Seattle Pike Place and Downtown

This walk follows Seattle from its rebuilt brick heart to its space-age skyline. You'll start in Pioneer Square, where the city rose again after the Great Fire of 1889 and boomed during the Klondike Gold Rush, then climb past Smith Tower and the striking Central Library. Next come Hammering Man, the Gum Wall and Pike Place Market, with fish flying and coffee brewing. From there you'll head down to the rebuilt waterfront, pass the hotel where the Beatles went fishing, wander the Olympic Sculpture Park and finish at the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair.

Along the way you'll meet Si'ahl, the Duwamish and Suquamish leader the city is named for. This is the homeland of the Duwamish people, who have lived on these shores for thousands of years.

The route is about 2.5 miles one way, with a few steep downtown hills. Allow about two and a half hours with stops. Start at the pergola where First Avenue meets Yesler Way. To get back, the monorail runs from Seattle Center to Westlake, where light rail heads south to Pioneer Square.

13 stops on this tour:

Pioneer Square - Where Seattle Began

Smith Tower - Seattle's First Skyscraper

Seattle Central Library - A Library Made of Glass

Seattle Art Museum - Meet Hammering Man

Gum Wall - The Stickiest Spot in Town

Pike Place Market - Meet the Producer

Original Starbucks - A Famous Coffee Line

Victor Steinbrueck Park - The Man Who Saved the Market

Seattle Waterfront - A Shoreline Reborn

The Edgewater - Where the Beatles Went Fishing

Olympic Sculpture Park - Art by the Bay

Chief Seattle Statue - The Man Behind the Name

Space Needle - The 1962 World's Fair Icon

Plan your visit

Route: 13 stops · about 3.2 miles · walking, one way
Time: about 2.5 hours at an easy pace, with stops
Start: Pioneer Square (directions)
Cost: free tour

Stops on this tour

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