Seattle Destinations & Attractions

Welcom to our Seattle destinations and attractions page, including Nordstrom's, the Bon, Experience Music Project, IMAX, Wild Waves, Seattle Center, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Northgate Shopping Mall, and more.

Main Attractions - Stores & Shops - Shopping Centers - Museums -
Zoos - Kids' Places - Parks - Libraries - Government - Kitsch Icons

Downtown Attractions

Downtown Core

• Nordstrom. Started out as a shoe store, but now an upscale department store, located in the former Frederick & Nelson building.
• Macy's. Seattle's premier department store. Formerly, Bon-Macy's, and before that, The Bon Marché, before it was bought by Federated Department Stores, which is the parent company of Macy's. Long-time Seattleites still commonly refer to it simply as "The Bon."
• Pike Place Market. Lots of shops, open-air stalls, and more. Seattle's top tourist attraction.
• Seattle Art Museum (SAM). Seattle's premier art museum has two locations, one downtown and the other in Volunteer Park up on Capitol Hill. The second was the original SAM location, but is now called the Seattle Asian Art Museum and houses SAM's large and prestigious Asian art collection. If you're visiting Seattle, both of these museums are worth a visit.
• Westlake Center. Located downtown at 5th & Pine, just across from the Bon. Features shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Has direct access to the station for the south end of the Seattle Center Monorail and to the Westlake Station of the Bus Tunnel.
• Pacific Place. A downtown shopping center, with stores, restaurants, and an 11-screen theatre complex, at Sixth & Pine.
• Downtown Seattle by the DowntownSeattle Association. Find out which special events are taking place in Downtown Seattle.

Waterfront

• Seattle IMAX Dome Theatre. Located on Pier 59. Features a film on the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
• Seattle Waterfront Virtual Tour by the City of Seattle.
• Cybertour of the Central Waterfront by the Port of Seattle. Learn about each of the piers on the Waterfront (neat historical photos).
• Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center. Great for adults and kids -- 44 hands-on exhibits. On Pier 66 (Bell Street Pier).
• Seattle Aquarium. Located on Pier 59, featuring a wide variety of Northwest sealife.
• Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. "The greatest shop I ever got into!" -- Robert Ripley, "Believe It Or Not." Home of Sylvester the Mummy and other curious curiosities.
• Summer Nights at the Pier. Summer concert series at the outdoor music venue at Piers 62/63 on the Waterfront, just north of the Seattle Aquarium. The 2004 summer lineup includes Mary Chapin Carpenter, Macy Gray, The Gipsy Kings, Jonny Lang/Keb' Mo', Travis Tritt, Boz Scaggs, Cyndi Lauper, Indigo Girls, Linda Ronstadt, B.B. King's Blues Festival (with B.B. King, Dr. John, Shemekia Copeland, J. Geils & Magic Dick, and Elvin Bishop), Chris Isaak, The Robert Cray Band/Buddy Guy, David Byrne, and Liza Minnelli.

Pioneer Square/International District

• Pioneer Square.
• Elliott Bay Book Company. Featured on Frasier, a great place to book browse, have an espresso and a pastry, and people watch. Schedules regular "author events," from book signings to poetry readings.
• Klondike Gold Rush Museum -- A National Historical Park, run by the National Park Service. Located in Pioneer Square.
• Seattle Underground Tour.
• Smith Tower Observation Deck. Once the tallest building west of the Mississippi and a signal remainder (and reminder) of "old Seattle." Access to the 360-degree observation deck on the 35th Floor is via the last manually operated elevator on the west coast. Purchase tickets on the 35th Floor: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, $4 for children 6-12, free for children 5 and under.
• Foster White Gallery. The premier Pioneer Square gallery, representing many of the NW's most notable artists, including Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Dale Chihuly, Richard Gilkey, Morris Graves, Paul Horiuchi, Alden Mason, Mark Tobey, George Tsutakawa, Windsor Utley, James Washington Jr., and others.

Seattle Center

• Seattle Center. Check here for current and upcoming events and attractions.
• Experience Music Project. Paul Allen's tribute to rock history. Initially planned as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Allen's favorite musician.
• Pacific Science Center. A great place for the whole family to visit, learn, and have fun.
• Seattle Center House. Check here for current and upcoming events. Also home to many food vendors, shops, and other attractions.
• Children's Museum -- Located at the Seattle Center on the first level of Center House. A great place to take the kids. A neat feature is that you can schedule birthday parties for kids at the museum.

