Seattle Attractions

To the east of Pioneer Square is the colourful International District, in which the street scene is dominated by immigrants from the Far East (mainly Japanese and Chinese) with their shops and restaurants. At 407 7th Avenue are the Wing Luke Museum, which charts the history of Asian immigration, and the Hing Hay Park with a vast mural and a pagoda.

On the two floors of picturesque Pike Place Market a wide range of wares are offered for sale - fish, fruit, vegetables and all sorts of odds and ends. Here too are a number of cheerful little bars.

On University Street is the Seattle Art Museum, with a collection covering the art of many countries round the world. The Palace of Culture, in postmodern style, was designed by Robert Venturi.

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo is a 92 acre facility with animals from around the globe, including threatened species. The zoo was the first to create naturalistic exhibits, nearly 300 different species are represented from Asian and African elephants to snow leopards, jaguars, lemurs and grizzly bears. The Woodland Park Zoo has the largest animals collection in Washington and some of the most endangered animals in the world.

To the north of Pioneer Square is the Central Business District, with City Hall and a number of eye-catching skyscrapers. Among them are the 42-storey Bank of California, the 50-storey First National Bank, the 40-storey circular Washington Plaza Hotel, the two postmodern structures Pacific First Center and Westlake Center, and the Rainier Square Shopping Center.

Seattle's Central Freeway Park is a large connecting green space in the downtown area. Central Freeway Park is most noteworthy for spanning Interstate 5.

The Coast Guard Museum Northwest has Coast Guard memorabilia, nautical items and over 15,000 photographs from as early as the 1800's on display.

Discovery Park covers 550 acres and is the largest park in Seattle. Parts of the park lookout over Puget Sound and there are also great views of the mountains. Discovery Park encompasses coastline, forest, and meadows, offering a nice escape from the city and providing a habitat for wildlife.

There is an environmental learning center with interactive exhibits and information about the park as well as environmental education programs including urban campfire programs and natural history programs for all ages.

The longest floating bridge in the world, Evergreen Point Floating Bridge runs across Lake Washington between Seattle and Medina. SR 520 crosses the bridge.

Fishermen's Terminal on Salmon Bay in Seattle is an important facility in the boating community. The docks are upgraded. In addition to mooring space, visitors will find fine dining options and the Fisherman's Memorial.

The Frye Art Museum in Seattle features changing exhibits throughout the year. The museum was made possible by Charles Frye, who along with his wife collected art throughout their life and upon Charles' death, willed their collection and funds for the creation of a public art gallery.

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Seattle focuses on powerboat racing, with displays that include vintage hydroplanes spanning seven decades, the history of the sport, as well as artifacts and memorabilia related to powerboat racing. The museum also has a section devoted to the restoration of hydroplanes.

Nearly 250,000 hydroplane fans crowd the shores of Lake Washington each August to watch the annual Seafair Hydroplane Race. This event rivals the Indy 500 as one of the largest single-day sporting events in the world.

The Kingdome was imploded and no longer stands.

Originally named the Lake Washington Floating Bridge and later renamed the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, the bridge is also commonly referred to as the Mercer Island Bridge. It carries Interstate 90 across Lake Washington and is the second largest floating bridge in the world.

See the Lake Washington Ship Canal at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. There is a visitors center on site, along with a botanical garden, fish ladder, and more. The area is particularly popular in summer.

Seattle's Log House Museum features changing exhibits, along with programs and cultural events that focus on the history of the Duwamish Peninsula. This is a self guided tour.

The museum also serves as a research and interpretive center. To find out about current exhibits call ahead or visit the Log House Museum website.

The Maritime Event Center is an interactive nautical museum with exhibits that provide a distinctive setting for events on the waterfront.

The Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle features both historical displays and an art gallery. The history focuses on immigrants from Scandinavian countries, with individual rooms dedicated to Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.Temporary art and heritage exhibits are also presented.

The Nordic Heritage Museum is housed in a former brick school house dating to the early 20th Century.

Pier 59 is one of Seattle's waterfront attractions, where visitors will find the Seattle Aquarium. The Pier 59 area has undergone some expansion, including the remodeling of the Aquarium.

On Pier 59 is the Seattle Aquarium, in whose Underwater Dome a variety of Pacific marine creatures (including sea otters, octopuses and dwarf sharks) can be observed.

The Seattle Asian Art Museum features Chinese, South Asian and Southeast Asian art, decorative arts and textiles.

The Seattle Opera presents a full season of opera performances at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The building underwent extensive renovations in 2003 that saw some of the outer walls replaced by glass and the interior completely upgraded.

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is more commonly referred to as Sea-Tac International Airport services in the Greater Seattle Area.

The Shoreline Historical Museum in Seattle is housed in the 1906 Ronald Elementary School. The museum features changing exhibits as well as the permanent collection covering a wide range of themes related to the history of the area.

Teatro ZinZanni offers fast-paced shows, improv comedy, vaudeville dance and music.

Volunteer Park in central Seattle encompasses the Asian Art Museum and Volunteer Park Conservatory. The park also features walking trails, sports areas, a children's play area, as well as picnic facilities.

The Washington State Convention and Trade Center is located in downtown Seattle. The center hosts a number of large exhibitions throughout the year.

To the west, on Elliot Bay, is Waterfront Park, from which there are wide views of the habour and bay. An old-fashioned streetcar shuttles back and forth along the waterfront between Piers 48 and 70. Harbour tours depart from Pier 57. On "Gold Rush Strip" are a number of old buildings, now occupied by souvenir shops (fine craft products of the Northwest Indians) and attractive restaurants.

The Wing Luke Asian Museum focuses on the history and culture of Asian Pacific Americans, with a permanent collection and temporary exhibits. The museum is named for Wing Luke, a Chinese American known for being the first Asian American elected official in Washington.

Since 1899, Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle began as a trading post for Native American artists. It is also a souvenir shop for Northwest art and collectibles, and a museum bursting with natural exotica such as authentic shrunken heads, narwhal tusks, and two-headed calves. The star attraction is desert mummy Sylvester and visitors will marvel at the full-size mermaid. Old-time arcade machines and coin-op player pianos fill the shop with the sounds of yesteryear.