Exploring Seattle, Washington
Time needed in this town/city: 3 Nights
Little known fact: I used to live in Seattle from 2004 - 2006, and haven't really come back since (except for a couple of brief times while working for Microsoft), so it was nice to be a tourist for a change!
The city is diverse as it is large - each area offering something different from the other. It’s certainly changed a lot, over the years, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Regardless, it’s a great place to explore for a long weekend!
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included transportation tips, as well as a summary of the history of this beautiful key!
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Where to Stay
Thompson seattle
Two blocks from Pike Place Market, smack in the middle of everything else, the Thompson provides a nice place to relax from long days out, sightseeing. What I didn't know, until I arrived, was that the customer service was unparalleled, the rooftop bar had an unencumbered view of the city, and the rooms were beyond my expectations.
Other places to stay
Where to Dine & Drink
84 Yesler
Creative local & global bites such as pasta, steak & seafood dishes are served at this cozy eatery.
ALIBI ROOM
If you're a writer, then you know how special this place is. Nestled in Post Alley, nestled between the gum-filled walls, is a famous bar and wood-fired pizza place, known for providing a workspace for developing writers.
When you enter, the unmistakable smell of decades of rowdy bar inhabitants, seems to have seeped through the walls, but soon, the smell of the wood-fire pizzas take over. And yes, they even cater to Celiac! I had the chicken and jalapeño (ask for light jalapeños, as they will pile them on), which was amazing.
BATHTUB GIN & CO. (Speakeasy)
Nestled in the basement of an old brick hotel, which was the former boiler room in the back of the building, Bathtub Gin & Co. was opened in 2009. Their entire cocktail menu is fantastic.
TIP #1: You can walk in - no reservations are needed.
TIP #2: Take an Uber to/from the speakeasy as Belltown is still a little unsafe.
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Upscale shop featuring a variety of American cheeses, plus a sit-down cafe for sandwiches & soup.
Cafe Paloma
Mediterranean hangout for meze & Turkish coffee, plus rotating exhibits of fine-art photos.
Can Can Culinary Cabaret
Cabaret performances & market-driven fare offered in an intimate space beneath Pike Place Market.
CINNAMON WORKS
Cinnamon Works is one of very few "from scratch" bakeries left in Seattle, and the only one to sell a wide range of true-gluten free baked goods. It was hard to not want to order everything in there! I recommend the gluten-free cinnamon roll, the pumpkin cookie, and the blueberry muffin.
Deep Sea Sugar and Salt (Georgetown neighborhood)
First designed as an inn in 1904, the location became the Carleton Avenue Grocery seven years later. There, the shop functioned for over a century, eventually claiming the title of Seattle’s oldest grocery store.
When Carleton Avenue Grocery shuttered in October of 2017, Charlie Dunmire acquired the space with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, transforming it into a bakery known for its elaborate layer cakes. You can find flavors, such as London Fog, which comes soaked in honey-and-Earl Grey syrup and topped with bergamot mascarpone cream; and Carrot Pineapple, with a browned butter cream cheese frosting.
NOTE: They do NOT cater to gluten-free or vegan.
DILLER ROOM
Located in the old Diller Hotel, The Diller Room was initially opened in 1890 to serve as a respite for weary Klondike gold miners. When the Prohibition Era descended upon the city, the Diller Room opened a speakeasy that was portrayed as a Chinese laundry establishment, to allow workers to continue to drink away from law enforcement.
Today, the bar is still in existence and has made a comeback, though the speakeasy now goes unused, as workers there claim it's extremely haunted.
I recommend trying the Cherry Moscow Mule, the "Dillerlicious" with mottled blackberries, cucumbers, and lemon juice; the High Plains Drifter (if you're looking for something stronger), and the Port Royal Punch.
El Gaucho
Elegant steakhouse offering a menu of high-end classics like Angus beef & seafood.
Full Title Ice Cream & Pinball Arcade
Established in 2008, by a pair of entrepreneurs who wanted to create a family-friendly place where they could enjoy ice cream and take in some local art on the same trip, Full-Tilt Ice Cream has become a huge hit in the community.
Soon after their first location opened, vintage pinball machines were added. They now have two locations.
Harbor Cafe
Hideaway counter-serve cafe provides traditional Thai & Northwest dishes in unassuming surrounds.
Hole In The Wall BBQ
Lunch-centric BBQ joint serves up sandwiches, chili, ribs & sides in a tucked-away, no-frills space.