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Stores & Shops

• Bon-Macy's. The former Bon Marche, before it was bought by Federated Department Stores, which also own's Macy's, also known simply as "The Bon." Seattle's premier general department store.
• Nordstrom. Started out as a shoe store, but now an upscale department store, located in the former Frederick & Nelson building.
• Nordstrom Rack. Get last season's merchandise cheap.
• Pike Place Market. Lots of shops, open-air stalls, and more.
• Uwajimaya. Seattle's premier asian food and gift market.
• Pioneer Square. Lots of boutiques, shops, and stores to choose from.
• Elliott Bay Book Company. Featured on Frasier, a great place to book browse, have an espresso and a pastry, and people watch. Schedules regular "author events," from book signings to poetry readings.
• Metsker Maps of Seattle. Maps, globes, atlases, books, and much more. A Seattle institution. Started by the Metsker family of Tacoma in the early 1990's, the first retail store in Seattle was opened in 1950 (at 1st & Cherry), moved to Pioneer Square in 1980 or so, and is now conveniently located at the Pike Place Market. Several of the store's employees hold geography degrees.
• Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. "The greatest shop I ever got into!" -- Robert Ripley, "Believe It Or Not." Home of Sylvester the Mummy and other curious curiosities.
• Opus 204. Original and limited edition fashion designs, as well as jewelry & accessories, antiques & homewares, and more. Located at First & Virginia, near Pike Place Market.

Thrift Stores

• Children's Hospital Thrift Stores.
• Seattle Goodwill. The Seattle store (off Dearborn) is the largest Goodwill store in the country.
• Value Village. The Seattle store (off Dearborn) is the largest Goodwill store in the country.
• Salvation Army Thrift Shops. (Note: Page does not list the main Seattle S.A. Thrift Shop, on 4th Ave. S., just south of Jackson Street.)
• St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.
• Trinity Thrift Shop. Located on First Hill, on 8th Avenue, just east of I-5, south from Madison Ave., and north from Harborview Hospital.
• Lifelong AIDS Alliance Thrift Store. Located on Capitol Hill, between 10th and 11th on East Union Street.

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Shopping Centers & Malls

Downtown Shopping Centers

• Westlake Center. Located downtown at 5th & Pine, just across from the Bon. Features shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Has direct access to the station for the south end of the Seattle Center Monorail and to the Westlake Station of the Bus Tunnel.
• Pacific Place. A downtown shopping center, with stores, restaurants, and an 11-screen theatre complex, at Sixth & Pine.
• Pike Place Market. Lots of shops, open-air stalls, and more.
• Pioneer Square. Lots of boutiques, shops, and stores to choose from.

North Shopping Centers

• Northgate Mall. Located in north Seattle, just off I-5 (Exit 173) at Northgate Way.
• Northgate Shopping Mall opens on April 21, 1950 from HistoryLink.org. The Northgate Shopping Mall, known simply as "Northgate" for short, was the first regional shopping center built in the United States.
• University Village. Located just east of the University of Washington -- reach it by going east on 45th Street or north on Mountlake Boulevard.
• Alderwood Mall. Located just north of Seattle, just off of I-5, in Lynnwood.
• Country Village. Located in Bothell, just off I-405, on the Bothell Everett Highway.
• Everett Mall. Just west of I-5 in Everett (take Exit 189).

South Shopping Centers

• Southcenter Shopping and Business District. Located in south Seattle, just off I-5 in Tukwila (15 minutes south from Downtown and 5 minutes east from Sea-Tac Airport).
• SuperMall. Located in Auburn, at the juncture of Highway 18 and SR-167. Billed as the Northwest's largest outlet mall.
• Tacoma Mall. Located four miles southwest of downtown Tacoma, just west of I-5.

East Shopping Centers

• Bellevue Square. The Eastside's premier shopping center, in downtown Bellevue.
• Redmond Town Center. Located northeast from Bellevue, off SR 520, at the north end of Lake Samamish.
• Factoria Mall. Just south of I-90 and just east of SR-405.

