Having lived in Washington state for 2-years as kids, my brothers and I finally went back as adults to sightsee the area through a matured perspective. Here are some cool Seattle, WA attractions to visit if you’re pressed for time and only have a day and a half to explore. These locations are relatively close to each other and fun to visit.
Watch the video recap below:
Space Needle
This iconic 1962 landmark was awesome and scary at the same time. Don’t go to the top of the Space Needle if you’re afraid of heights. We bought our tickets online, picked a morning time slot, and didn’t have to deal with long lines.
We went up 605 feet and looked down on Seattle. It was fun and got my adrenaline going. Then, we went back inside and stepped on the revolving glass floor. This experience was terrifying yet fun.
We went up 605 feet and looked down on Seattle. It was fun and got my adrenaline going. Then, we went back inside and stepped on the revolving glass floor. This experience was terrifying yet fun.
Space Needle Fun Facts
1. World's Fair Icon: The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair, held in Seattle. The fair's theme was "Century 21," and the Space Needle was intended to symbolize humanity's Space Age aspirations.
2. Height and Design: Standing at 605 feet (184 meters) tall, the Space Needle was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River at the time of its completion. The futuristic design was inspired by the idea of a flying saucer landing on a spire.
3. Earthquake-Resistant: The Space Needle was designed to withstand strong earthquakes. It has a foundation that is 30 feet deep and weighs 5,850 tons, providing stability. It was built to endure winds up to 200 miles per hour and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude.
4. Revolving Restaurant: The Space Needle features the SkyCity restaurant (now called The Loupe), which was the first revolving restaurant in the United States. It offers diners a 360-degree view of the Seattle skyline as it completes a full rotation every 47 minutes.
5. Renovations and Updates: In recent years, the Space Needle has undergone significant renovations to enhance visitor experience. The most notable update is the addition of the world's first and only revolving glass floor, offering thrilling views straight down to the ground.
Included in your visit is a free green screen photo. |
Watch as we walked on the revolving glass floor:
Chihuly Garden & Glass
Photo by my brother, Steven Buena |
What we learned at the Chihuly Exhibit - Sign Transcribed:
Chihuly has always had an interest in architectural settings and how art interacts in spaces. In 1992, during his solo exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum, inspiration and circumstance merged.
Challenged by one installation in a room that didn't feel resolved, he created a new type of installation before the opening, and presented his first Chandelier.
Chihuly has continued the Chandelier series over the years, notably in the 1995-96 project, Chihuly Over Venice, where he pushed scale and placement. Thirteen Chandeliers were hung in outdoor sites throughout the city. The fourteenth installation, the Palazzo Ducale Tower was placed beneath a traditional eighteenth-century Venetian chandelier in one of Venice's historic buildings, juxtaposing new and old. This room includes five installations from, or inspired by, Chihuly Over Venice.”
My favorite displays were the Winter Brilliance white glass icicle clusters, the glass boat, and the glasshouse.
Winter Brilliance Ice Clusters |
“ WINTER BRILLIANCE
Commissioned by Barneys New York in 2015 for its holiday window display on Madison Avenue, Winter Brilliance is a joyful expression of both its namesake season and Chihuly's desire to present his work in unexpected and dramatic ways. The composition comprises Chandeliers, Towers, Reeds, and clusters of Icicles, a form which Chihuly developed in 1996 for his first permanent outdoor installation, the iconic Icicle Creek Chandelier in Leavenworth, Washington.
Ice is one of my favorite materials to work with because of the way it interacts with light. It inspired me to create the icicle form.
- Dale Chihuly ”
Before entering the garden, you get a glimpse the Space Needle and intricate flowers floating overhead.
The installation is a 100-foot long sculpture in a color palette of reds, oranges, yellows and ambers. It’s one of Chihuly’s largest suspended sculptures.
Pro Tip: Do not bring any selfie sticks into this exhibit or you will get reprimanded like I was. I had my Insta360 camera with me and was told to put it away and with good reason. The fear is that selfie sticks might accidentally crack one of the glass sculptures. As a result, I quickly put the camera into my tote bag.
I was still dealing with the adrenaline rush of being at the top of the Space Needle, so this exhibit calmed my nerves a bit. I enjoyed walking around and seeing Chihuly’s glass artwork.
Loved seeing the glass boat |
Miners Landing
Miners Landing Pier 57 |
A Ferris wheel was similar to the one in Santa Monica, CA was in sight and there were multiple restaurants on the pier including, The Crab Pot, Alaskan Sourdough Bakery and Fisherman’s Restaurants.
Carousel inside of Miners Landing |
There was also a carousel inside along with souvenir shops. I enjoyed seeing the sunset with the Ferris wheel in view.
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop since 1899 |
While walking a bit further down, we ended up at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Pier 54. This shop has been in business for 125 years. It opened in 1899 and we were able to see unusual items like goat skin shrunken heads, mummified bodies, two-headed animals, taxidermic bugs and animals, along with tons of other strange items.