KNEE HIGH STOCKING COMPANY (Speakeasy)
Once visited by Anthony Bourdain, this speakeasy is nestled in the revived Capitol Hill area. Upon ringing the doorbell, you walk into what looks like someone's home. Since everyone must have a seat, you must make reservations at least a month in advance. I recommend "Hexed Spirits" and "A Hard Day's Night" as your cocktails of choice.
TIP: Make reservations for when it’s dark out. I was there when it was still light and it just didn’t give the same ambience.
Il Terrazzo Carmine
Upscale institution for Italian fine dining with an extensive wine list in an airy & refined space.
Meowtropolitan Cafe
Pending you aren’t allergic to felines (I sure am), this may be a great place to grab a pastry, a coffee, and spend time making new furry friends. Opened in 2015, the Meowtropolitan Cafe provides a reservation-only experience where you can take your order over to the cat lounge and interact with them. Even better, they are all adoptable!
Mike’s Chili Parlor
Mike Semandiris first immigrated from a small village in Northern Epirus, on the Greek-Albanian border, to Chicago, where he spent time working as a cook in a Mexican restaurant. In 1922, Semandiris made his way to Seattle and the maritime neighborhood of Ballard, known (at the time) for its plethora of mills and fishing fleets, employing an abundant population of Scandinavian immigrants. He began selling his chili to boat laborers and eventually, was able to lease a small neighborhood storefront before opening his own tavern in 1939.
Four generations of the Semandiris clan have followed in Mike’s footsteps in running this hole-in-the-wall eatery, which still sells Mike’s classic chili recipe and not much else. The menu consists of meat-heavy chili, served in a variety of sizes, over a handful of items, along with an assortment of cold local beers. Chili comes in the cup, bowl, pint, quart or gallon, over hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries or pasta.
Muse
Upscale dining room open to concertgoers serving elevated meals with a Pacific Northwest focus.
NEEDLE AND THREAD (Speakeasy)
The "holy grail" of speakeasies is what craft cocktail-making is all about! Entering through restaurant, Tavern Law, you turn right to the payphone by what looks like a blast (vault) door. You pick up the payphone and the host verifies your reservation. The door silently unlocks, you enter through it, and are immediately transported into a different world.
One-way windows, brick walls, dim lighting, dark wood, and the familiar sounds of the bar envelop you. It's comfortable, cozy, yet mysterious.
You are seated at your spot (I preferred the bar), and are not handed a menu. Instead, the bartender walks you through a series of questions to understand your likes, dislikes, allergies, etc. He then hand-crafts a cocktail for you, based on this information, and he nails it. It forces you to pick apart the flavors, to understand the ingredients, because you won't know by sight.
I also ordered food and all of it was outstanding. My recommendations (especially those with Celiac) are the beet salad, the corn and cheddar poppers with Serrano cheese dip, and the gluten-free chocolate fudge cake. All of these are large enough to share.
I have no pictures of the experience, because a true speakeasy deserves that experience of just enjoying. I can tell you that I so badly want to go again.
TIP: They only take reservations 5 days in advance.
Numero Uno Pizza
Laid-back restaurant preparing generous wraps & pizzas, plus classic baklava desserts.
Off the Rez Cafe
Hip space serving Native American sweet or savory fry bread tacos & sides inside the Burke Museum.
Restaurant Christine
Local, seasonal fare like flatbreads, pasta, salads & meat plates in a calm spot with TV at the bar.
Rojo’s Mexican Food
Serving 100% plant-based Mexican food.
Saigon Drip Cafe (Hundreds of 5 star reviews)
A Vietnamese cafe known well for their Bahn-Mi and their Vietnamese iced coffees.
Salumi
Tiny storefront offering artisanal Italian cured meats in sandwiches & by the pound.
SURRELL
Upscale restaurant offering private dining & a seasonal tasting menu in a polished, intimate space.
Sushi Kashiba
Shiro Kashiba’s hot spot showcasing high-end sushi & omakase in a chic room with water views.
Tai Tung
Open since 1935, Tai Tung is the city’s oldest Chinese restaurant, which is still run by descendents of Grandpa Quan. This restaurant was one of many restaurants that fed the neighborhood’s growing Chinese population, and also welcomed Seattle’s Black residents, even during segregation.
Out front hangs a restored neon sign that reads “Tai Tung Chop Suey” above the restaurant’s name in Chinese characters, which lights up in the evenings. Photos of famous faces line the walls: Bruce Lee (which has a whole room dedicated to him - he loved their Beef in Oyster sauce), Anthony Bourdain, athletes, local politicians—all current or former patrons of the restaurant.