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History, Natural History, and Other Museums

• The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Located in the northwest corner of the UW campus, this museum is one of Seattle's hidden gems.
• Museum of Flight. If you can't get enough of the Wings channel, this is the place for you. See many of your very favorite planes up front and personal (my favorite is the 1945 Corsair). The Museum also encompasses the Red Barn, the birthplace of the Boeing company.
• Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) -- This is a great little museum, full of lots of Northwest historical artifacts and trivia. Located in the Montlake area, just south of the Montlake Bridge, this gem of a museum is often missed by visitors to Seattle. Once it relocates to the newly expanded Convention Center, it should be easier to find.
• The Experience Music Project -- Located at the Seattle Center. Worth visiting, if only to see where one rich man's fancy can lead him.
• Pacific Science Center. A great place for the whole family to visit, learn, and have fun.
• Children's Museum -- Located at the Seattle Center on the first level of Center House. A great place to take the kids. A neat feature is that you can schedule birthday parties for kids at the museum.
• Klondike Gold Rush Museum -- A National Historical Park, run by the National Park Service. Located in Pioneer Square.
• Center for Wooden Boats: Seattle's Hands-On Maritime Heritage Museum. Besides exploring the historical wooden boats and renovation projects, you can take sailing lessons, rent a boat, and attend workshops.
• Wing Luke Asian Museum -- Located in the International District. Devoted to the collection, preservation and display of Asian-Pacific-American culture, history and art.
• The Washington State History Museum. Located on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. Continuing exhibits and displays include the Great Hall of Washington History, the Model Railroad, the History Lab, and more.
• Nordic Heritage Museum. Located in northwest Ballard (Sunset Hill). The northwest has a rich connection to Nordic culture, with many immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark having come here to work in the lumber and fishing industries. I remember that when I was growing up down in Aberdeen in the 1950s it was very common to hear Finnish being spoken in the cafes and stores. Lots of Norwegians and Swedes settled in Ballard, of course.
• Camp 6 Logging Museum. Operated by the Tacoma Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the steam-era of logging (from 1880's through 1940's) through photographs, paintings, artifacts, and equipment displays. The Camp 6 Logging Museum is located in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park -- logging train rides are available on weekends, April through September.
• Northwest Railway Museum, Snoqualmie-North Bend. A must visit if you're into steam trains and old rolling stock. You can also ride a historic steam train, the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad, that runs between Snoqualmie and North Bend (beginning in April).
• San Juan Historical Museum. Located at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. "Experience island life as it was at the turn of the century."
• The Whale Museum. Located at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Has a special focus on the orcas of J, K and L pods living in the waters of the San Juan Islands. A great place to stop first if you're planning on going on a whale watching tour.
• Orcas Island Historical Museum. Located in Eastsound Village on Orcas Island. The museum is composed of six one-room log cabins constructed by homesteaders in the 1880s and 1890s, which were disassembled from various sites on Orcas Island and then reassembled and interconnected by volunteers to create the present museum.
• Naval Undersea Museum. Located at Keyport on the Kitsap Peninsula. An official Navy museum with 20,000 square feet of exhibits, presenting the largest collection of naval undersea artifacts in the United States. Major exhibits on the ocean environment, torpedo technology, mine warfare technology, and U.S. submarines. The exhibits offer numerous video, audio, and hands-on activities.
• Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art. Located in Bellevue, the museum houses some 3,000 dolls.
• The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum.
• Coast Guard Museum Northwest.
• Log House Museum. Located at Alki, where the Denny Party landed in 1851.
• The Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum.

For a listing of Art Museums and Galleries, see the Art & Culture page.

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Zoos, Aquariums, & WildLife Parks

