Only in Seattle can you catch a flying fish at Pike Place Market but also can catch the latest Broadway show. Enjoy the beauty of a stroll through the forest or through the Olympic Sculpture Park. No matter what type of adventure you crave, Seattle puts a unique spin on it. From ferry rides to art galleries to winery tours. From gourmet cuisine to hot dogs at a Mariners game. It all comes together in only one place. SEATTLE!
Seattle is anything but ordinary. It's a place where bike messengers share elevators with world-renowned researchers. Where fishermen have lunch alongside top surgeons. It's a city where the extraordinary is commonplace and commonplace is anything but. And if you look closely, you just might discover that in Seattle there are amazing things happening all around you.
The greater Seattle area is home to 2.8 million people. Microsoft, Nordstrom and Starbucks are based here. Seattle is also known as the birthplace of the crazes for grunge rock and espresso coffee. This area is the home of baseball's Edgar Martinez, glass art's Dale Chihuly, musicians Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Queensryche, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart and Kenny G., software giant Bill Gates, maestro Gerard Schwartz, actor Tom Skerritt, writers Ann Rule, Robert Fulghum, and Tom Robbins.
Seattle’s diverse cultural makeup and proximity to the Puget Sound’s fresh seafood makes for some of the best dining in the Northwest. Seattle is known for its seafood, fresh sushi and delicious Japanese cuisine. Seattle has much more to offer than just seafood, though. Seattleites love to eat at fine steakhouses, Italian restaurants and pretty much anywhere that spends time crafting incredible food. Many of Seattle’s most popular restaurants feature amazing views making for unparalleled dining experiences.
From a jet engine to an espresso machine to grunge rock, Seattle's world-changing events have all had a distinct sound. But the symphony doesn't end there. Your visit to Seattle may bring you the sound of an orca blowing as it surfaces, the roar of the crowd at a sporting event or the near silence of the Olympic rainforest. Come to Seattle and hear for yourself.
Below are some activities for you to consider during your stay in Seattle. You are encouraged to contact these sites directly for more information. For additional ideas, please take a look at the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau website.
The Space Needle
A 41-second elevator ride takes you up 520 feet to the observation deck of the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair.
Pike Place Market
Between First Ave. and Western, from Pike to Virginia streets
Born in 1907, Seattle's Pike Place Market is the granddaddy of farmers' markets. Today, it's a major tourist attraction with 200 businesses operating year-round, 190 craftspeople and 120 farmer booths - plus street performers and musicians. Flowers by the bucketful, flying fish, fresh pastries and fruit, handmade cheeses, local honey, wine, an assortment of restaurants, import goods, antiques, collectibles and lots of surprises are around every corner.
Ferries
Traveling by ferry is a state of mind as much as a means of transportation to some of the Puget Sound's most historic and scenic sites. Views of the Olympic and Cascade mountains, the Seattle cityscape and the green shorelines will draw you out onto the deck to feel the salt breeze on your face. The state ferry system takes passengers and their vehicles from Seattle and nearby departure points to Vashon Island, the Kitsap Peninsula, the San Juan Islands and Canada.
Seattle Aquarium
Walk under the water in a glass dome as bluntnose sixgill sharks and other Elliott Bay creatures swim all around you. Touch a sea anemone. Learn about the lives of salmon at the world's first aquarium-based salmon ladder. Marvel at the impossibly bright-colored coral reef fish. And don't forget to wave to the giant Pacific octopus.
The Seattle Waterfront
A bustling collection of attractions, restaurants and shopping, as well as starting points for ferries, cruise ships, the Victoria Clipper and Argosy boat tours are located here. Feed the seagulls at the statue of Ivar Haglund in front of Ivar's Acres of Clams, stroll by the fountains on the wooden piers of Waterfront Park, admire the view or shop for souvenirs.
Woodland Park Zoo
See more than 1,000 animals of 300 different species, from elephants and gorillas to piranhas and penguins, in naturalistic exhibits at the Woodland Park Zoo. Drop by at scheduled feeding times and talk with the people who care for the animals.
Bill Speidel's Underground Tour
After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city was rebuilt over the top of the ruins. This guided tour takes visitors through the hidden subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and storefronts of old downtown Seattle and tells stories of the frontier people who lived and worked there.
The Seattle Public Library
Designed by world-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the award-winning glass and steel structure of the new Central Library makes the building seem a little off-kilter and translucent - allowing passersby on the street to look in.
Tillicum Village
A short, narrated cruise takes you to an island village, where you'll feast on salmon cooked in the authentic Native American way. A stage show of traditional dances and stories entertains and teaches you about the people who lived in the Northwest first.
Ride the Ducks of Seattle
Tour Seattle by land and water on a WWII amphibious landing craft. This 90-minute adventure tour will have you "quacking up" through the streets of Seattle. You'll see the major sights of the Emerald City on land before you head out to the funky Fremont neighborhood where you'll splash into Lake Union.
Pacific Science Center
Under the arches, near the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center has over 300 interactive exhibits, two IMAX theaters and six-acres of hands-on fun.
The Children's Museum, Seattle
Kids explore familiar places from their own neighborhoods and discover cultures from around the globe in kid-sized exhibits where they can skipper a sea-going ship, visit a tailor shop in Ghana or ride a tricycle around the Philippines. Driving a fire engine is child's play, and so is pretending to run a store or restaurant. For the ham in the family, a theater complete with costumes and sound effects encourages your little ones to take the stage.
Seattle Art Museum
SAM collects and exhibits objects from across cultures, exploring the dynamic connections between past and present. SAM’s three locations include the Seattle Art Museum, downtown, Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the Olympic Sculpture Park.
Experience Music Project Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
Explore American popular culture at EMP/SFM, where you'll be entertained and engaged by interactive exhibits, rare objects and amazing architecture.
Seattle Bug Safari
Come meet your new neighbors! The insects and bugs at Seattle Bug Safari may be creepy and crawly, but they’d love to meet you in person!
Seattle Bug Safari opened its doors in February 2006, exposing Seattle to a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the exotic world of insects.
Housing more than fifty different species of insects, spiders, scorpions, millipedes, and centipedes, Seattle Bug Safari is putting together the largest collection of live specimens offered at public exhibit in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest
CityPass Seattle
CityPass is a simple and affordable way to see six of Seattle’s finest attractions. CityPass is a ticket booklet containing an actual admission ticket to the top attractions in Seattle. With CityPass, you pay one substantially reduced price and avoid main entrance ticket lines at most attractions. Inside each Seattle CityPass booklet are six actual admission tickets, each with a little tip revealing a CityPass secret to skip main ticket lines. Plan an action-packed weekend - or take up to nine leisurely days to explore Seattle’s shops, restaurants, and neighborhoods. Seattle CityPass offer one admission to each attraction:Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Pacific Science Center, Woodland Park Zoo, The Museum of Flight, Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum