Schmap Seattle Top Attractions

Seattle - Top Attractions
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People visit Seattle for many reasons: the incredible natural landscape, the lively and funky neighborhoods, the hope of spotting Bill Gates walking out of a Starbucks. The city's attractions will not disappoint, though the Microsoft chief might prove sadly reclusive. Here are a few of our favorite things to do besides searching for the world's richest man.

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Experience Music Project (EMP)

Interactive music museum

325 5th Ave N
(Seattle Center)
Seattle, WA 98109
+1 206 367 5483 / +1 877 367 5483
http://www.emplive.org
Experience@emplive.org

It's supposed to look like a broken guitar but "heart" and "lung" have also been used to describe this 140,000 square foot music museum. Conceived by Paul Allen and designed by Frank Ghery, the museum takes you through music history by immersing you in nearly 80,000 artifacts including photos, sound archives, costumes and musical instruments from notable artists. The Northwest Passage exhibit examines how musicians and groups from the Northwest, such as Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees and the rest, helped to shape rock music. The onsite Turntable restaurant serves basic fare, and the Liquid Lounge has a full bar and hosts concerts. Museum admission: Adults (18-64) $19.95, Seniors $15.95, Youth (7-17) $14.95, Children 6 and under are free.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Amie Vanderford

Photo: Amie Vanderford

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Salim Virji

Photo: Salim Virji

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Michael Fletcher

Photo: Michael Fletcher

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Brock

Photo: Brock

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Alexi Holford

Photo: Alexi Holford

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Josh Sargent

Photo: Josh Sargent

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Kristen Crusius

Photo: Kristen Crusius

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Greg Fowler

Photo: Greg Fowler

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Simone Payment

Photo: Simone Payment

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Jeff Pelletier

Photo: Jeff Pelletier

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Susan Beals

Photo: Susan Beals

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Michelle McGee

Photo: Michelle McGee

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Lili Vieira de Carvalho

Photo: Lili Vieira de Carvalho

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by ClaytonWorks

Photo: ClaytonWorks

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Thanit Chiraskamin

Photo: Thanit Chiraskamin

Experience Music Project (EMP) photo by Nicole Lapierre

Photo: Nicole Lapierre

Gas Works Park

Gas plant becomes park 2101 North Northlake Way
(at Meridian Avenue)
Seattle, WA 98102
+1 206 684 4075
ken.bounds@ci.seattle.wa.us This is an example of urban renewal at its best. Take an old gas-processing plant that has outlived its usefulness, and transform it into something everyone can enjoy. Located on the north shore of Lake Union (opposite downtown), the park has excellent water views and a spectacular, unobstructed view of the city skyline. It is a popular spot for concerts, bikers, kite flyers, families on picnics and just about everyone else. This is also a prime spot from which to view the Fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Jason W.
Photo: Antoine Diffloth
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Pacific Science Center

Family fun and learning 200 2nd Ave N
Seattle Center
Seattle, WA 98109
+1 206 443 2001
http://www.pacsci.org Located at Seattle Center, this hands-on museum features IMAX movies and laser shows, plus ever-changing exhibits that include displays on dinosaurs, whales, robots and much more. Previous exhibits have included a tropical butterfly house and an insect village. This is a fun and educational place to take children, but adults will learn a lot and enjoy themselves as well. Exhibit admission for adults is $10, discounts for seniors and juniors. IMAX and laser shows cost extra. Package deals available. Children under age three enter free. There is an onsite cafe.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Pike Place Market

Famous produce and seafood market 85 Pike Street
(at First Avenue)
Seattle, WA 98101
+1 206 682 7453
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org
daniel@pikeplacemarket.org One of Seattle's most famous landmarks, this is the oldest continuously working public market in the country. Shop for fresh vegetables and fruits. Stop by Pike Place Fish to see fish fly. The market has numerous shops, including a health food and herb store, craft stores, and flower stands. Stop by Sur la Table, where you'll find tools with which to prepare your recently purchased ingredients. Don't forget to pick up fresh-baked pastries for dessert, and stop at one of the restaurants for lunch or an authentic Seattle latte before heading home.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Redhook Ale Brewery

