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Hiram M Chittenden Locks
Watching boats traverse these two locks on the Lake Washington Ship Canal exerts a strange Zen-like attraction for locals and tourists alike. The process takes between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on tides and lake levels and on whether the large or the small lock is used. Walkways allow an intimate look at the workings of these water elevators and a chance to view the vessels coming and going from Puget Sound to Lakes Union and Washington.
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History House
The History House contains rotating exhibits focused on the history of Seattle neighborhoods. It's a good place to see photos of early Seattle. The building's colorful metal fence is another piece of public art, built by blacksmith and welder Christopher Pauley. The fence features brightly colored houses with open doors, a reflection of Fremont's welcoming attitude.
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International Children's Park
If the kids aren't up for exploring the Asian markets or sitting still for a dim sum brunch, bring them here to work off some energy by playing on the bronze dragon sculpture, designed by George Tsutakawa.
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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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Japanese Garden
At the southern edge of the arboretum, this 1.4-hectare (3.5-acre) formal garden has koi pools, waterfalls, a teahouse and manicured plantings. Granite for the garden's sculptures was laboriously dragged in from the Cascades. Tea ceremony demonstrations are frequently available. Call for a schedule.
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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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Kerry Park
This is where to go if you want to get postcard-perfect photos of the Seattle skyline, Mt Rainier and the Space Needle. Kerry Park, along the stroll-friendly and prestigious Highland Drive, has one of the best views in town. It's a magical vista, especially at night or sunset. Going a little further along W Highland Dr will take you to the lesser-known Betty Bowen Park, an excellent spot for views across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains.
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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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Klondike Gold Rush National Park
Seattle's seminal position as the outfitting and transportation hub for the Alaskan and Yukon Gold Rush is recognized at Klondike Gold Rush National Park, one of the USA's few indoor national historical parks. Exhibits, photos and news clippings give an idea of how much gear, food and true grit were necessary to stake a claim in the Klondike. Gold panning is demonstrated by park rangers, and you can view a slide presentation about the gold rush.
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Louisa Boren Lookout
Just outside the Volunteer Park boundaries, the Louisa Boren Lookout provides one of the best views over the university and Union Bay. The small park is named after the longest-surviving member of the party that founded Seattle in 1851.
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Mount Zion Baptist Church
One of the cornerstones of this neighborhood is Mount Zion Baptist Church, a 2000-member congregation with a choir that has reached national acclaim through its gospel recordings. The church is over a century old.
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Museum of Flight
Aviation buffs wholeheartedly enjoy the Museum of Flight, while others traipse through suppressing yawns, so be choosy about who you come with. The museum presents the entire history of flight, from da Vinci to the Wright Brothers to the NASA space program. More than 50 historic aircraft are displayed, including a British Airways Concorde. There's also a hands-on area where visitors get to work the controls and sit in the driver's seat.
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Museum of History & Industry
This museum at the northwest corner of the arboretum documents the history of Seattle and the Puget Sound in terms of its lumber, fishing and shipping industries. There's also a big Boeing presence, including a 1920s mail plane. Usually called by its acronym, Mohai has an entertaining collection of historic photos, old planes, memorabilia from the Great Fire and artifacts and lore from Seattle's great seafaring era.
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Nordic Heritage Museum
This museum preserves the history of the northern Europeans who settled in Ballard and the Pacific Northwest, as well as bringing in special exhibits of new work by contemporary Scandinavian artists. It's the only museum in the USA that commemorates the history of settlers from all five Scandinavian countries. A permanent exhibit features costumes, photographs and maritime equipment, while a second gallery is devoted to changing exhibitions.
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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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Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center
This unique museum in Waterfront Park is part of the Bell Street Pier, a huge complex that also houses convention space, restaurants and a marina. A haven for boat enthusiasts, the Discovery Center is also a wonderful place for families. The four galleries and more than 40 hands-on exhibits include a simulated kayak trip around Puget Sound, a chance to navigate a virtual ship and a visual re-creation of the cruise up to southeast Alaska.
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Olympic Sculpture Park
Hovering over train tracks in an unlikely oasis between the water and busy Elliott Ave is the brand-new, 3.5-hectare (8.5-acre), 85-million-dollar Olympic Sculpture Park. Worth a visit just for its views of the Olympic Mountains over Elliott Bay, it's still in that awkward youthful phase - many of the planned vegetation has yet to fill in, etc - but it has a lot of potential.
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Pacific Science Center
This interactive museum of science and industry once housed the science pavilion of the World's Fair. Today, the center features virtual-reality exhibits, a tropical butterfly house, laser shows, holograms and other wonders of science, many with hands-on demonstrations. Also on the premises is the vaulted-screen Imax Theater, a laserium and a planetarium.
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Pike Place Market
The fishy-smelling, tourist-thronged heart of downtown Seattle is Pike Place Market. It's good theater, though claustrophobically crowded. The Main and North Arcades are the most popular areas, with bellowing fishmongers, arts and crafts, and precarious stacks of gemlike fruits and vegetables.
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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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Queen Anne Counterbalance
The streetcar that chugged up and down the steep grade along Queen Anne Ave started operating on overhead-wire electricity in 1900, but it still needed some help to manage the hill. So engineers designed a system of counterweights - a 16-ton train that ran in a tunnel beneath the street would go up when the cable car went down and vice versa. The cable cars were retired in 1943, but the underground tunnels are still there.
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Qwest Field (Seahawks Stadium)
The late, mostly unlamented Kingdome, long Seattle's biggest eyesore, was once the sports stadium that served as home field for the city's professional baseball and football franchises. Then it was imploded spectacularly in 2000 and replaced by the 72,000-seat Qwest Field, or Seahawks Stadium. Seattle's soccer team, the Sounders, also play here; the Mariners now play at Safeco Field.
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Richard Hugo House
The nexus of Seattle's literary community, the Hugo House offers readings, classes and workshops as well as conducting various events around town. Writers-in-residence keep office hours at the house, during which they're available for consultation about writing projects free of charge. The extensive zine library invites all-day lingering.
