There are so many unique things to do in Seattle, and they are worthy of the long trip to get there. Face it, Seattle isn’t close to ANYTHING. It is way up and over, sitting on the Northwest tip of the lower 48. It’s a trip all on its own and most definitely worth the journey! We’re here to show you Seattle’s Best on a budget!
Let’s Pack For This!
To see most of the Seattle sights, you will be outdoors… in Seattle. Yes, you need to prepare for 5 seasons in one day! It can be warm and sunny, rainy and cold, and then there’s the wind… all in the matter of a day! To better prepare, look at what time of year you are going.
Summer… obviously MUCH better weather. Not as grey, not as drizzly, and the wind calms down. You can get away with packing a light jacket (you might not even need!) and layer up. Temps are usually in the high 70’s and you can actually expect sun! Bring your sunglasses! Fun Fact… apparently more sunglasses are sold in Seattle per capita than any other city. I believe it’s because we must lose them in the long stretches between sunny days!
Winter… cold, wet, occasional sunny day. Temps in the winter dip down into the
If you are staying downtown, you have made a wise decision! Seattle is so spread out, you might think you are saving a buck or two staying outside of the downtown core. You will soon find that transportation into the city will cost you dearly in both time and money. To make the most of your experience, budget to stay downtown. If you come anytime OTHER than summer, it is fairly affordable. Unfortunately, once cruise season hits, the hotels get ridiculously expensive.
You have arrived! Time to take in some of the unique things to do in Seattle! I am going to include in this list the most popular sights as well, seeing how they ARE unique TO Seattle. One cannot venture all this way and NOT take in the Pike Place Market! In fact, let’s jump right in and start there.
Pike Place Market…free
Welcome to Pike Place Market…Seattle’s epicenter. Literally in the center of downtown, with views of the water, Pike Place Market will capture your every sense! Flowers, food, buskers waiting to entertain you, artisans, and yes… flying fish! The Market opened in 1907 and has a rich history. Still going strong today, it bustles with energy from 10 am – 6 pm, with the official market bell at 9 am. Restaurants (there are 80!) open for breakfast long before that and remain open until after midnight. Roam through the 9 acres of stalls featuring arts and crafts, take in the vibrant color and fragrance of produce and flowers, and sample delicious foods along the way. Download or print off your walking guide of the market to learn your way around! Open 363 days a year. Details can be found here http://pikeplacemarket.org/plan-your-visit.
Flying Fish… free
Welcome to one of the top visited attractions in Seattle. Travel & Leisure ranked Pike Place Market as the 13th most visited attractions in the U.S. The fact is, “the fish guys” bring a lot of crowds TO the Pike Place Market! They are in fact World Famous. They sell incredible seafood and will overnight ship it anywhere. Nonetheless, this is just the beginning.
This is definitely one of the unique things to do in Seattle! You may not be interested in buying any fish, but don’t let that halt you from stopping by! Stand back (or get up front and center and maybe catch a fish!) for an entertaining show. These guys (the Fishmongers) are always smiling, joking, and catching people off guard. It’s quite a process to watch them work. They have been featured on TV shows and documentaries, and even team building videos for the workplace! Their claim is “All sustainable, All the time”. Who can’t get behind that? https://www.pikeplacefish.com/
Rachel The Pig… free
Standing in the Market at The Fish Company, turn around and you will see Rachel, a big brass PIG. This is Pike Place Market’s mascot! Although plenty of tourists (and locals!) take a moment to ham it up for a photo with the 550-pound bronze pig, they may not realize they’re in the presence of a local hero. In 1986, the nonprofit Pike Place Market Foundation decided a piggy bank was exactly what was needed to help raise funds to support housing and services for low-income neighbors. Whidbey Island sculptor Georgia Gerber was hired to create the bronze beauty, christened “Rachel” in honor of the 750-pound pig who won first place at the 1985 Island County Fair. This beauty has been bringing home the bacon ever since, collecting an average of $10,000 per year to support the community. Stop for a photo!
Gum Wall…free (maybe a few cents worth of gum to leave behind)
Once you have finished your photoshoot with Rachel the Pig, you’ll see a set of narrow stairs heading down. Take the stairs and turn to the right at the bottom and prepare for one of the truly unique things to do in Seattle. You are now heading into Post Alley (part of it). As you walk a few steps into the alley, you can’t miss one of the unique things to do in Seattle. It’s time to contribute to the Gum Wall! It sounds gross ( a bunch of pieces of gum plastered over the old brick walls)… it’s sticky, it’s germy, and above all, it’s kind of beautiful!
Folks have been sticking gum to this wall since the early 1990s. It has been cleaned once, in 2015, where 2,350 lbs of gum were removed! It’s actually a very pretty backdrop for photos! People crowd along this stretch of the alley, creating gum art or simply posing for photos. It never gets too crowded as it stretches for 50 feet!
Seattle’s First Starbucks… free, unless you want coffee. Then it’s an arm and a leg!