The ARCtic Club Polar Bar
In 1916, the Arctic Building opened for business and has remained one of the Emerald City’s most cherished gems ever since. The terra cotta exterior is rich with detail, including an elaborate walrus carving hanging in the walkway above the front door. The entrance opens up into a grand hallway lined with black-and-white photos of past club members along its entry walls.
If you go a little further into the hotel, you’ll find the Polar Bar, which has been fostering conversation for over 100 years. This is the room where ship captains, traders, gold miners, local heavyweights, and the like got together to do business over some drinks. Today, the room maintains that same feel.
TIP: From the lobby, proceed up the stairs, walk down the corridor, and you’ll soon come to the Northern Lights ball room. Over this event space is a beautiful leaded-glass dome, about 60 feet in diameter, complete with a chandelier at the center. The dome room, often used for weddings, was also featured in the climactic scenes of Stephen King’s Rose Red TV mini-series.
The Capital Grille
Outpost of the upscale steakhouse chain offers classic American fare in a clubby, refined setting.
THE FIRST STARBUCKS
The story of Starbucks begins in 1971 along the cobblestone streets of Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market.
It was here where Starbucks opened its first store, offering fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea and spices, from around the world, for its customers to take home. Their name was inspired by the classic tale Moby-Dick, evoking the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.
Over the next 50 years, they would grow to open stores globally and welcome millions of customers each week, becoming a part of the fabric of tens of thousands of neighborhoods all around the world.
TIP: Be prepared to wait in line (I waited nearly 45 minutes)! The store is small, though well-organized with staff letting in as many as are allowed at a time. Also, be prepared that one you have your coffee, to be asked to leave so the next person can enter.
Wanna Take Your Coffee Experience to the Next Level?
Consider taking a coffee culture tour of the city! Tickets can be found here.
The Pink Door
Italian restaurant with cabaret shows and trapeze entertainment, plus terrace with Elliott Bay views.
Things to See & Do
Historical Tours
The Check-in Process
To get to the tour headquarters in Pioneer Square, you either need to take a taxi/ride share or walk (if you do the latter, only do it during the day and do it quickly as it’s not a great area). Once inside, you check in at the desk, get you wrist band, and wait at the attached Doc Maynard's Public House for your tour group to be called (they have pints and other drinks, as well as shuffleboard and pool tables to pass the time).
The Orientation
When it’s your group’s turn, you’re led to a large room on the second floor to learn the backstory of the underground city and how it came to be:
The town was largely used for shipping supplies, since it was so close to the water, though they really didn't think about high tide and what that would do to businesses. Thus, the original town flooded quite a bit until the city burned down, forcing the government to raise the streets about a story and a half.
After the presentation, you will follow your group leader to the first spot, across Pioneer Square, towards the oldest bar in Seattle, called "Merchant's Cafe". While you won’t go in there, they will note that around the side of the building is a separate entrance for the original underground bar that's still in existence. (I also hear it's highly haunted).
What's of note in this picture though, which is also incredibly trippy, is the fact that the sidewalk you see, as well as those store fronts, are actually the second level, not the first!
Heading Underground
Once underground, we entered in through an old saloon door that allowed us to explore the deep, dark depths of the old saloon, as well as some of the surrounding areas (that are off limits). We wandered through small doorways to get to the original "street", walking along the same paths that those in the 1800s had walked.
Above us, in the ceiling, were a series of pipes that told the history of the plumbing of the city (exploding toilets were a thing), as well as glass blocks made of Manganese (they wouldn't erode, but turned purple over time) that served as skylights for those shop owners that still had shops on that first, now covered level.
When the great fire happened and the city was raised, the problem were sidewalks. The government believed that the shop owners should pay for them, and the shop owners believed they shouldn't. So for four years, all of their entryways were 1 1/2 stories up, which meant 32 ft. ladders were being built for people to access these stores from the old level, to the new. Naturally, many drunk men, exiting saloons, plunged to their death.
Some other fascinating notes:
Madame Lou single-handedly kept the city in the black with her "seamstress" group (an estimated 80% of city revenue came from this). Each "seamstress" paid $10 a month in taxes and still made enough to retire within 3-4 years of becoming one. When the city tried to "clean up" its image, they went bankrupt. But, Madame Lou made sure all her women were well-educated and well-rounded, and upon her death, left $250,000 to public schools (a lot of money back then).
