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Attractions
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
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.
Admissioncharged.
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.
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