Big batches of microbrew 14300 North East 145th Street
Woodinville, WA 98072
+1 425 483 3232
http://www.redhook.com
redhook@redhook.com Microbrew fans say this is the place that put Seattle on the beer map. The company outgrew its original Seattle brewery, a converted trolley house, and moved to Woodinville in 1994. Brewery tours, only USD1 per person, include samples of three or four ales. Then, have a pint with lunch at The Forecasters Pub. Minors are welcome on the tour and in the pub until live music begins 9:30p Friday and Saturday evenings. Tours run 2p and 4p Monday-Friday, 1p, 3p and 5p Saturday-Sunday.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Scott Petersen

Safeco Field

Home of the Seattle Mariners 1200 1st Ave S
(at Edgar Martinez Dr S)
Seattle, WA 98104
+1 206 346 4001
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com Located just south of Pioneer Square, this state-of-the-art sports facility is home to the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club. Costing a controversial USD520 million to build, the park is designed to resemble the ballparks of yesteryear, with its brick facades and real grass, but it's also filled with modern amenities, including luxury suites, restaurants and bars, and a retractable roof for rainy days. The baseball-only stadium seats over 46,000 fans. Public and private tours are available.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Seattle Art Museum

Internationally recognized museum 100 University Street
Seattle, WA 98101
+1 206 654 3100
http://www.seattleartmuseum.org
webmaster@seattleartmuseum.org Note: The museum is temporarily closed and will open in spring 2007. This museum is internationally recognized for its excellent collection of Asian, African and Native American art, and for its fine collection of modern art produced by Pacific Northwest artists. The permanent collection includes 21,000 pieces, and while it doesn't have huge collections of European art, it does have plentiful local art and wonderful visiting exhibits. The museum is centrally located downtown near the waterfront and Pike Place Market.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Seattle Center Monorail

Seattle's two-stop shuttle 400 Pine St, 3rd Floor (Westlake Terminal)
Seattle Center, adjacent to the Space Needle and EMP/SFM (Seattle Center Terminal)
Seattle, WA 98101
+1 206 905 2620
http://www.seattlemonorail.com The Seattle Center Monorail is temporarily shut down for system repair and refurbishment. Please visit website for further notice (Noted 9/04). Like the Space Needle, this train is a remnant of the 1962 World's Fair. Riding above ground, it takes passengers on a two-minute ride between two terminals: Westlake Center downtown and Seattle Center. Although short, the trip has nice views (on a clear day) of Elliott Bay, downtown and the Capitol Hill area. Admission is USD3 roundtrip for adults, USD1.50 for children ages 5-12 and seniors over 65, free for children under five. Trains depart every 10 minutes.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Seattle Chinese Garden

Chinese pavilion and more 6000 16th Ave Southwest
Seattle, WA 98126
+1 206 282 8040
http://www.seattle-chinese-gar... This Chinese garden (also known as Xi Huan Yuan) is the largest of its kind in the United States. Offering gorgeous views and a continually changing array of plants, the park includes several pavilions built using traditional Chinese materials and techniques. Visitors can view slide presentations of the construction process as part of docent-guided tours. Tours are free and last 90 minutes. For easiest access, park at the north entry.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Shawn McClung
Photo: Angela Gunn
Photo: Angela Gunn
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Seattle Waterfront

Waterfront neighborhood Alaskan Way
From South Main Street to Denny Way
Seattle, WA 98101
With numerous fun-but-tacky tourist shops and the Alaskan Way Viaduct thundering overhead, it's a wonder any natives visit here. But the views are spectacular; the Bainbridge Island ferry leaves from Colman Dock; and the popular Summer Nights at the Pier concerts play at sublime Pier 62/63. The Seattle Aquarium and the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center are also here. The old streetcar clangs along the length of the waterfront, and the green spaces of Myrtle Edwards Park take over from the concrete mayhem at the northern end.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Seattle's Museum of History & Industry