I’m personally more of a fan of small Ma and Pa coffee shops. Hitting a Starbucks isn’t unique. It IS a unique thing to do IN Seattle though as a lot of folks love their Starbucks and want to see the FIRST ever Starbucks while IN it’s birth town. How do I know this? For years and years, I have watched lineups of fans form outside this tiny coffee shop. SO much so that the buskers smartened up and actually BOOK a timeslot to be able to play out front to a constant built-in crowd. Lucky for the folks in line, angsting for their coffee, these buskers keep things lively! You can find this Starbucks at 1st and Pike. This corner store is at the gateway to Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. Some interesting facts about this Starbucks:
- The leather on bar’s outer facing was scrap obtained from shoe and automobile factories.
- The walnut used in the tables, doors and bar top was salvaged from a nearby farm.
- The signage on the bar uses recycled slate from a local high school.
- The community table is twice reused; it was previously located at a Seattle restaurant and before that, in a home.
- The restroom partitions are made from recycled laundry detergent bottles.
- The wall tapestry is made of repurposed burlap coffee bags from their local roasting plant.
Seattle Buskers…free (however, don’t be the jerk who enjoys and doesn’t pay! Spare a few coins)
I once read an article about Seattle’s Buskers and one phrase summed it up perfectly: “YOU CAN’T SWING an old hippie by the ponytail without hitting a busker at Pike Place Market, Seattle’s daily carnival of street performers.” This was in an article in the Seattle Times. They went on to introduce many of the buskers and their history. If you’ve ever been down in the Market, you’ve certainly had the pleasure of being entertained by “The Piano Player”. He’s been down there since 1986 and is on his 5th piano! He drags it down there over the cobblestones and offers a melody to passers-by.
Market buskers pay $30 for an annual performer’s permit. Last year, the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority issued 400 of them. They bravely brighten our days by singing, playing music and offering entertainment through magic or puppet shows. These “characters” GIVE a place character. Take the earbuds out, lift your eyes to them, offer a smile and a coin or two and enjoy this as one of your unique things to do in Seattle. Our enjoyment in their payment.
The Hammering Man…free
Let’s leave Pike Place Market and walk down to Pioneer Square. On the way, you will amble down 1st Ave (an easy, 15 min, slightly downhill walk) passing the Seattle Art Museum. This is home to the Hammering Man. The joke is, he must be a government worker as he works at a fairly slow pace! No offense to the government workers… it’s not MY joke! Actually, the Hammering Man celebrates the worker. He or she is the village craftsman, the South African coal miner, the computer operator, the farmer or the aerospace worker-the people who produce the commodities on which we depend. Artist: Jonathan Borofsky. If you wander inside SAM, you can take in an impressive collection of art. The cost to get in is $25. Insider tip… it’s free on the first Thursday of each month!
Pioneer Square…free
Art galleries, coffee shops, and trendy bars fill Pioneer Square’s late-1800s buildings. You can picnic in the secluded Waterfall Garden Park or grab lunch from food trucks at Occidental Square, a plaza with bistro tables and bocce courts.
There is plenty to see above ground, however, the real history lies beneath! Pioneer Square offers you one of the most unique things to do in Seattle. Take a fantastic tour and learn all about Seattle’s history with Doc Maynard’s Underground Tour also known as Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour. You get to explore subterranean streets on the guided Underground Tour and learn about Seattle’s roots at the Klondike Gold Rush. Get in on some dirt, some scandal, and see some really old plumbing! I have been on this tour 3 times! I love it every time. Cost is $22/adults. Worth every penny! http://www.undergroundtour.com/
Century Link Stadium
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium located near Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle. It is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). Perhaps you are an avid fan… this one’s for you. Perhaps you aren’t, yet you still love a cool tour… this one’s for you too! We toured Century Link after being there multiple times for football games and concerts. As a result, our expectations were not as high as they should have been. The tour was fantastic! It is inexpensive and allows you access to locker rooms and the field. I even got to write on a teleprompter being set up for the next day’s game! Tickets cost $14/adults.
Freemont Troll…free
Let’s head over to Freemont. This is definitely a unique thing to do in Seattle. Not Freemont itself, but what you’ll see here! The Freemont Troll lives under the Aurora Bridge. He is made from rebar steel, wire and 2 tons of messy ferroconcrete. He stands 18 ft tall with a shiny metal eye and he is crushing a Volkswagen Beetle in his left hand. He’s a friendly troll allowing people to clammer all over him for photo opportunities! Wondering WHY there’s a troll in Freemont? They had a competition to come up with an artistic replacement for the dumping ground this area was becoming. He’s quite famous. He’s been featured in movies such as Twilight and Sleepless in Seattle! https://fremont.com/explore/sights/troll/
Gasworks Park…free
Gas Works Park is a 19-acre public park on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gas plant. It is located on the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of the Wallingford neighborhood. It’s a mecca for kite flying, dog walking, picnicking, watching sailboats pass by… definitely a place to unwind on a summer day! Grab a pizza from the close by Northlake Tavern http://www.northlaketavern.com/(Seattle’s favorite pizza place!) and take it down to the park for a memorable lunch or dinner (sunset from here is spectacular!) Gasworks park is found at2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103
University of Washington Campus…free (unlike their tuition!)