John Nordstrom (founder of Nordstrom Company), went to the Klondike in Alaska to join the gold rush, was sued, he sued back and made $30,000. He went to business school, built two homes in Capitol Hill, and joined his friend in the shoe business. The rest is history.
The Bank Teller photo you see in the slideshow above was where the gold was counted and safely kept when miners made a deposit.
Panama Hotel
The historic Panama Hotel, designed by Sabro Ozasa - the first Japanese architect in Seattle and one of the earliest to practice in the country - was completed in 1910 and opened as a workingman’s hotel for single Japanese men coming to America seeking work. The hotel is located in the center of “NIHONMACHI” Japantown, Seattle (also known as the International District) and houses Hashidate-yu, the last intact Japanese-style public bathhouse in North America.
When Executive order 9066 was issued and people of Japanese ancestry were forced to go to the internment camps, the Japanese community in NIHONMACHI brought their valuables to be stored in the basement of the hotel. Efforts have been made over the years to locate the owners and families of the trunks and the properties, quite a few were left unclaimed, and you can see them through the glass on the floor of the Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee, located on the first floor of the building.
National Trust has documented 8500 items, cataloged, and mapped. Because of the historical value of the hotel, it was designated as a National Treasure in 2015. The five-story building has storefronts on the ground floor, a mezzanine, and it still operates as a hotel today.
The Arts & Sciences
Fremont Bridge
Built in 1917, the Fremont Bridge, which connects the neighborhoods of Fremont and Queen Anne, has grown from a busy utilitarian span, that ranks as the most frequently opened drawbridge in the country, into a veritable community arts center with an ever growing collection of unique features and decorations.
With a water clearance of just around 30 feet, the bridge, which was opened in the same year as the shipping lane it runs over, must lift its length for almost every boat passing underneath. Originally, only trolley cars could cross the bridge during the day, with the rest of the traffic across the bridge reserved for the evenings, making the constant opening and closing of the span not much of an issue. However, today, with traffic across the bridge a constant, the bridge opens around 35 times, often creating long waits for drivers.
The first major artistic change to the bridge was in 1985 when a vote at a street fair resulted in the bridge being painted blue. Since then, one of the control towers in the bridge is now home to a neon Rapunzel whose electric hair trails down the side of the wall, while on the opposite side, another neon creation illustrates a fable of an elephant and a crocodile by Rudyard Kipling. One of the most recent additions, is an electronic bike counter that displays the number of bicyclists that cross the bridge each day, adding the total to an ever increasing yearly goal meter.
TIP: Head to the Fremont Troll while you’re in the neighborhood.
Fremont troll
I used to work in Fremont and would park right next to the troll everyday, having no idea what the heck that thing was doing there… holding a legitimate 1970s VW bug. The story is way quirkier than I could have imagined…
The Troll was constructed in 1990 after winning a Fremont Arts Council competition for designs to improve the freeway underpass, which then was a dumping ground. He was sculpted by Steve Badanes, along with two of his University of Washington architecture students, Will Martin and Ross Whitehead, and Steve’s then-girlfriend, Donna Walter.
Unfortunately, this quirky guy has had a rough go of it, often getting spray painted. One incident involved giving the troll green fingernails, tattoos, fangs, and a green eye. Unfortunately, the paint can’t easily be removed so the city has to cover it with a fresh layer of concrete each time it happens. Interestingly, you’re still allowed to climb on it.
FUN FACT: October 31st is recognized as the Fremont Troll’s birthday (known as Troll-o-Ween). It includes a celebration and stage performances open to the public.
ODD FACT: It was the site of an x-rated movie… but was also used in plenty of non-x-rated movies as well.
TIP: The Troll is literally located under a bridge at the dead end of a street, so parking is tight. It's best to park a little farther out and enjoy the walk through the beautiful neighborhood to give the Troll a visit.
J.P. Patches Statue
The J.P. Patches Show premiered on KIRO-TV Channel 7 in Seattle, in 1958. The unscripted, unrehearsed children’s program featured only two on-camera performers: Chris Wedes, who played the titular character Julius Pierpont Patches; and Bob Newman, who played virtually the entire supporting cast of ten-some-odd characters. The show aired live, twice a day (before and after school), Monday through Saturday, for 13 years. After that, they cut back to only six live performances per week (dropping the after-school show) for another eight years, then did only the Saturday morning show for the final two years. Upon going off the air in 1981, Wedes and Newman had logged over 10,000 hours of live on-air time.
First proposed in 2006, the J.P. Patches Statue was funded primarily through fan donations. It was unveiled in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle on August 17, 2008, to a crowd of 1,500 “Patches’ Pals”.
