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 Underground Tour by starship One of the most interesting things to do in Pioneer Square is to take Bill Speidel's "Underground Tour." While the tour begins at Doc Maynard's Public House (a restored 1890's saloon) with a very interesting explanation of Seattle's gritty history, the tour quickly goes subterranean as you are guided through the passages where you will hear tales of Seattle's colorful if somewhat sordid past. This "underground" area is really what was "street level" in the early days of Seattle. I expected to see old buildings and storefronts, if not actual businesses as in "Underground Atlanta." However, if you go expecting the same in Seattle, you will be disappointed. The tours lasts between an hour and an hour and a half. I would have enjoyed the tour more if our guide would have quickened the pace and joked alot less. Be sure to enjoy a soda or beer in the Underground Tour Cafe before the tour. At the conclusion of the tour, you will also want to browse through the Rogue's Gallery Shop for souvenirs, books and postcards. However I preferred the large antique shop next door! (2004 prices) Admission: $10.00 (adults 18-59yrs) $8.00 Seniors (60+) $8.00 Students (13-17 or w/ valid College ID) $5.00 Children (7-12yrs) Under 7 don't even think about doing this!! Leave a Comment Address: 608 First Avenue, SeattlePhone: 206-682-4646Directions: Pioneer Square, between Cherry Street and Yesier Way. Take the James Street Exit from Interstate 5.
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 Historic "Pioneer Square" by starship Site of one of the earliest settlements, "Pioneer Square" is said to be Seattle's oldest neighborhood. Although somewhat unkempt, Pioneer Square also seems to be one of the "trendy" parts of the city. It is home to antique shops, bookstores, art galleries, restaurants and entry to the "Underground." On the first Thursday of every month, the "Art Walk" takes place when art galleries open their doors to the maddening crowd for browsing and shopping. Pioneer Square is also recognised for having other notable landmarks---the oldest restaurant in the city, the observation deck of the architecturally notable Smith Tower (which once was the tallest building west of the Mississippi), and the Klondike National Gold Rush Museum. You could easily spend a whole day exploring the neighborhood, having dinner at one of the many trendy restaurants, then enjoying one of the jazz clubs at night. Safeco field is also a short distance from Pioneer Square. Leave a Comment Directions: Pioneer Square is roughly bound by Alaskan Way on the waterfront, 4th Avenue to the west, Columbia on the north, and Safeco Field to the south. Pioneer Square can also be reached by taking the free buses from the downtown area.
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by Brehone Seattle has some really amazing history. The original roadways are now underneath the existing city. The tour is very informative and allows you to glimpse Seattle before it became the city you see today. Leave a Comment Address: 608 First Avenue, Seattle WA 98104Phone: 206.682.4646Directions: Pioneer SquareWebsite: www.undergroundtour.com
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 Under the city of Seattle by Erin74 Many people don't know this about Seattle, but large parts of the city stand on top of an old city that was abandoned in 1889 after a devestating fire. Seattle was originally built on a mud flat and consisted mainly of wood-frame buildings. When a fire burnt the growing city to the ground, the city's leaders made an unusual decision: they rebuilt over the top of the old city, thus creating the "Underground." You can take a tour of this forgotten underground city. You'll walk below the sidewalks of Pioneer Square (and in places actually be able to look up and see people walking above you). Tour guides will tell you the stories of Seattle's history and explain all the sites along the way. The tours start in Doc Maynard's, a restored 1890s public house. From there, you go underground to places that have been unoccupied since 1907. This tour was really interesting and one of the most unique and memorable things I did in Seattle! The tours last about 1and 1/2 hours. Dress for weather outside (rain still drips underground and it can be cold) and wear comfortable walking shoes. Leave a Comment
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If you are in Seattle on the first Thursday of the month, head for the Pioneer Square area in the early evening. Many art galleries open a new show on that day and have extended hours (until 8 p.m. or later). Some of them serve wine and cheese, free! Everyone is welcome and you will meet a lot of art lovers exploring one gallery after another. It's a really fun, relaxed art scene. The center of action is the pedestrian stretch of Occidental Avenue between Main and Jackson, two blocks south of Pioneer Square. Some of my favorite galleries are Gallery 110 (110 S. Washington; emerging Northwest artists), Bryan Ohno (155 S. Main; often emphasis on Japanese and Japanese-American Artists), Davidson (313 Occidental S.; a fine print gallery), and Carolyn Staley (314 Occidental S.; vintage Japanese prints). You can see works by legendary Northwest artists like Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan and Dale Chihuly in Foster-White (123 S. Jackson) and Kurt Lidtke (408 Occidental S.); native American artists in Stonington (113 S. Jackson); and contemporary woodworkers in Fine N.W. Woodworking (First and Jackson). In the nearby Occidental Park is an artists bazaar. You will see a lot of fun, wacky, sometimes mind-boggling creations spread out on a table or on a ground by their makers, and sometimes street performance and theater. It's a real Bohemian, fun bazaar. Leave a Comment Directions: General area south of Pioneer Square.
