Seattle Center & the Space Needle
Seattle Center, along with its iconic Space Needle and the Monorail, were originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair but have since been turned into an entertainment complex and park area with theaters, sports facilities, and restaurants. Modern tourist attractions now proliferate the area, including musical adventures at the Experience Music Project, and impressive glass artworks at Chihuly Garden and Glass. And though it’s a locals’ haunt, the futuristic steel and glass structure of the Seattle Central Library is worth seeking out. Tourists can take an elevator to the 360-degree-view Needle Observation Deck to look out over the city, Elliott Bay, and Mt. Rainier.
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo is a 92-acre facility with many threatened and endangered species from around the globe. Immensely popular with families, the zoo was the first to create naturalistic exhibits, and its 300 different species range from Asian and African elephants to snow leopards, jaguars, lemurs, and grizzly bears. Check a current schedule for daily programs, animal feedings, and educational lectures, or to find hours for the solar-operated carousel. For a real treat, visitors can book an animal experience tour, which allows animal lovers to get up close to some of the zoo’s most fascinating wildlife, often with the chance to feed or touch the animals. Experiences include the opportunity to meet giraffes, penguins, lemurs, and other residents.
Hiram M Chittenden Locks
These busy locks northwest of Seattle Center are also known as the Ballard Locks. Besides watching the boat traffic move between Puget Sound and the lakes, visitors can seek out the fish ladder, where salmon struggle upstream. Nearby, the Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Garden is a quieter spot to rest and appreciate well-tended gardens.
Tourists can take a narrated sightseeing cruise along the canal, which offers a variety of views of some of the city’s most iconic features, like the Space Needle, the Great Ferris Wheel, and even the houseboat community featured in Sleepless in Seattle. The tour lasts 2.5 hours and includes transportation back to the starting point.
Benaroya Hall
Seattle’s premier arts venue, Benaroya Hall seats 2,500 for Seattle Symphony concerts. Look for the large glass art sculpture by Dale Chihuly, featured prominently in the lobby. It’s similar to the works at Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle Center and at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. The performance hall is downtown, across the street from the Seattle Art Museum.
International District
To the east of Pioneer Square is the colorful International District, where Japanese and Chinese shops and restaurants dominate the street scene. There are many things to do here, but the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience is a must. This museum charts the history of Asian immigration, named for Wing Luke, a Chinese American who was the first Asian American elected official in Washington. Nearby Hing Hay Park features a pagoda.
Pioneer Square Historic District
Marked with a 60-foot totem pole, Pioneer Square is the city’s historic heart. Among the Victorian-era buildings, the Smith Tower stands out for its imposing height (42 stories). There’s an observation deck on the 35th floor that’s ideal for sightseeing. Also in the neighborhood, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park remembers the surge of prospectors who departed for the Yukon during the 1897 gold rush.