Explore the Pacific Northwest Region McCurdy Park
2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112-2031
+1 206 324 1126
information@seattlehistory.org With over 60,000 visitors every year, MOHAI has become one of Seattle's most popular museums. It tries to preserves and promotes the rich history of the Pacific Northwest. The museum houses a vast collection of artifacts and items from this region. Its award-winning exhibitions and programs are worth checking and through them you will be able to appreciate the region's rich and diverse history - cultural, social and economic. There are also specially designed programs for students and teachers.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: p ho

Snoqualmie Falls

Higher than Niagara Falls 6501 Railroad Avenue Southeast
(Cascade foothills, off Interstate 90)
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
+1 425 888 2556 Located 30 miles east of Seattle, this is one of the state's top natural attractions. Although more than 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls, Snoqualmie Falls is far less famous. Located in the beautiful foothills of the Cascade Mountains, this dramatic torrent of water drops 268 feet. At the crest you will find Salish Lodge, where you can get good food or stay the night. This is where the TV series Twin Peaks was filmed. The lodge lights the falls at night.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Shannon Vetter
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Space Needle

Seattle's famous landmark 400 Broad St
(Seattle Center)
Seattle, WA 98109
+1 206 905 2100
http://www.spaceneedle.com
info@spaceneedle.com Built for the 1962 World Expo, this distinctive structure, rising 600-plus feet above Seattle Center, has since become Seattle's most famous landmark. Come take in the 360-degree view of mountains, Elliott Bay and Seattle neighborhoods. Stock up on Seattle souvenirs at this gift shop on high. Dine at the refurbished SkyCity rotating restaurant, where every seat has a view. Special events include the New Year's Eve and July Fourth fireworks. The Space Needle also hosts private parties and does catering. Pay parking is available, or take the monorail from downtown. Admission prices: Adults $13; Seniors (65+) $11; Youth (4-13) $6; Child (3 and Under) Free

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Underground Tour

Offbeat look at old Seattle 608 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
+1 206 682 4646
http://www.undergroundtour.com Pioneer Square is Seattle's oldest neighborhood, and it wasn't always a pleasant place to visit. The area was once filled with Wild West fixtures like brothels and card rooms. This tour takes visitors around Pioneer Square above ground and also to a hidden Seattle that now lies underground. About 25 square blocks of Pioneer Square have hollow spaces under the sidewalks, thanks to peculiarities of the reconstruction after the great Seattle fire of 1889. Tours take about 90 minutes and run hourly 10a-6p in summer, less frequently in other seasons. Admission runs USD11 for adults, with discounts for seniors, students, children 7-12, and with valid AAA, military or ISIC cards. Cash and traveler's checks only are accepted. ATM is on-site.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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University of Washington

Home of the Huskies 022 Odegaard
UW Information & Visitors Center
Seattle, WA 981095
+1 206 543 9198
http://www.washington.edu
uwvic@u.washington.edu With nearly 700 acres, the university's well-manicured grounds are essentially the biggest park in the city-a park with 35,000 students, that is. On a clear day, you can soak up views of Mount Rainier from Drumheller Fountain. Central Plaza (or Red Square) is the heart of the campus, where students flow in and out of Suzzallo Library and ordinary citizens head for the concerts and lectures at Meany and Kane halls.

The entire campus has a cohesive brick look, thanks to the university's insistence on making additions blend in. Trees are tall and stately, and the winding roads force drivers to cruise slowly. The school was founded in 1861 in downtown Seattle and moved to its current location in 1895.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Washington Park Arboretum

One of the city's finest parks 2300 Arboretum Drive East
Seattle, WA 98112
+1 206 543 8800
http://depts.washington.edu/wpa
wpa@u.washington.edu This 200-acre park is a must-see for every Seattle visitor with even an hour of free time. With its lush green spaces, its breathtaking Japanese Garden (open 10a daily) and its abundance of rare trees, plants and flowers (more than 40,000 species), it is one of the brightest jewels in the Emerald City. Scenic and aptly named Azalea Way cuts a path through the park. The Graham Visitor's Center can be rented for social events, meetings and seminars for 45-75 guests. Rates include kitchen and audio-visual equipment. Call or visit the Web site for detailed information.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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