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by Brehone For all book lovers this is a must stop while visiting Seattle. Not only is the shop in a wonderful old rickety building but it's also in one of the most historical areas in all of Seattle~Pioneer Square. The store has both used and old books and in the lower section a cafe. Come, browse, read, and enjoy! Leave a Comment Address: 101 South Main Street, SeattlePhone: 800-962-5311Directions: Downtown, Pioneer SquareWebsite: www.elliottbaybook.com
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 Pioneer Square by RickinDutch Pioneer Square isn't really a square but a ninety acre historical district between the current downtown to the north and the sport stadiums and International District to the south. It is the site of the original town site (if you don't count the original failed site out at Alki) and chocker block full of great art galleries, antique stores, book stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and night clubs. It is fun to walk around during the day and poke into all the shops and check out all the red brick Victorian architecture. There's a Park Service Museum, an observation tower and an historic street car. But it is at night that the area really comes alive. Most of the bars and clubs have live music and one cover charge gets you in to most of them each night. There is a lively crowd every night and the places get packed Friday and Saturday nights. The first Thursday of each month has Art in the Park at noon and The Gallery Walk starting at 6PM. And every Tuesday during the summer is a great concert at lunch time in Occidental Park. A big issue in the area is the number of homeless and mentally challenged folks that live here. It is near the county jail and several courthouses. The folks are mainly harmless and not too militant in the panhandling department, but I wouldn't do the bar crawl on your own and I would stay in the 1st Avenue corridor. I've had some scarey encounters walking back to my hotel alone late at night and usually grab a cab these days. There is an underground tour of historic Seattle that is supposed to be very interesting but I've never taken it so I can't comment on it except to say I've heard good things from those that have. Leave a Comment Directions: Between 2nd Ave and the Alaskan Way Viaduct (that freeway looking thing), and between Columbia Street and King Street. Best place to park if you didn't come by bus is the metered slots under the viaduct itself.Website: pioneersquare.com
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 Statue in the square by grandmaR One of the places everyone recommends is Pioneer Square. It's free unless you buy something in one of the shops or take the underground tour. Pioneer Square, Seattle's oldest neighborhood, is now a historic district. This was the home of the original "Skid Road," a term born when timber was slid down Yesler Way to a steam-powered mill on the waterfront. There's twenty city blocks of historic buildings, over thirty galleries, a retail sector (expensive antiques to handmade toys, but especially books), most of the web development companies and it is the center of Seattle’s nightlife. Smith Tower, which overlooks the square, was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1914. Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park is a small museum recalling the crazed days a century ago when rough-and-ready gold-seekers converged on Pioneer Square on their way to the Yukon. I strolled through the square and peeked into some of the shops on the way to taking the trolley along the waterfront but I didn't take the underground tour or buy anything. Leave a Comment Address: Corner of James and First St.Phone: 206-667-0687Directions: Take St. James St. exit from I-5. It is bounded by East James Street, 4th Street, South Jackson Street, and Alaskan Way South. There is parking nearbyWebsite: http://virtualguidebooks.com/Washington/SeattleTacomaPuget/PioneerSquare/PioneerSquareBusStop.html Other Contact: http://www.pioneersquare.org/
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 Entrance to the Underground Tour, Pioneer Square by worldkiwi One of Seattle's most hyped tourist attractions is the "Bill Speidel's Underground Tour" which is located in the heart of Pioneer Square, the place where Seattle began. The tour cost US$11 in July 2006. The experience begins with a talk given by historians with great senses of humour in a restored 19th century saloon. It was a great way to start the tour and people were literally in tears with laughter! The crowd is then divided into groups and guided through the underground and overground parts of the tour. The Seattle "underground" is nothing to do with subways! The very existence of the underground passageways is an intriguing story of mismanaged urban planning and plumbing problems on a particularly disgusting level; but I won't give away the whole story here! You'll have to go on the tour to find out more. Suffice to say, you will learn an incredible lot about the early development of this now modern and seemingly model city. Leave a Comment
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One of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods, Pioneer Square has an interesting history. In the late 1880's the area was totally destroyed by fire. When the Alaskan gold rush began a few years later the square was rebuilt to accommodate the needs of the miners passing through the city. Today the area still has most of its beautiful Victorian architecture. First Avenue, the square's main street, was also much lower when the area was first rebuilt. When the street was raised to accommodate the area's large hills, many of the businesses at street level went, literally, underground. Today some of the First Street's best spots are below street level. Pioneer Square is a hip neighborhood full of cool shops and boutiques, bars and coffee houses, cafés and jazz clubs. The focal point of the area is a small grassy area with a large totem pole. This is a great neighborhood to just walk around in and see what you can find. When the Mariners or the Seahawks have home games Pioneer Square is also a great place to go for dinner or drinks before or after the game, as it is within walking distance from both of the teams' stadiums. Leave a Comment Directions: Between Yesler Way and South King Street down to the waterfront.
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