HOW TO GET THERE: Head to North 34th Street, about 250 feet east of the intersection with Fremont Avenue North, in the Fremont section of Seattle.
Reciprocal Recording Studio
Some of the grunge era’s greatest songs were recorded inside the studios of this unassuming triangular building, including the very first demo (who was still unknown at the the time) Nirvana.
Reciprocal Recording Studio was only open from 1984 to 1991, but managed to record a tremendous amount of material. During the height of the grunge era, it was not uncommon for the studio to be booked 18 hours a day. Soundgarden, Mudhoney, TAD and Green River all recorded at Reciprocal, and when Nirvana’s initial demo lead to their speedy signing at Sub Pop, the band returned to record their very first album, Bleach.
Since Reciprocal’s closing, the space has been utilized by a string of other recording companies, recently as the temporary home of the Hall of Justice Recording Studio, run by Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie.
NOTE: This is an active recording studio and does not hold tours.
SEATTLE AQUARIUM
Per their website, “Opened in 1977, the Seattle Aquarium was owned and operated by the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation until 2010, when the nonprofit Seattle Aquarium Society assumed its management—a model used by most leading zoos and aquariums across the country. In 2007, the Aquarium opened a major expansion that added 18,000 square feet of space to the facility, including an impressive 120,000-gallon habitat, a gift shop, café, meeting/event space and more. The Seattle Aquarium operates as a nonprofit 501c3, through a long-term operating agreement with the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation.
Currently, the animals in our care are housed within six major habitats: Window on Washington Waters, Life on the Edge, Pacific Coral Reef, Birds & Shores, the Underwater Dome and Marine Mammals. You can learn more about these habitats on our Pier 59 and Pier 60 pages. The renovation of our harbor seal habitat, opened in June of 2013, was the first step in our 20-year strategic plan, which includes a goal of significantly increasing our physical size and becoming the centerpiece of the City’s revitalized waterfront.”
It is such an amazing place to be, especially if you love otters as much as I do (see below):
The Seattle Center is a great way to spend a day if you have never been to Seattle, or this area, before. There are a multitude of museums, food options, and live entertainment - especially in the summer when the weather is nice.
TIP: Grab a Seattle City Pass to see everything as individually, the museums and other attractions can be pricey! Also, be sure to go in the morning or when school is in session for less of a crowd/avoiding long lines.
Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.
His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including twelve honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
His Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Chihuly exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005. Other major exhibition venues include the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2013. Chihuly Garden and Glass, a long-term exhibition, opened at Seattle Center in 2012.
TIP: If you’re interested in only this exhibit, click here for discounted tickets.
MoPOP is a leading-edge, nonprofit museum, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture. With its roots in rock ‘n’ roll, MoPOP serves as a gateway museum, reaching multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, using interactive technologies to engage and empower our visitors. At MoPOP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the popular culture of our time.
Pacific Science Center features five buildings of interactive science exhibits, a tropical Butterfly House, two IMAX theatres (one with IMAX 3D technology), a planetarium and laser light shows. Pacific Science Center is a nonprofit, private foundation.
A gigantic airplane hanger was turned into a food court on the second level, with programs for kids on the first level, creating a full-day experience for families. Note that food lines can be very long and there are many pick pocketers there as well.
Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle recently completed the most extensive renovation in its history. With two observation decks, the world’s only revolving glass floor and open-air glass benches, the landmark continues to symbolize the innovative and forward-thinking spirit of Seattle.
TIP: Go for lunch at their restaurant to get complimentary access to the top!
Unique Experiences
Add-A-Ball bar & arcade
Hidden beneath the piece of Mind tobacco shop, Add-a-Ball is a retro-style arcade and pinball joint that also sells alcohol and snacks. Between 2 p.m. and 2 a.m., adults looking for a bit of nostalgic fun can head into Add-A-Ball for a retro good time and cheap drinks.
The games include classics like “Tetris” and “Buck Hunter”, as well as novelties like a Lethal Weapon 3-themed pinball machine. The bar hosts frequent pinball tournaments, including ladies-only matches. Jenga and table hockey are also available for play, too.
AMAZON GO
Right past Amazon's downtown location and it’s spheres (see below for more), is a small worker-less market that requires an app to gain access. Once I downloaded it and scanned the QR code, via the turnstiles, I could then choose from any array of snacks, freshly prepped meals, and other goods. Unfortunately, they do not carry gluten-free items, such as sandwiches. But when you leave, you just walk out and it charges your account automatically.