What we learned about shrunken heads onsite via sign transcription:
“ Shrunken Heads
Because the Shuar tribes ferociously guarded their privacy well into the 20th century, not much was known of them in the world beyond the Amazon basin of Ecuador and Peru. Early travelers to the region found the Shuar's poorly understood practice of headhunting fascinating and eagerly sought out souvenirs. Beginning in the 1870s, the Shuar produced imitations made of monkey, sloth and goat skin that they created exclusively for trade. Non-native taxidermists soon got into the act and peppered the market with counterfeit heads which were procured from unclaimed individuals grabbed from morgues under false pretenses. Though genuine examples exist, they are extremely rare.
The core of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop's collection of heads came by way of the famous Heye Foundation in New York, shortly before the governments of Peru and Ecuador joined forces to halt the traffic in human heads in the late 1930s.”
“ Shrunken Heads
Because the Shuar tribes ferociously guarded their privacy well into the 20th century, not much was known of them in the world beyond the Amazon basin of Ecuador and Peru. Early travelers to the region found the Shuar's poorly understood practice of headhunting fascinating and eagerly sought out souvenirs. Beginning in the 1870s, the Shuar produced imitations made of monkey, sloth and goat skin that they created exclusively for trade. Non-native taxidermists soon got into the act and peppered the market with counterfeit heads which were procured from unclaimed individuals grabbed from morgues under false pretenses. Though genuine examples exist, they are extremely rare.
The core of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop's collection of heads came by way of the famous Heye Foundation in New York, shortly before the governments of Peru and Ecuador joined forces to halt the traffic in human heads in the late 1930s.”
Sign transcribed about the image above:
“Who is Sylvester?
According to legend, Sylvester was:
-a cowboy who got drunk and passed out in the Arizona sun, died there and dried out like a whiskey-soaked raisin.
-a border jumper who was double-crossed by his guide and left for dead in the desert.
-a Wild West desperado who was shot off his horse, stripped and left for dead in 1895. He was discovered buried in a sand dune by two wandering riders in the desert near Gila Bend, Arizona.
-John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of president Abraham Lincoln.
-a creation of Soapy Smith, the famous Alaskan con artist... or Soapy himself!
We don't know for sure... and he isn't talking! Who do YOU think Sylvester is?
“Who is Sylvester?
According to legend, Sylvester was:
-a cowboy who got drunk and passed out in the Arizona sun, died there and dried out like a whiskey-soaked raisin.
-a border jumper who was double-crossed by his guide and left for dead in the desert.
-a Wild West desperado who was shot off his horse, stripped and left for dead in 1895. He was discovered buried in a sand dune by two wandering riders in the desert near Gila Bend, Arizona.
-John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of president Abraham Lincoln.
-a creation of Soapy Smith, the famous Alaskan con artist... or Soapy himself!
We don't know for sure... and he isn't talking! Who do YOU think Sylvester is?
Age at death: about 35 to 40 years old
Year of death: no later than 1880
Weight at death: 240 pounds, approximately
Current weight: 137 pounds
Agent of preservation: arsenic, about 14 pounds
State of preservation: good. MR and CT images collected in 2005 and again in 2014 show all internal organs - including the brain and the delicate optic nerve - are preserved at 2/3 their original size.
Cause of death: unknown. The steel shotgun pellets in his face did not penetrate Sylvester's skull, although he was shot from close range.
Occupation in life: unknown. His skeleton shows no indication that he was a laborer.
Weirdest true story: In the 1920s, Sylvester was purchased for $35 by a local dentist who was quite the practical joker. The dentist built a false bottom into a sofa and there stashed Sylvester. At the end of an evening's entertainment at home, the dentist would suggest his guests lift the cushions on which they'd been sitting. Bingo!”
Post Alley: Bubble Gum Alley
Chewed up bubble gum stuck on pipes and on the wall in Post Alley |
After visiting Pier 54 and Pier 57, we made our way to Post Alley, which is also known for Bubble Gum Alley. We saw a similar one in San Luis Obispo in CA. This one is larger in scale and equally as gross.
Pike Place Public Market
Photo by my brother Steven Buena |
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Overall, our Seattle, WA trip was fun and we even took a ferry for the first time to Bainbridge Island and then to Victoria, BC, Canada. Driving a car onto a boat was both nerve-racking and exciting.
Have you been to any of these locations? Let me know in the comments.
Trip Resources
If you’re planning a road trip, here are some helpful sites that I use. Note, below are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission for every booking, with no extra cost to you. Thanks so much, in advance!
Booking.com - Anytime we need a rental car, we use this site to find deals.
Expedia.com - I like to use this site to explore upcoming cruises that I'd like to take. I also refer to it to compare hotel prices, flights, and car rentals.
GetYourGuide.com - Book things to do, attractions, tours and discover new food.
VRBO.com - When we’re not staying in an AIRBNB, we’re in a VRBO rental. We use this option when we want to enjoy a full house with individual bedrooms, a kitchen, backyard and other amenities.
TripAdvisor.com - Anytime I want reputable reviews, tips, and overall advice about a vacation area, I leverage this site.
Viator.com - Looking for cool tours in your vacation area? This site has a number of options.
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