodo, where visitors can get
an up-close-and-personal glimpse of the largest lizard in the world. The zoo is a
pioneer in open-environment exhibits where animals live in natural settings with
a minimum of fences. Popular spots include the Northern Trail of Alaska, the
tropical rainforest exhibit, Elephant Forest and the African savanna.
University of Washington Museum
15th Avenue
Northeast and Northeast 41st Street, 206-543-2280. Admission charged. free Thursday 5-8
p.m. Tuesday through
Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., until 8 p.m. Thursday. The museum is a mecca
for contemporary art in Seattle. On display this summer will be "Andy Warhol:
Drawings, 1942-1987," with more than 200 rarely seen drawings that survey
Warhol's entire career. It runs July 20 through Oct. 8
Museum of History
and Industry
2700 24th Ave. E. Open daily 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m, Admission charged. 206-324-1126. This is the place
to get a sense of Seattle's distant and not-so-distant past. Exhibits of
artifacts bring to life Seattle's roots (from the Klondike Gold Rush to Boeing's
early days), and a new show, "See All About It," features 100 images of
20th-century Seattle taken by Seattle P-I photographers. The museum offers
walking tours (to the Montlake Cut with a museum historian and the Washington
Park Arboretum with a naturalist), on most weekends through September. The museum is off
Montlake Boulevard, south of Husky Stadium and the Montlake Bridge
Argosy Cruises
(206) 623-4252, Piers 55 and 57 at the foot of
Seneca St. and Lake Union. Hours: The 1-hour cruise departs daily
at 11, 12:15, 1:30, 2:45, 4 and 5:15, June-Sept.; at 12:15, 1:30, 2:45 and 4,
Apr.-May and in Oct.; at 1:30 and 2:45, rest of year. The 2.5-hour cruise departs
daily at 10, noon, 1, 2:30, 4 and 7, July-Aug.; at 10, 1, 4 and 7, in June and
in Sept.; at noon and 3, Apr.-May and in Oct.; at noon and 1:30, rest of year. The 2-hour cruise departs daily
at 11, 1:15 and 3:30, June-Sept.; at 1 and 3:30, Apr.-May and in Oct. at 1pm,
rest of year 1-hour narrated trips along the
waterfront and past the shipyards or a 2.5-hour tour through the Hiram
Chittenden Locks to Lake Union. A 2-hour cruise of Lake Washington departs from
AGC Marina on South Lake Union. Admission based on length of
tour.
Boeing Everett Plant
Everett is 30 mi/48 km north of
Seattle. Take I-5 to Exit 189, then SR
526 W. for 3.5 mi/5.5 km. 206-544-1264 (Be sure to call
first for updated tour information). Tours are available of the
Everett plant that manufactures the Boeing 747, 767 and 777 airplanes.
Monday-Friday 9 am-3 pm, with approximately six tours each day. Tickets are
distributed beginning at 8:30 am, but lines start forming at 7 am in summer
months. Tickets are usually gone by noon May-October. No tours on major holidays
or the second half of December. Rules: No reservations; no still photography;
and no video cameras, cell phones, purses or bags allowed (all these must be
stowed in your car). Be prepared for a bit of a walk and steep stairs
(wheelchair accessible). Visitors must be at least 50 in/127 cm tall. Tours
last one hour
Pioneer Square Historic District
The original Seattle downtown,
Pioneer Square is made up of six city blocks of restored century-old buildings.
They now house shops, restaurants, offices, nightclubs and galleries. On Fridays
and Saturdays, the area is awash with music lovers going to taverns and clubs.
Pioneer Square is just south of the current city center, bounded by 1st and 3rd
Avenues and Yesler Way and S. Jackson Street.
