Seattle Center, Seattle

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The Seattle Center, the remnant of a World's Fair in 1962, is a site for spending a day in multiple activities. There is the Pacific Science Center, a great hands-on museum for kids and parents. Relax around the International Fountain listening to music and timed jets of water. Take the elevator up the Space Needle and look out over the scene of two mountain ranges, a salt water harbor, and a city. Just kick back in the green space.

The Pacific Science Center gives the opportuinity to younger visitors (being 33, I've considered myself as younger ;)) to explore science in a practical, not boring way!!.

Great setup, good explanations and mega-fun !

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Starting from the far east side of the Seattle Center, on an odd triangle of land across 5th Avenue North from the Experience Music Project, you will find a home of surplus war equipment used to give brief tours of Seattle from both the road and from Lake Union.

While these tours do not give a huge amount of extensive history of Seattle, they do provide a great introduction to various parts of the city in only an hour and a half, from the unique perspective of a vehicle capable of moving on the water or on the highway.

Even people who live in Seattle seem to take the tour every once in a while. Most likely this is because each of the captains have a unique personality, and make the tour a fun adventure. The trips seem to be particularly popular with children, though adults are certainly willing, able, and invited (or maybe required would be a better word to use here) to participate in the mayhem as well. Depending on the location, you will find them wearing all manner of different hats, and playing any of various songs along the way.

On a clear day, you will be able to see Mount Rainier, downtown Seattle, and the Olympic Peninsula. One of the best viewpoints is from the top of the Washington Memorial Bridge.

While the "Duck" vehicles are historic craft of sorts, the realityis that from the frame up each has been completely rebuilt to serve its new tourist role.

The Seattle Center is a remnant of the World’s Fair. Today, it resembles an amusement park complete with bumper cars, carnival rides, and a carousel. Its large open space is home to several special events. The Seattle Center is also one of the two stops on the monorail. The base of the Space Needle is located there. Both the Experience music Project and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame are found at Seattle Center.

We didn't actually go into the Smith Tower, but walked by it in Pioneer Square on our way to the Underground Tour. I wish now that we would have gone in it! I really feel as though I missed a real gem!

Opened on July 4, 1915, it was Seattle's first skyscraper. At a height of 522 feet it was considered the 4th tallest building in the world and was the tallest building west of the Mississippi for almost 50 years. It is quite the architectural masterpiece with its Washington granite and white terra cotta exterior! Inside the hallways and bathrooms are "lined with Alaskan marble" and the floors are made of hand-laid mosaic tiles, while the "grand lobby" is paneled entirely in Mexican onyx and watched over by 22 larger than life" carved Indian heads.

The "Crown Jewel" of the Smith Tower is the 35th Floor Chinese Room. It is a treasure trove of 17th century art and boasts a hand-carved teakwood ceiling inlaid with 776 semi-precious porcelain disks. The brochure states that uniformed elevator operators still main the original 1914 Otis elevators which are brass and copper caged works of art themselves.

(2008 Prices)
Obervation Deck Admission: $7.50 Adults
$6.00 Seniors 61 + and students with ID
$5.00 children 6 - 12yrs

Bumbershoot is a huge performing arts festival held every Labor Day Weekend at Seattle Center. It's pretty much Seattle's answer to Coachella and other well-known festivals, and definitely a local summer tradition. For a relatively low admission price you can see a lot of great bands, but you can also see dance performances, well-known comedians and galleries featuring local artists. There are plenty of food and novelty vendors as well. If you go early in the day, you can grab a free pass to the Main Stage act, usually a really popular artist whose tickets would normally be much more expensive. The Main Stage act alone usually justifies the ticket cost for me. Passes go quick, though I've never had a problem getting one if I'm in line when the gates open. And unlike similar festivals, they do a good job of keeping everything clean, sanitary and safe. Nice public bathrooms are available in the Seattle Center House if you are not a fan of outhouses, and the main stage is on astroturf, so you don't have to worry about standing in mud. Families with kids are welcome, and in fact there are plenty of activities for children available. I highly recommend it for anyone who plans to be in town on Labor Day Weekend.

This Seattle City scene came into view, as soon as our airplane got below the clouds. Even though we had a few showers on the day of arrival, the weather soon cleared up, which made it so much more enjoyable.

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This was disappointing for me, as the fountain wasn't even switched on. Maybe I needed to visit the fountain at particular times of the day to see it in all its glory. Hence, my photos looks rather weak too. :(