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Arctic Building
The Arctic Building, completed in 1917, is unique for its intricate terra-cotta ornamentation and 25 walrus heads peeking off its exterior. Though the walruses' tusks were originally authentic ivory, an earthquake in the 1940s shook a few of them loose to the ground. To protect passersby from the unusual urban hazard of being skewered by falling tusks, the ivory was replaced with epoxy.
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Ballard Building
Built in the 1920s by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, this imposing structure is the only major terracotta building in Ballard. It once held a community hospital and now houses the Ballard News-Tribune offices.
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Bank of America Tower
Formerly the Columbia Seafirst Center, this striking structure is also known as the 'Darth Vader' building. Catch a breathtaking view from the observation deck on the 73rd of its 76 floors.
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Benaroya Concert Hall
With a hefty bill of almost 120 million US dollars in construction costs, it's no wonder the Benaroya Concert Hall, Seattle Symphony's primary venue, oozes luxury. From the minute you step into the glass-enclosed lobby of the performance hall you're overwhelmed with views of Elliott Bay; on sunny days you might be lucky enough to see the snowy peaks of the Olympic Range far in the distance.
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Cors & Wegener Building
Once a wine bar and the offices of the early local broadsheet, the Ballard News, this grand building was one of the first in the area to be revitalized. It's now mostly shops, apartments and office space.
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Economy Market Building
Once a stable for merchants' horses, the Economy Market Building on the south side of the market entrance has a wonderful Italian grocery store, DeLaurenti's - a great place for any aficionado of Italian foods to browse and sample. There's also Tenzing Momo, one of the oldest apothecaries on the West Coast, where you can pick up herbal remedies, incense, oils and books. Tarot readings are available here on occasion.
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Fremont Rocket
Fremont has adopted this phallic and zany-looking rocket as its community totem. Constructed in the 1950s for use in the Cold War, the rocket was plagued with difficulties and never actually went anywhere, leaving the engineering team with the unfortunate problem of 'not being able to get it up.' Before the Fremont Business Association snapped it up, the rocket was affixed to an army surplus store in Belltown.
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Grand Central Arcade
This lovely meeting point was originally Squire's Opera House, erected in 1879 by Watson Squire, who became one of Washington's first senators after it achieved statehood. When the Opera House burned down, it was rebuilt as the Squire-Latimer Building and later became the Grand Central Hotel. The hotel died during the Depression, but it underwent a major restoration in the 1970s and now contains two floors of shops, including the excellent Grand Central Baking Co.
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International Fountain
This is the place to be on sunny days. With 287 jets of water (recycled, of course) pumping in time to a computer-driven music system, the International Fountain at the heart of the Seattle Center is a great place to rest your feet or eat lunch on sunny days. On summer nights, there's a free light-and-music show.
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Jimi Hendrix Statue
Guitar genius of the last century and Seattle's favorite son, Jimi Hendrix rocks out eternally in this bronze sculpture by local artist Daryl Smith, made in 1997. Hendrix fans have been known to leave flowers, candles and notes at the base of the kneeling statue.
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King Street Station
This onetime jewel of a train station - built in 1906 by Reed & Stem, who also designed New York City's Grand Central Station - has been blighted since the 1960s by a horrible ceiling-lowering revamp, but the fabulous old Italianate plasterwork and detailing are still there. The old depot's stately brick tower is an integral piece of the downtown skyline; continuing renovations are planned to restore and reveal its original architecture.
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Occidental Park
Notable in this cobblestone plaza are the totem poles carved by Duane Pasco, a nationally respected Chinookan carver and artist from Poulsbo on the Kitsap Peninsula. The totems depict the welcoming spirit of Kwakiutl, a totem bear, the tall Sun and Raven and a man riding on the tail of a whale.
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Occidental Square
Occidental Square, with its cobblestone plaza flanked by unusually handsome Victorian buildings, is one of the nicest places in this area. Visit Glass House Studio to see local artists' impressive works of blown, cast and lamp-worked glass. If you need a shot of caffeine or a chance to catch your breath, make the pilgrimage to Zeitgeist. This groovy coffeehouse is a local haunt of artists and architects.