Burke Museum
University of Washington/Db10 , N.E. 45th Street at 17th Avenue
N.E. 206 - 543-5590, Fax: 206-543-9285, Daily 10 am-5 pm, Thursday till
8 pm. Admission charged. This museum at the University of
Washington contains exhibits about dinosaurs, fossils and cultures of the
Pacific Rim, as well as the bones of the Kennewick man. The museum keeps a good
collection of dinosaur skeletons, but its real treasures are its Indian
artifacts, especially the collection of cedar canoes and totem poles. It is also
the school's fine art show space. Have coffee and biscotti in the
Boiserie Cafe, charming with its 19th-century paneled walls
Frye Art Museum
704 Terry Avenue, 206 - 622-9250, Cafe and gift shop. Tues-Sat 10
-5 Thursday till 9 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm. Admission: Free. The Frye Art Museum on First
Hill has been handsomely renovated and has a permanent collection of 19th- and
20th-century Russian and other European art. Other eclectic exhibits include
comic strip art and works by Melville Holmes.
Henry Art Gallery
Northeast 41st and 15th
Northeast , 206 - 543-2280 ,Tuesday-Sunday 11 am-5 pm,
Thursday till 8 pm. Free Thursday 5-8 pm. Underground parking. The newly renovated and expanded
Henry Gallery, at the edge of the University of Washington campus, includes
beautifully curated exhibits of modern painting, sculpture and photographs.
Noontime and evening lectures are offered. Café opens onto a small sculpture
courtyard. Gift shop has a fine selection of note cards, handmade jewelry and
books.
Klondike Gold Rush Museum
117 S. Main Street , Pioneer
Square ,206-553-7220. Daily 9 am-5 pm. Free. Located in Pioneer Square, this
national historic park is more a building than a parkland, but it's worth a
visit for its exhibits that commemorate the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s.
Seattle was a major gateway for the Klondike prospectors, who boarded ships
there on the way to gold fields in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. In addition
to photographs, artifacts and slide shows, the park staff presents interesting
demonstrations of gold panning and discussions of the harsh conditions faced by
the miners
Museum of Flight
9404 East Marginal Way South of
the City by Boeing Field
206 - 767-7373, 206 - 764-5720,
Fax: 206 - 764-5707
Daily 10 am-5 pm, Thursday till
9 pm.
Admission is free the first
Thursday of each month 5-9 pm.
The Museum of
Flight's glass-walled gallery is several stories high to display authentic
historic aircraft suspended from the ceiling.
In the
steel-and-glass Great Gallery, visitors can experience the history of aviation
with dozens of full-size authentic historic aircraft suspended six stories
above. A new section focuses on early air mail planes. You can board the
original Air Force One, the only presidential jet open to the public.
The museum's core
is the "Red Barn,"the original Boeing Airplane Co. factory.
Fans of aviation will enjoy the
extensive collection of planes and aviation and aerospace artifacts
Flyer Works, the annual Fourth of July event at Myrtle Edwards Park on the Seattle waterfront, is
held in conjunction with Ivar's Fourth of July fireworks show. Events and
activities include an aerial parade, kids workshops, demos and static displays
on the ground, plus a pyrotechnic act preceding the fireworks.
The Blue Angels make the museum their base annually when they are in town to perform at Seafair,
the city's summer celebration.
Museum of History and Industry
2700-24th Avenue East
206 - 324-1125
Call for directions:
206-324-1126.
Daily 10 am-5 pm. Admission
charged.
Learn about Northwest culture
through photographs and narratives, including exhibits on salmon and the history
of the ferries. The museum is less than 1 mi. from the University of
Washington, in the Montlake District off I-5.
Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art
1116 108th Ave. N.E.
425-455-1116.
Monday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm,
Sunday 1-5 pm.
Admission charged.
Across Lake Washington in
Bellevue is the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, a spectacular collection of
collectible and antique dolls, teddy bears, miniatures and toys. The
sophisticated displays interest doll and toy collectors as well as children.
Wing Luke Asian Museum
407 7th Ave. S.
206-623-5124
Tuesday-Friday 11 am-4:30 pm,
Saturday and Sunday noon-4 pm.
Asian-American art and history
are the focus of this museum in the International District southeast of
downtown.
Fremont
Between N. 34th and 50th
Streets, and
Phinney Avenue N. and Stone Way
N.
This artistic community 10
minutes north of downtown blends unusual public art (such as a giant car-eating
troll that lurks under a bridge, and an original Soviet statue of Lenin) with
small breweries, antique shops, bookstores, European-style pubs and restaurants
and avant-garde parades and events. Art walks are held the first Saturday of the
month, 4-7 pm. A walking guide and brochure are available at most Fremont shops
and at "hysterical markers," which are poles along the street.
