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. Monday-Friday 10 am-5 pm, Saturday and Sunday
10 am-6 pm. Admission charged.
In the museum's Science Playground, you can play tic-tac-toe
with a robot or virtual basketball.
The IMAX theater has hourly screenings 10 am-8 pm. Film
tickets sold separately.
Laser light shows at the Boeing Spacearium feature music
from artists ranging from leading artists. Shows run
throughout the day (midnight show on Saturdays.
(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
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.
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 Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park
Conservatory is a must: Victorian-style greenhouse with
numerous species of exotic and tropical plants, especially
orchids and cacti.
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.