• Woodland Park Zoo. Seattle's world-class zoological park.
• Seattle Aquarium. Located on Pier 59 on the Waterfront, featuring a wide variety of Northwest sealife.
• Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Located in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park.
• Northwest Trek. Features tours of a free-roaming area with blacktail deer, bison, bighorn sheep, elk, woodland caribou, water fowl, moose, sandhill cranes, and mountain goats, plus other areas/exhibits with gray wolves, grizzly and black bears, owls and eagles, beavers and otters, racoons, lynx, cougars, bobcats, porcupines, skunks, wolverines, and badgers. Located just off of Hwy 161, down by Eatonville.
• Wolf Haven. A premier wolf facility and educational center, providing permanent sanctuary for captive-born gray wolves. Located south of Tumwater, just off Old Highway 99. Guided walking tours available (except for February).
• Cougar Mountain Zoological Park: A Unique Zoological Park Focusing on Endangered Species and Education. Nestled on the north-facing slope of Cougar Mountain in Issaquah, the Cougar Mountain Zoo includes "worlds" featuring various endangered species, including mountain lions, reindeer, cranes, antelopes, large macaws, cheetahs, lemurs, and Formosan elk.
• The Serpentarium. Located on Highway 2 in Gold Bar, this is the place to go if you're into snakes and other reptiles.
• Cat Tales Zoological Park. Located on in Mead, Washington, just north of Spokane.
• Poulsbo Marine Science Center. Located in Poulsbo on the Kitsap Peninsula (take the Winslow ferry and follow Highway 305). Get “up close and personal” with sea stars, tube worms, crabs and other inhabitants of our chilly local waters. Experience exhibits of over 100 species of marine plants and animals found in Puget Sound.
• Oregon Zoo. Located at Washington Park, five minutes from downtown Portland, along the Sunset Highway (Hwy 26). Take the MAX Light Rail, which lets you off right at the zoo entrance.
• Greater Vancouver Zoo. Located in Aldergrove, British Columbia, south of the Trans Canada Highway. Can also be reached from the Aldergrove/Lynden border crossing between the U.S. and Canada.
• Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center. Located in Stanley Park, five minutes west of of downtown Vancouver.
• British Columbia Wildlife Park. Located in Kamloops, northeast of Vancouver, via the Trans Canada Highway.
• Victoria Bug Zoo. Located in downtown Victoria, BC.
• Victoria Butterfly Gardens. Stroll amidst hundreds of exotic butterflies flying free in an indoor tropical rainforest.

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Botanical Gardens

• Washington Park Arboretum. Known as just "The Aboretum" by most Seattleites. Located south of Union Bay (part of Lake Washington). Its 230 acres contain over 4,500 different species of trees, shrubs, and vines from around the world, including 139 on the endangered species list. Originally designed by James Dawson of the Olmstead Brothers firm and developed in the 1930's (with WPA funds and labor). Great place for walking and wandering.
• Bellevue Botanical Garden. 36 acres of display gardens, woodlands, meadows and wetlands.
• Volunteer Park Conservatory. Originally built in 1912, the Conservatory houses Bromeliad, Palm, Fern, Seasonal, and Cactus Houses. Wonderful place.
• Woodland Park Rose Garden.
• Dunn Gardens. Originally designed by the Olmstead brothers in 1916, this historic garden is open to the public for guided tours only.
• Kubota Garden. 20 acres of Japanese gardens, originally designed and planted by Fujitaro Kubota, beginning in 1927.
• University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden.
• Bradner Garden Parks. Located at 29th Ave. S. and S. Grand St., near the I-90 LID Park.
• The Native Garden at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma.
• Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood.
• Meerkerk Rhododendren Gardens on Whidbey Island.
• Elandan Gardens. Located on the Kitsap Peninsula, just west of Port Orchard, on State Highway 16. The Bonsai Garden features 150 of Dan Robinson's bonsai trees -- the bonsai collection has been valued at over two million dollars. The nursery has hard-to-find plants and collected trees for bonsai or landscaping.

Gardens in Portland

• Portland's Rose Gardens. Visit Portland's three acclaimed rose gardens.
• Portland Classical Chinese Garden. An authentic Suzhou-style garden.
• Japanese Garden. Designed in 1963 by Professor Takuma Tono, an internationally renowned authority on Japanese garden landscaping.

Gardens in Victoria and Vancouver

• The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C.
• Victoria Butterfly Gardens. Stroll amidst hundreds of exotic butterflies flying free in an indoor tropical rainforest.
• UBC Botanical Garden at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, B.C. Seventy rambling acres are planted with more than 10,000 different trees, shrubs and flowers.
• VanDusen Botanical Garden. 58 acres located in the heart of Vancouver, B.C., featuring over 7,500 different kinds of plants assembled from six continents.

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Kids' Places -- Amusement Parks, Arcades, and More

• Fun Forest at the Seattle Center.
• Wild Waves & Enchanted Village. Located south of Seattle, just off I-5 (take Exit 142B). Thrill rides, water slides, and now home of the largest wooden roller coaster in the state of Washington.
• Funtasia Family Fun Park. Located in Edmonds (take Exit 179 from I-5). Miniature golf, bumper cars, bumper boats, batting cages, go carts, laser tag, video games, children's play area, birthday parties.
• Gameworks. Located downtown at 7th & Pike.
• Illusionz Magical Entertainment Center. Located in Issaquah. High tech arcade games, lasertag, miniature golf, batting cages, roller coaster simulator, children's play area, magic shows, birthday parties.
• Family Fun Center in Tukwila. Laser tag, kids' playground, virtual roller coaster, climbing wall, arcade games, birthday parties.
• Pacific Science Center. A great place for the whole family to visit, learn, and have fun.
• Children's Museum. Located at the Seattle Center on the first level of Center House. A great place to take the kids. A neat feature is that you can schedule birthday parties for kids at the museum.

