One of Seattle's most famous landmarks, Pike Place Market is the oldest continuously working public market in the United States and one of the world's top 50 most visited attractions. Pike Place opened in 1907 as the city's first public market, expanding to keep up with its growing popularity as a convenient option for both shoppers and merchants. The market remains a veritable cornucopia of culinary and artisanal options, its crowded aisles and bustling halls thronged with customers jostled between vendors of fresh produce and gourmet eats, alongside fishmongers and craftsmen. The street level is dominated by the food and produce stalls, while the lower levels house a fantastic variety of shops including antique dealers, head shops, florists, and local artisans. A whirlwind of sights, sounds and aromas, Pike Place Market is nothing short of paradise for foodies and connoisseurs of unique wares.
Chihuly Garden Glass amazes visitors with displays of colour and fine artistry. With the iconic Space Needle serving as its backdrop, this unique exhibit – conceived by artist Dale Chihuly – features glass sculptures that have to be seen to be believed. The splendour of lush gardens showcasing Chihuly's signature glass creations is a truly serene experience. Easily accessible via the Seattle Monorail, there is no excuse for not experiencing this incomparable display of nature and glass.
Seattle's most famous landmark, the Space Needle's futuristic design rises over 600 feet (182.88 meters) tall. The tower was originally built for the 1962 World Expo in Seattle, and was designed with cutting-edge know how by award-winning engineer John K. Minasian, known for his work at Cape Canaveral, home of the U.S. Space Program. From the top, the Space Needle provides 360-degree views of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, Elliott Bay, and the Cascade and Olympic mountains. Besides the Skydeck restaurant, the Space Needle also features a gift shop and observation deck.
The Museum of Pop Culture is one of the most interesting stops in Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, this 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. Most exhibits are interactive, allowing visitors to literally play with them. Also here is the Science Fiction Museum & Hall, which honors the greatest minds in the genre.
The Seattle Art 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.
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is the pride of Seattle. This museum houses approximately 4 million displays narrating the detailed local history of the city. Visitors can engage with exhibits such as Maritime Seattle, telling the story of ships and planes, including the 1919 Boeing B-1, Boeing's oldest planes for commercial use. Numerous seminars, workshops and lectures are conducted for various age groups, thus playing a vital role in educating the general public on world history. With the vast range of interactive artifacts, one can never get bored at this fascinating museum.
If you want to get a tour of this beautiful and sunny city, then the Shutter Tours are the perfect tour guides for you. Well informed, educated, and well spoken, these guides will walk you through the finest of Seattle as per your time, convenience and availability. The company also organizes special and private tours. The award winning agency is also known for its unique photo tours to places like Leavenworth Oktoberfest, Tulip Festival, etc.
New on the local art scene, this tiny, ivory-toned gallery is full of carefully curated contemporary art, with an emphasis on European artists. The pleasure of it comes from the selection, which is intriguing and thought-provoking in a subtle, unthreatening way. A recent highpoint was an unprepossessing series of photos taken during a crossing of the English Channel and then pasted together to show the entire Channel. Now that's a photograph.
Join Diane LaVonne for an engaging and unique food experience, one which connects the farmer, the ingredients, and cooking, with the finished product. You will start with lessons on choosing fresh ingredients for the days menu at the "Heart of Seattle", the Pike Place Market, where you will meet many of the farmer vendors and shop owners she has known for more than 20 years. After the tour you will go to her kitchen for a fun, interactive experience, learning about, preparing, and enjoying the best of what the Northwest has to offer from its waters, farms, orchards, and vineyards.
Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons situated in the heart of Seattle University's campus is used by students and the faculties alike for educational purposes. The spacious library is home to thousands of books across different genres. The friendly staff and librarians will help you in researching and finding the book that you are looking for with ease. Apart from this, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons feature a fully equipped computer center, free wireless internet, audio players, video players and spacious study rooms.
Center on Contemporary Art, as the name suggests, is a non-profit contemporary gallery that attracts art lovers from far and wide. The objective of this gallery is to understand, endorse and encourage new talent and is a great place to get a first-hand look at the local art community. Talented emerging, as well as established artists, breathe life into this gallery.