In 2017, Amazon built a mini rainforest biosphere in Seattle, known as the “Amazon Spheres”. Located in the downtown South Lake Union Seattle neighborhood, the lush, verdant, multi-leveled workspace was created primarily for Amazon employees to help spark creativity for the often overworked and desk-bound staff.
Comprised of three giant three-story glass orbs, the structure looks futuristic from the outside. But on the inside, it looks like an office park overtaken by some 40,000 plants from more than 400 species, many of them tropical. On the top floor, is a brainstorming area known as the “bird’s nest.” In total, the structure amasses 620 tons of steel and 2,643 panes of glass, though it includes no formal offices.
Giant Shoe Museum
Resembling an entrance to a circus sideshow, the Giant Shoe Museum is a flamboyant presence at Pike Place Market. While it is essentially a single exhibit wall, it occupies a sizable chunk outside Old Seattle Paperworks.
The Museum displays part of the collection of Danny Eskenazi, who became obsessed with giant shoes after he’d learned that his grandfather had once owned a wingtip worn by Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man.
Eskenazi offered $1,000 to anyone who could find that Wadlow shoe. It remains lost, but his efforts led to the discovery of the other shoes that are now displayed in the Museum.
Visitors can drop quarters into coin boxes, peer through stereoscope-style viewing slots, and are rewarded with views of various giant shoes, including another size 37 brogue worn by Wadlow.
Psychic Chicken of Seattle
A zany take on the classic Zoltar-style machines, the Psychic Chicken houses a spinning rubber chicken set atop a pile of plastic eggs. For just a few quarters, the Psychic Chicken will spin and cluck as it considers your fortune. The machine then dispenses one of the eggs which has a unique fortune inside.
The inventor of the world-famous Psychic Chicken works at Orange Dracula, the shop that cares for this mystical rubber chicken. They purchased the chicken machine when it was originally used to dispense random plastic toys. The shop took a new approach for the machine, using the rubber chicken’s powers to dispense fortunes instead.
NOTE: It takes two quarters to operate.
Rubber Chicken Museum
Dozens of the bright yellow birds fill this space, their beaks agape as though they are silently making chicken sounds.
The museum is housed within the Seattle novelty store, “Archie McPhee”, behind the strange horse head masks that have taken the meme world by storm. It’s exactly the type of collection you’d expect to find in a store packed with bizarre toys and trinkets.
The museum is meant to do more than elicit a few laughs. It’s an educational ode to an iconic comedy staple, filled with nuggets of wisdom about the prop. Artwork, memorabilia, and even a scholarly essay celebrate the plastic crowd-pleasers that have been amusing people for centuries.
TIP: Take your picture next to the world’s largest rubber chicken and get a close look at the world’s smallest.
Seattle Pinball Museum
There are 54 pinball machines waiting to be played in Chinatown. Spanning decades of classic pinball, some of the machines date back to 1963, and all of them are playable.
What started as a married couple’s personal home collection, turned into an “addiction of sorts” that required a more public space to house them.
FUN FACT: The owners continue to hold down regular jobs while running the pinball museum on the side.
The museum has an admission cost of $20, but once inside, all the machines are free to play, and beer and soda are available for purchase.
Steve’s Weird House
“Weird Steve” lives up to his name. Filled to the brim with oddities and curiosities, it is a perfect example of the Victorian decorating style known as “horror vacui” (fear of empty spaces), and not a square inch goes uncovered. Weird Steve has dedicated his life to cramming his Victorian Mansion with his growing collection of curios, antiquities, and odd refuse.
His unusual artifacts include circus sideshow exhibits (pickled punks, two headed animals), Victorian Art (wreaths of human hair, furniture, statues), Natural History (exotic taxidermy, anatomical displays), antique medical and quack instruments, funeral paraphernalia (antique coffins, collection of casket plates), a 25,000+ library of curious and esoteric themes, 150+ antique toasters, a sculpture garden (complete with 25 foot-tall Rapunzel tower), a tree house outfitted as a bordello and countless others oddities.
NOTE: This is NOT open to the public however, he does have a 360 virtual tour available online. I just spent nearly an hour in awe of just how much stuff there is.
Ye Olde Curiosity shop
Joseph Standley became an avid collector of Indian and Eskimo artifacts, as well as natural curiosities. In 1899, he opened Ye Olde Curiosity Shop to house the many unusual artifacts that he had collected.