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Pioneer Building
Built in 1891, this magnificent structure is one of the finest Victorian buildings left in Seattle; many mining companies had offices here during the Klondike Gold Rush years. Resting on the site of Henry Yesler's original home, the building now houses, in part, Doc Maynard's Public House, a handsome old bar and restaurant, and the ticket office for Bill Speidel's Underground Tour. Be sure to peek in at the Italian marble in the lobby.
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Pioneer Square Park
The original Pioneer Square is a cobblestone plaza where Henry Yesler's sawmill cut the giant trees that marked Seattle's first industry. Known officially as Pioneer Square Park, the plaza features a bust of Chief Seattle (Sealth, in the original language), an ornate pergola and a totem pole.
The decorative pergola was built in the early 1900s to serve as an entryway to an underground lavatory and to shelter those waiting for the cable car.
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Seattle Center
The 1962 World's Fair brought in nearly 10 million visitors from around the world for a glimpse of Tomorrow, Seattle-style. What remains of the futuristic enclave of exhibition halls, arenas and public spaces is today called the Seattle Center. Don't be surprised if it generates more nostalgia for The Jetsons than thoughts of the future.
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Seattle Tower
Formerly the Northern Life Tower, this 26-story art-deco skyscraper, built in 1928, was designed to reflect the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The brickwork on the exterior blends from dark at the bottom to light on top the same way mountains appear to do. Check out the 18-karat-gold relief map in the lobby.
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Smith Tower
You can't miss Seattle's first skyscraper. For half a century after its construction in 1914, the 42-story Smith Tower was known as the tallest building west of Chicago. The distinctive tower was erected by LC Smith, a man who built his fortune on typewriters (Smith-Corona) and guns (Smith & Wesson). Smith died during the building's construction, so he never got to see the beauty that still bears his name.
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Space Needle
Seattle's signature monument, the Space Needle (originally called 'The Space Cage') was designed by Victor Steinbrueck and John Graham Jr, reportedly based on the napkin scribblings of World's Fair organizer Eddie Carlson. The part that's visible above ground weighs an astounding 3700 tons. The tower takes advantage of its 158m- (520ft)-high observation deck to bombard visitors with historical information and interpretive displays.
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Statue of Lenin
This bronze statue of former communist leader Vladimir Lenin weighs 7 tons and is the latest and most controversial addition to Fremont's collection of public art. It was brought to the USA from Slovakia by an American, Lewis Carpenter, who found it in a scrap pile after the 1989 revolution. Carpenter spent a fortune to bring it over, sure that some crazy American would want to buy it. No-one did, so here it stands biding its time in Fremont.
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Times Square Building
This terracotta and granite structure, guarded by eagles perched on the roof, was designed by the Paris-trained architect Carl Gould (who also did the Seattle Asian Art Museum and the UW's Suzzallo Library). It housed the Seattle Times from 1916 to 1931.
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Turret House
This adorable castle-like building, with gables and (appropriately enough) turrets galore, was once the home of the Love Israel Family, an ex-hippie commune turned religious cult. Love Family members were famous for huffing noxious gasses, refusing to cut their hair and believing they were each part of the body of Jesus Christ. The Turret House has since been converted to apartments.
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Union Station
Union Station, the old Union Pacific Railroad depot (1911), was unoccupied from 1971 until 1999. The restoration project that brought it back from the dead included the preservation of the original tile floors, clocks and windows. More than 90 years of build-up was hand-scrubbed off the exterior brick. The Great Hall, half the size of a football field, remains an impressive space.
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Waiting for the Interurban
Seattle's most popular piece of public art, this lively sculpture in recycled aluminum depicts people waiting for a train that never comes. The train that once passed through Fremont stopped running in the 1930s, and the people of Seattle have been waiting for a new train - the Interurban - ever since. Finally, in 2001, Sound Transit trains started once again to connect Seattle with Everett, much like the original train did.
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Washington State Convention & Trade Center
It's hard to miss this gigantic complex decked out with ballrooms, meeting rooms, space for exhibitions and a visitors center. An arched-glass bridge spans Pike St between 7th and 8th Aves, with what looks like a giant eye in the middle of it.