Waterfront
Seattle's waterfront is a
3-mi/5-km stretch of shops, restaurants, visitor attractions, parks and piers.
Start at Pier 54 by the Washington State Ferries dock. Pause at Ivar's for a cup
of clam chowder. Duck into the Seattle Aquarium for an hour-long visit. Next
door, at Pier 59, view the spectacles in the Omnidome IMAX theater. Wind up at
Myrtle Edwards Park, the most popular downtown walking and jogging area. Though
the area is a great place to stroll, you can also take advantage of the
Waterfront Streetcars when you need a rest: The tracks run along the water from
Pioneer Square to near the park.
Discovery Park
3801 W. Government Way, 206-386-4236, Park open daily dawn to dusk with the Visitor Center open
8:30 am-5 pm. Located 15 minutes north of
downtown in the Magnolia neighborhood, Discovery Park is on a high bluff with
panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula. Rare birds and other
wildlife may be sighted in and around its cliffs, beaches, meadows and thick
forest
Gas Works Park
Open daily dawn to dusk. At Northlake Way and Meridian
Avenue. On Lake Union's north shore,
this park was once the site of an actual gas works. The grassy knolls offer
spectacular views of the downtown skyline, houseboats and sailing vessels. Don't
miss the sundial.
Volunteer Park Conservatory
1400 E. Galer, 206-684-4743. Open daily 10 am-7 pm (closing
at 4 pm in the winter) Free. If time permits, visit the
106-step Observation Tower, south of the museum. Just yards from the Seattle
Aan Art Museum, Volunteer Park Conservatory is a must: Victorian-style
greenhouse with numerous species of exotic and tropical plants, especially
orchids and cacti.
Washington Park Arboretum
About 15 minutes east of
downtown, off Lake Washington Boulevard (near Madison). 206-543-8800. For Tea House information, call
206-324-1483. Tripods require advance
permission: 206-684-4080. Admission to the arboretum is
free. The Japanese Garden is open
daily 10 am-5 pm March-November. Admission charged. (Fee includes entry to the Tea
House, which is open only on the third Saturday of the month April-October.) Stroll among 5,500 species of
plants, both native and nonnative, including specimens of west coast trees.
Paths wind through the park's 230 acres/90 hectares. One of the most colorful
spots complete with pond, benches and rare plants, is the Seattle Japanese
Garden.
Enchanted Park
In Federal Way, about a half
hour's drive south of downtown. I-5 Exit 142B, 253-661-8001. Admission charged. Open daily during the summer
(Easter to Memorial Day, weekends only) 11 am-7 pm Two parks in one: Enchanted
Village, with live entertainment, is an amusement park for children. Wild
Waves Water Park attracts all ages, with its giant wave pool, water rides
and the Wild Thing—a double-corkscrew, single-inversion roller coaster.
Holiday of Lights,
with its 600,000 lights and displays, is open from early December to early
January, 6-10 pm. Admission charged. (includes rides). Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Often known as the Ballard
Locks, they funnel boats between Puget Sound's Shilshole Bay and Lake
Washington. Next to the canals is the largest salmon fish ladder in the
Pacific Northwest. Underwater viewing windows let you look at the fish—sockeye
late June through August, coho in September. A botanical garden and a regional
visitor's center and bookstore are also located at the locks.
Omnidome Film Experience
near the Seattle Aquarium, 206-622-1868. Admission charged. This IMAX theater shows its
signature film, The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens, every 90 minutes 10 am-8 pm
daily. Other films vary but usually run 40-45 minutes in length
Tillicum Village
For exact times,
call 206-443-1244. Admission charged. Purchase tickets on Pier 56, at
Seneca, one hour before departure. Located on Blake Island,
Tillicum Village is a re-creation of a Native American settlement. Rain or
shine, tours are four hours long, including a one-hour boat ride each way, a
buffet-style salmon meal prepared in the traditional native style and a Native
American dance presentation. One or two tours daily in winter, more frequently
in summer. |