Though it’s changed locations a few times, over the last 125 years, much of the original collection remains today, passed down through four generations. Among its many wonders, the collection includes a large display of shrunken heads, a three-tusked walrus skull, a working merry-go-round organ, a narwhal tusk, and a pair of famous mummies. Other more notable items include:
Coin-Operated Toys
A small collection of mechanical toys and sideshow contraptions are scattered around the store, many of them still coin-operated. The most famous of these is an old “one-armed bandit” slot machine named, “Black Bart” that was at one time, removed from the store on suspicion of being a functioning gambling machine. Black Bart has since been restored to his place of honor.
Fiji Mermaid
Hanging from the rafters, near the front of the shop, is a blackened and grimacing Fiji Mermaid. No one seems to know the provenance of this particular item, although the original proprietor told colorful stories about it being shot “off the shores of Duckabush” by a local fisherman.
Medical Ed
A preserved cadaver head, which served as a dissection aid for medical students in the early 1900s. His face and skull have been divided and hinged to open on tiny brass pins, and his skull pops open from the top.
Sylvester and Sylvia
The two most famous items in the collection are Sylvester and Sylvia, the resident mummies. Propped up in glass cases at the back of the shop, next to displays of Ecuadorian shrunken heads (which may or may not be monkeys) and World War II ration booklets, the two have a mysterious past.
Sylvia is believed to have been a Spanish immigrant to Central America, where she succumbed to tuberculosis at around the age of 30. She was buried and naturally mummified, now weighing in at only 20 pounds.
Sylvester was long thought to be a cowboy or highwayman of some sort and was displayed at both the 1909 Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition and the 1915 San Francisco Panama–Pacific International Exposition, as well as sideshows and carnivals. Between 2001 and 2005, he was subjected to modern forensics in an attempt to figure out just who he was, but this resulted in more questions than answers. The most intriguing thing may be the shotgun pellets embedded in his head, which you can see if you look closely at the mummy. Apparently, they were not what killed him as they had time to heal over, leaving his actual cause of death as much of a mystery as his identity.
Walking Tours
You can't come to Seattle and NOT wander around the Pike Place Market! I've been to markets like this all over the world, but there is something special about this one that gets me every time - is it the fish throwing or the haunted history?
The market is much bigger than you would expect with a couple of floors of farmer stalls, food shops and other retailers. It’s worth taking the time to explore it!
POST ALLEY
The second "can't miss" spot is Post Alley. Lined with wonderful restaurants and cafes, this stretches the better part of four blocks, though the historic section of it can be found underneath Pike Place Market, via a set of stairs taking you down poster-lined brick walls towards the theater.
GUM WALL
It is down Post Alley that you will find throngs of people taking pictures at the now infamous "Gum Wall" (it wasn't that way 14 years ago), which has gum dating back nearly 30 years. Yes, one of the most unsanitary places is also one of the top hot spots of Seattle!
Want a Tour?
Check out the ever-popular “Scandals, Ghosts, & Oddities at Pike Place Market” tour.
Getting Out of the City
How to Get Around
getting to/from seatac airport
SeaTac is about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours (depending on traffic) from the city. Since parking costs quite a bit of money, your cheapest option is to take a ride share or hire a driver (click here for a great rate).
getting AROUND THE CITY
The city is fairly walkable, though not always safe - especially at night. It’s advisable to take ride shares or taxis to other neighborhoods or parts of the city that are even half a mile from your hotel. When in doubt, ask the hotel front desk for advice.
getting to other islands
There are two ways you can get to other islands, such as Bainbridge, South Union, etc. 1) Take a ferry - they run every 30 minutes and offer the most direct way to get there. 2) You can rent a car and take the longer way to them, including taking car-carrying ferries.
getting Out of the City for the day
Either renting a car or taking a tour are the two best ways to get out of the city for day trips.
A History Summary
Since 4,000 years ago - There is evidence of people living in the area.
6th century - 1800 - Evidence of continuous human habitation of a village site exists on the Port of Seattle Terminal 107 site, located on the Western bank of the Duwamish River. The site was abandoned in approximately 1800, for unknown reasons. Other notable village sites include the birthplace of Chief Seattle, which was located near the current footprint of the King Street Station.
1792 - George Vancouver was the first European to visit the Seattle area.
Mid-1850s - The Coast Salish people of what is now called the Duwamish Tribe and Suquamish, as well as other associated groups and tribes, were living in some 13 villages within the present-day city limits of Seattle.
1851 - Luther Collins, Henry Van Asselt, and the Maple family founded a farming settlement on what is currently the Seattle neighborhood of Georgetown.
