Things to do, places to visit in Seattle :
Space Needle: Located at the Seattle Center, the Space Needle is the tallest structure in the North West region of the United States (605 feet / 184 m) and the most symbolic image of Seattle. It was built for the World’s Fair in 1962, inspired by the Stuttgart Tower of Germany. The structure is also famous for having been a part of the logo of the television series Frasier, of the background of shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Dark Angel, iCarly, and of the films Sleepless in Seattle and It Happened at the World’s Fair. Thousands of visitors go to Seattle and take the trip up to the Space Needle’s observation deck and to the rotating SkyCity restaurant.
Pike Place Market: This public farmer’s market is one of the oldest in the United States and one of Seattle’s most popular tourist destinations, visited by ten million people every year. The market features many small shops and restaurants that offer very diverse products and fresh food, produced by those who sell them. It is a great place to go spend a whole morning, afternoon, or even a whole day, trying different things and buying cool stuff. Also, the first Starbucks store (the one that opened in 1971 when the company was founded) is located in Pike Place Market, a block away from its original location.
Seattle Center: The Seattle Center is the area in which the Century 21 Exposition took place in 1962, and is currently a fairground; a civic, arts and entertainment center; and a park, in which many of Seattle’s activities, expositions, fairs and events take place. It has lots of attractions for tourists and visitors such as theatres, museums, a fountain, the Space Needle and many more. These are some of the festivals that the Seattle Center offers throughout the year: the Seattle’s International Children Festival, Festál, the Gay Pride, Winterfest, Bite of Seattle and Bumbershoot.
Fremont Troll: Also known as the Troll Under the Bridge, the Fremont Troll is a piece of public art (literally a troll under the north end of the Aurora bridge) that was built by four Seattle artists in 1990, and that every year gathers many people on October 31st to celebrate the date with a mobile “Trollaween” party. This is a good place to take a picture as a souvenir of Seattle.
Discovery Park: As the city’s largest public park, this green and blue natural area park offers forests, beaches and sand dunes that are great for resting and walking while viewing wildlife such as birds and marine mammals. Located on Magnolia Bluff, the park offers a great view of the Cascade and the Olympic mountain range, and is home to the
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center.
Green Lake: This glacial lake is located on the Green Lake Park in north central Seattle and is the favorite place of thousands of people all over the city that go there every day to run, ride their bikes, skate, walk, have a picnic, see the trees and the animals, and more. It is also home to the Green Lake Small Craft Center.
Alki Beach Park: The 2.5 mile beach goes from Alki Beach Point to Duwamish Head on Elliott Bay and offers picnic tables as well as a great area for walking, cycling, skating, jogging and more.
Seattle Center Monorail: As a part of the Seattle skyline, the Seattle Center Monorail offers a two minute ride to travel the one mile distance that separates the two stations (Seattle Center station, across from the Space Needle, and Westlake Center Mall station, at Fifth and Pine Street) connecting downtown Seattle with the Seattle Center. This monorail claims to be the first full-scale commercial monorail system and the only fully self-sufficient public transit system in the United States, as well as the fastest full-sized monorail in the country.
Pacific Science Center: This science museum is located on the Seattle Center and features several interactive and innovative exhibits about ecology, nature, environmental responsibility, math, technology, evolution and more.
Seattle Art Museum (SAM): This art gallery has three different facilities: the main museum in downtown Seattle, the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the Seattle waterfront, which has a free admission all the time. It is a great place to go see the collections and the exhibits that feature wonderful pieces of art.
Woodland Park Zoo: This zoological garden is more than a hundred years old and, after the Bronx Zoo in New York, it is the one that has received the highest number of Best National Exhibit awards from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums in the United States. Featuring different exhibits that represent over three hundred species, the Woodland Park Zoo is divided into different bioclimatic zones from all around the world.
Seattle Aquarium: Located on the Washington Elliot Bay waterfront, this public aquarium features several exhibits that teach and fight for the preservation of marine life on the planet.
Seattle Underground Tour: This is an underground walking tour through Seattle’s old buildings and basements, those that just tourist attractions after the great fire of 1889.
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