Seattle Area Attractions

Get a good pair of walking shoes and a lot of stamina (a double latte helps), because Seattle is a walking town. The city's two biggest attractions--the waterfront and Pike Place Market--are the sorts of places where you'll spend hours on your feet. When your feet are beat, you can relax on a tour boat and enjoy the views of the city from the waters of Puget Sound, or you can take a 2-minute rest on the monorail, which links downtown Seattle with Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle. If your energy level sags, don't worry; there's always an espresso bar nearby.

Pike Place Market
Between Pike and Pine sts. at First Ave. • Seattle, WA 98101 • 206.682.7453
Pike Place Market, originally a farmers' market, was founded in 1907 when housewives complained that middlemen were raising the price of produce. Today the market is once again bustling, but the 100 or so farmers and fishmongers who set up shop on the premises are only a small part of the attraction. More than 150 local craftspeople and artists can be found here, selling their creations as street performers serenade milling crowds. There are also hundreds of small specialty shops throughout the market, plus dozens of restaurants, including some of the city's best. At the information booth almost directly below the large Pike Place Market sign, you can pick up a free map and guide to the market. Keep an eye out for low-flying fish at the Pike Place Fish stall, and be sure to save some change for Rachel, the market's giant piggy bank, which has raised more than $100,000 over the years.

Russian Cobra
101 Alaskan Way, Pier 48 • Seattle, WA 98104 • 206.223.1767
This Cold War-era Russian submarine is the latest attraction on the Seattle waterfront and is berthed just south of Washington State Ferries' Colman Dock at the south end of the waterfront. The long black submarine is an ominous sight on this touristy stretch of Seattle shoreline. This sub, code-named Cobra, was built in 1972 and was in service for 20 years.

The Space Needle
400 Broad St. • Seattle, WA 98109 • 800.937.9582
From a distance it resembles a flying saucer on top of a tripod, and when it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, the 605-foot-tall Space Needle was meant to suggest future architectural trends. Today the Space Needle is the quintessential symbol of Seattle, and at 520 feet above ground level, the observation deck provides superb views of the city and its surroundings. Displays identify more than 60 sites and activities in the Seattle area, and high-powered telescopes let you zoom in on distant sights. You'll also find a pricey restaurant atop the tower. If you don't mind standing in line and paying quite a bit for an elevator ride, make this your first stop in Seattle so that you can orient yourself.

The Seattle Aquarium
1483 Alaskan Way • Seattle, WA 98101 • 206.386.4300
The star attractions here are the playful river otters and the sea otters, as well as the giant octopus. There's also an underwater viewing dome, from which you get a fish's-eye view of life beneath the waves, and each September, you can watch salmon return up a fish ladder to spawn. Of course there are also plenty of small tanks that allow you to familiarize yourself with the many fish of the Northwest, a beautiful large coral-reef tank, and several smaller tanks that exhibit fish from distant waters.

The Center for Wooden Boats
1010 Valley Street • Seattle, WA 98109 • 206-382-2628
This unusual little museum, located adjacent to the Northwest Seaport/Maritime Heritage Center, is basically a collection of wooden boats of all kinds. Most of the boats are tied up to the docks surrounding the museum's floating boathouse, but some are stored in dry dock (on the dock itself). Dedicated to the preservation of historic wooden boats, the center is unique in that many exhibits can be rented and taken out on the waters of Lake Union. There are both rowboats and sailboats. Individual sailing instruction is also available.

Starbucks
1912 Pike Place • Seattle, WA 98101 • 206.448.8762
See where it all started: America's most popular coffeehouse is Seattle's biggest claim to fame.

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