1852 - Arthur A. Denny and Luther Collins were the first commissioners of King County after its creation. Around the same time, David Swinson "Doc" Maynard began settling the land immediately south of Denny's.
1853 - 1856 - Henry Yesler brought the first steam sawmill (and would dominate the lumber industry), Charlie Terry sold his plat at Alki and granted it to what is now the University of Washington, and prostitution, gambling, and liquor industries were all established and “thriving”. The “Battle of Seattle” with the native Americans also took place.
1865 - 1869 - Seattle was incorporated as a town though revoked in 1867 due to elective leaders’ questionable activities. It was re-incorporated in 1869.
1870 - The first bathtub plumbing was introduced.
1873 - Northern Pacific Railway announced that they had chosen the then-village of Tacoma over Seattle as the Western terminus of their transcontinental railroad.
Late 1800s - Seattle was known as a “lawless” town. Although it boasted newspapers and telephones, lynch law often prevailed, schools barely operated, and indoor plumbing was a rare novelty. In the low mudflats where much of the city was built, sewage was almost as likely to come in on the tide as to flow away. The streets were potholed, to the point where there was at least one fatal drowning.
1880s - Seattle got its first streetcar and cable car, ferry service, a YMCA gymnasium, the exclusive Rainier Club, and passed an ordinance requiring attached sewer lines for all new residences. It also began to develop a road system.
1882 - 1892 - In 1882, Seattle printers formed the Seattle Typographical Union Local 202. Dockworkers followed in 1886, cigar makers in 1887, tailors in 1889, and both brewers and musicians in 1890. Even the newsboys unionized in 1892, followed by more organizing, mostly of craft unions.
1884 - The Great Northern Railway finally made its way to Seattle.
1889 - Started by a glue pot, the Great Seattle Fire burned 29 city blocks, destroying nearly the entire business district, all of the railroad terminals, and all but four of the wharves.
1896 - The Klondike Gold Rush started, which meant Seattle was a stopping point for rest and supplies.
1901 - Frank B. Cooper oversaw a program of building many new schools in Seattle's neighborhoods. The schools expanded their curriculum from the basic core to include music and art, physical education, vocational training, and programs for immigrants and special needs students.
1903 - The Seattle Symphony was founded.
1906 - Seattle finally got a passenger terminal.
1910s - 1930s - Growth during this 1910s was almost all in lumber and maritime industries. WWI increased Pacific maritime trade and caused a boom in shipbuilding. When the war ended, economic output crashed as the government stopped buying boats, and there were no new industries to pick up the slack. Seattle stopped being the place of explosive growth and opportunity it had been, for two consecutive decades.
1911 - 1917 - Construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
1924 - Seattle's Sand Point Airfield was the endpoint of the first aerial circumnavigation of the world. The historic flight helped convince Congress to develop Sand Point as a Naval Air Station.
WWII - Boeing churned out aircraft and became by far the largest employer in Seattle. During the war, Seattle ranked as one of the top three cities in the nation in contracts per capita, and Washington state ranked as one of the top two in the nation for war contracts per capita. Seattle and Renton produced 8,200 planes, including 6,981 B-17s and more than 1,000 B-29 bombers. Civilian use of Boeing Field was greatly curtailed to accommodate the production of thousands of Boeing bombers. In addition, At the combined Todd Shipyards/Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding operation, 33,000 men and women worked in Tacoma to build five freighters, two transports, 37 escort carriers, five gasoline tankers, and three destroyer tenders. At the Seattle yards, 22,000 employees built 46 destroyers and three tenders for the United States Navy, plus other vessels.
1945 - SeaTac Airport was built.
Post-WWII - Boeing factories shut down and 70,000 people lost their jobs. However, this period of stagnation soon ended with the rise of the jet aircraft and Boeing's reincarnation as the world's leading producer of commercial passenger planes.
1962 - The World’s Fair in Seattle was given a futuristic science theme, designed to leave behind the Seattle Center, including arts buildings, the Pacific Science Center, and the Space Needle, and fairgrounds. In addition, freeways were built to compensate for all this new growth for people to commute.
1969 - 1973 - With a recession hitting Seattle and industries laying off tens of thousands, revitalization projects started to emerge in more derelict areas of town, such as Pike Place market that was predominately Japanese at the time, as well as Pioneer Square.
1979 - Bill Gates and Paul Allen moved their then small company, Microsoft, to the Seattle area.
Today - Seattle is known for tech, bio-tech, coffee, and other national brands.
