Seattle Sights From Free to Ticketed
Some of the best sightseeing in Seattle costs nothing, so it makes sense to start there and add paid stops only where they earn their place. Amounts are in US dollars before sales tax and change by date or season.
Free views and streets
Kerry Park, at 211 W Highland Dr on Queen Anne, looks straight at the skyline and the Space Needle, with Mount Rainier visible on clear days. Posted hours differ between guides, so go well before dusk.
The Overlook Walk opened on 4 October 2024. It is a free elevated park, with an elevator and steps, that links Pike Place Market to the Elliott Bay promenade. Clear days bring views of the bay, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier. The Alaskan Way Viaduct was demolished in 2019, so the waterfront now opens straight onto the water.
Pike Place Market, at 85 Pike St, is free to enter and open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. A few facts help you read what you see. The Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place is the oldest one still trading, while the original shop opened in 1971 at 2000 Western Ave and moved in the 1970s. The fish throwing at Pike Place Fish began in the 1980s, and the Gum Wall in Post Alley dates from the early 1990s. The market visit page lists hours.
Pioneer Square is the district rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889, with red brick streets that are good for an unhurried walk.
Ticketed icons at Seattle Center
The Space Needle, at 400 Broad St, charges about $35 to $55 for general admission depending on season and time of day, with timed entry. Hours change with the season and run from about 9:30 a.m. on weekends. Inside, the Loupe is a glass floor that turns, and the Loupe Lounge beside it serves drinks at a walk-up bar. The old rotating restaurant closed in 2017. Check the Space Needle site for the day’s opening times.
Chihuly Garden and Glass, at 305 Harrison St, shows glass galleries, a Glasshouse and a garden. Adult tickets are about $40 to $45, and a combined ticket with the Space Needle is listed at $74. If you want to compare ways to buy, look at Seattle sightseeing passes .
The Seattle Great Wheel, at 1301 Alaskan Way on Pier 57, is priced at about $23 for adults on secondary listings, so confirm at the window.
Places that ask for a quiet visit
The Wing Luke Museum, at 719 S King St in the Chinatown-International District, keeps Wednesday to Sunday hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and an adult ticket is $25.95. The free Historic Hotel Tour leaves at 10:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m., first come, first served. The Wing Luke visit page lists closures.
The Holocaust Center for Humanity, at 2045 2nd Ave in Belltown, is a place of learning about a genocide and calls for a serious, quiet visit. Its hours are limited. It is open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the first Thursday of the month from 4 to 7 p.m. Read its official visit page for admission and the current schedule.
Between stops
The Seattle Center Monorail runs between Westlake Center and Seattle Center, two stops, at $4.00 one way. It does not serve the stadiums, and its readers do not accept contactless cards or phone wallets. Link light rail is a flat $3.00 per ride. See the Monorail rider page for fares.
Read more: walking tours in Seattle joins several of these districts into routes, and the Seattle guide links the rest of the city’s pages.