Things to do in downtown Seattle

How we picked

Every stop below is a real, open attraction we checked against its official website in October 2026, and nearly all of them are reachable on foot, by the monorail or by Link light rail from our building at 1400 Hubbell Place, about a 5–6 minute walk from the Seattle Convention Center. Walking times come from our listings; hours and tickets change, so check the official site before you go.

Pike Place and the waterfront

1. Pike Place Market. Seattle's public market, open since 1907. Walk west down Pike Street, about 15 minutes. Go early for produce, seafood and smaller crowds. Our Pike Place walking guide has the route and hours.
2. Seattle Aquarium. On the waterfront at Pier 59 and Pier 60, with the newer Ocean Pavilion across Alaskan Way. Reach it from the market's lower levels.
3. Seattle Great Wheel. The Ferris wheel on Pier 57, 1301 Alaskan Way, a few minutes' walk along the water from the Aquarium.
4. Seattle Art Museum. At 1300 First Ave, about a 12-minute walk from us, just south of the market.

Seattle Center by monorail

The Seattle Center Monorail runs between Westlake Center (5th Avenue and Pine Street, about 7 minutes on foot from us) and Seattle Center, next to the Space Needle.

1. Space Needle, 400 Broad St. The top levels include the Loupe, which the Space Needle describes as the world's first and only revolving glass floor.
2. Chihuly Garden and Glass, 305 Harrison St, right at the foot of the Space Needle.
3. MoPOP, the Museum of Pop Culture, 325 5th Ave N, in the building the monorail runs through.

Pioneer Square and the International District

Pioneer Square is Seattle's oldest neighborhood, south of downtown. It is a short Link light rail ride south of Westlake, or a pleasant walk downhill.

1. Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, starting at 614 1st Ave in Pioneer Square: a guided walk through the buried storefronts and sidewalks below today's streets.
2. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, 319 Second Ave S, a National Park Service visitor center on Seattle's role in the 1897 gold rush.
3. Smith Tower, 506 Second Ave, a historic tower with a 35th-floor observatory and bar.
4. Wing Luke Museum, 719 S King St, in the Chinatown-International District, dedicated to Asian Pacific American history and culture. International District/Chinatown station on Link is close by.

Downtown on foot

1. The Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. The glass-and-steel building is worth a look inside, and it is free.
2. The Paramount Theatre and the downtown shopping blocks around Pine and Pike, including Pacific Place and Westlake Center, all within about 7 minutes of us. See downtown Seattle on foot.
3. Capitol Hill. Cross over the freeway on Pike or Pine and climb for about 10 minutes to Seattle's busiest restaurant and bar neighborhood. Our Capitol Hill food walk has the route.

A little farther

1. The Water Taxi to West Seattle. King County's Water Taxi leaves from Pier 50 on the downtown waterfront; King County says the crossing to West Seattle takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

For aviation fans, The Museum of Flight at 9404 E. Marginal Way South is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., per its website. It is south of downtown, so plan a drive or ride-hail.

Plan your days

• Short on time? Try our 3-day Seattle itinerary.
• Bad weather? See rainy-day Seattle.
• Coming for a game? See Seattle sports weekends.

Stay in the middle of it

Our three 2-bedroom apartments, the Lumière 2BR, the Two-Bath 2BR and the Top-Floor 2BR, are in one downtown Seattle building with full kitchens; 1311 and 1407 have an in-unit washer & dryer, and 1502 guests use the shared laundry room on the 2nd floor of the building. Book direct, 10% off: check dates on our booking search or our secure booking site.

Secure checkout powered by Lodgify. You'll finish payment on checkout.lodgify.com.