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Parks & Playgrounds

• Seattle Parks and Recreation. Find parks, trails, playfields, etc. Find out what events are happening.
• Washington Park Arboretum.
• King County Parks and Recreation.
• King County Parks Locator. Use a zoom-in/zoom-out map to find parks, pools, and regional trails in King County.
• Shoreline Access Map by Seattle Parks and Recreation.
• Port of Seattle Parks and Programs. Find the Port of Seattle's fishing piers, bike paths, and shoreline access points.
• Port of Seattle Parks and Programs. Find the Port of Seattle's fishing piers, bike paths, and shoreline access points.
• Snohomish County Parks and Recreation.
• Metro Parks Tacoma.

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Libraries

• Seattle Public Library. Find a branch near you.
• King County Library System.
• Everett Public Library.
• Kitsap Regional Library.
• University of Washington Libraries.
• Washington State Library.
• Tacoma Public Library.
• King County Law Library.
• Washington State Law Library.
• Washington State Law Library.
• Overlake Hospital Medical Library.
• Washington Library Association.
• Seattle's Jewish Libraries.
• Seattle Genealogical Society Research Library.
• South King County Genealogical Society Library Holdings.
• Heritage Quest Research Library.
• Theosophical Society in Seattle - Lending Library.
• Seattle Metaphysical Library.

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Government

• The City of Seattle's Official Web Site.
• King County Government.
• Access Washington: State Government Information & Services.
• U.S. District Court: Western District of Washington.
• Seattle Police Department.
• Washington State Department of Licensing.
• Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

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Kitsch Icons

• One-of-a-kind structures reflect Seattle's past and define its character from the Seattle Times.
• Seattle's cultural icons from the Seattle Times. Photos of the Hat 'n' Boots, Space Needle, Toe Truck, Fremont Troll, King Dome, Chubby and Tubby, P-I globe, Grandma's Cookies sign, Kalakala, and the Blob.
• Seattle Odyssey. Features photos and information on Seattle kitsch icons, present and past, including J.P. Patches, Elephant Car Wash, Twin Teepees, Aurora Flower Elephant, Lenin Statue, Fremont Troll, Fremont Rocket, Waiting for the Interurban, P-I Globe, Toe Truck, The Blob, Experience Music Project ("Return of the Blob"), The Kalakala, Hat 'n Boots, The Faux Needle, and The T-Mar Cafe.
• HatnBoots.org. Organization for the drive to restore the Hat 'N Boots and move it to Georgetown.
• For an offbeat tour of local points of interest from the Twin Peaks TV series, see Our Twin Peaks Tour of Poulsbo and Snoqualmie, Washington by Mark Crovella. For even more detailed descriptions and directions, see a compilation of Twin Peaks posts to the alt.tv.twin-peaks newsgroup (also linked to from Mark Crovella's site. See also Twin Peaks Online for lots more Twin Peaks info.
• Mar-T Cafe (aka The Double R Diner). Another "Twin Peaks" site.
• Seattle World's Fair Collection and Information. A collection of Seattle World's Fair memorabilia.
• Seattle Odyssey. Pics and text on J.P. Patches, Elephant Car Wash, The Twin Teepees, The Aurora Flower Elephant, The Lenin Statue, The Fremont Troll, The Fremont Rocket, Waiting for the Interurban, The P-I Globe, The Toe Truck, The Blob, Experience Music Project (The Blob II or Return of the Blob), The Salt & Pepper Shakers, The Kalakala, The Hat 'n Boots, The Faux Needle, and the T-Mar Cafe.
• Vernacular Architecture from SeattleDreamHomes.com. Interesting page on the bygone architecture of the roadside attraction. Nice pics of the Twin Teepees (now gone) and the Java Jive (still here).

Lost Icons

• Bubbleator photo from Seattle P-I.
• Builder likes Bubbleator as a greenhouse from Seattle P-I. The Bubbleator, at least the "bubble" part, not entirely gone, but is simply serving a different function.
• Rainier Brewery: Rest in Peace from Northwest Beer Notes.
• A Bad Year For Wacky Landmarks [1997] from the Seattle Times. Article comments on the demolition of The Jell-O Mold Building and the Blob (on Lower Queen Anne).

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