UW (U-Dub), is a highly sought after University amongst students and teachers alike. Ranked No. 14 in the world on the 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities, the UW educates more than 54,000 students annually. During your trip to Seattle, you may not have time to enroll, complete and obtain a degree… however, you can still enjoy the beauty of UW! Get on over to the University District (our old stomping grounds) and enjoy the young vibe it has to offer.
Stroll up and down “The Ave” (University Way) to shop at quirky little shops and dine on cheap eats…like the college kids! My favorite restaurant in all the world is here…on the Ave. Thai Toms. You will wait in line… and it will be worth it. You will wonder, once inside, how it has passed health code… and you will turn a blind eye. You will watch them cook your meal over open flames, sometimes dangerously high…and you will be entertained. You will receive your meal, devour it…and be forever grateful to me for mentioning this place. Found at 4543 University Way.
Now that you’re full, walk it off on campus. Especially if you are there in the Spring. When the cherry blossoms in the Quad reach peak bloom, this sight is like no other campus I have ever seen. While there, check out two other sites. The library (something out of a Hollywood movie) with it’s looming wood beams and tables and old lamps by which to study. Also, check out Greek Row. Gorgeous old growth trees line the boulevard amongst mansions with immaculate gardens… nothing like what is hiding on the inside! Frat mess!
Broadway… My Posse’s on Broadway!!…free
Let’s keep this young, hip vibe alive! Our next stop is a progressive and welcoming neighborhood called Capitol Hill. Broadway is the main street running the length of it. Capitol Hill is packed with hip bars, eateries, and gay clubs, plus laid-back coffee shops, consignment stores, and restaurants of every kind! You will also notice if you look down, there are inlaid brass footsteps with numbers on them along the sidewalk. Stop and take this in, then twirl and dip your partner as these steps are your guide. You can create your very own ballroom right here on the sidewalk by learning the Foxtrot, the Walts, and all sorts of other dances. It’s worth a try, and don’t be embarrassed… no one knows you here! Also, others will be doing it. Where else can you say you “danced on Broadway”? Many liken this area to Berkely, California.
Space Needle/Seattle Center…free (to roam around the grounds)
No trip to Seattle would be complete without laying eyes on The Space Needle. Although it might not be one of the unique things to do in Seattle (VERY common stop), this place is ultimately unique TO Seattle. Walking around the base of it, you can really appreciate it’s size and construction. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors. It has remained the most recognizable landmark of the PNW since then and people flock to its observation deck 520 feet up for unobstructed views of the Sound and the Olympic Mountains. You can see all the way to Canada!
We had the pleasure of dining atop this Needle in the sky, however, in 2017 Sky City restaurant closed its doors. They have been renovating the heck out of the top of the Space Needle and are creating a more interactive experience. Visitors now have two options for food and beverage at the top. The Atmos Café, located on the upper observation level, features quick and quintessential Pacific Northwest fare, plus locally-crafted beer and wine and more. Atmos Wine Bar, located on The Loupe (the revolving glass floor) and open in the afternoon and evening, features beer and wine, charcuterie, locally crafted cheese boards, and savory bites paired perfectly with the view. Both locations are open to all guests with no reservations. The cost to head up is $32-$37 depending on the time of day (before 12 pm you save $5) https://www.spaceneedle.com/
Chihuly Garden and Glass…$26 (or bundle with the Space Needle for $49 saving $14)
Chihuly Garden and Glass is an exhibit in the Seattle Center showcasing the studio glass of Dale Chihuly. It opened in May 2012. This blown glass exhibit will blow your mind… see what I did there? Dale studied the art of blowing glass from UW here in Seattle all the way over to Rhode Island. Chihuly Glass sculptures are seen all over the world and are very recognizable. His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. A native to Washington State, Dale Chihuly set up this stunning exhibit next to Seattle’s most recognizable landmark enticing visitors to take in both icons. You can take in both for a bundled price saving you $14. For a more unique experience, consider joining one of their Yoga or Thai Chi Under Glass classes in the morning. Ticket information is found at https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/visit/plan-your-visit
Let’s Unpack This!
Seattle is a destination all in itself. It can be a launching point to other awesome trips too. A drive down the Oregon Coast on Hwy 101, a trip out to the Olympic Peninsula, an Alaskan Cruise or trip to Hawaii. For that reason, you may find yourself passing through Seattle on your way to somewhere. Don’t miss out. Give Seattle a couple of days of exploring. It’s a long way to come to miss out on this Emerald Gem. It doesn’t have to add a lot of cost to your trip. Most of what we dug up for you to experience comes at little or no cost at all! If you’re looking to do some more exploring of the Washington coast, then check out this article. https://asuitcaseheart.com/pacific-coast-highway-road-trip/
It was Chief Seattle who said, “Take only memories, Leave only footprints.” Come leave some footprints in Seattle. I assure you, you will have fond memories!
