Seattle Center
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: (206) 720-1058
Editorial Review for Seattle Center – by Citysearch Editors
In Short
Enjoy a huge festival with food, drink and music, or take in a play at the Intiman Theater. Seattle Center's 74 acres provide entertainment for Seattleites and tourists alike through local events like Bumbershoot and tourist-heavy attractions like the Space Needle and Experience Music Project. The Center hosts more than 5,400 performances a year. On sunny afternoons, the central fountain will likely be full of kids and adults alike frolicking in the spray.
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Insider Tips
ParkingAvoid lots along Broad--side streets intersecting Mercer are the best places for affordable parking. Seattle Center's 5th Avenue parking lot rate drops to $5 (from $8) for groups of three or more.
Know Before You GoSonics fans crowd surrounding streets and parking lots during home games--check the Key Arena schedule ahead of time.
User Reviews for Seattle Center
03/26/2007 Posted by sione
Seattle Center has so much to offer, all in one central location adjacent to downtown Seattle. There's the Space Needle which is so often a must-see attraction for tourists and natives alike. Right next to that is Paul Allen's museum concept and Frank Gehry's architectural vision, the Experience Music Project. This offers a lot of music history, although I have not been too impressed with the place in general. There have been some good shows there and there's a fun bar/restaurant inside. The Center House offers a food court with all kinds of (expensive) offerings of mediocre to decent foods. There's nothing mind-blowing. It's just a food court. Down one level from the food court is the Children's Museum which is great fun for the kids! Also on the grounds is the Key Arena, where you can catch a great basketball game (at least currently), hockey games, and other shows inside. There are a number of rooms near the Key Arena where all sorts of activities go on as well as the Seattle Opera House. Then, there's the Fun Forest, a small amusement park that offers an arcade located inside of a large pavilion building that also houses bumper cars and a couple of other rides. Then, outside, you can find a carousel, a ferris wheel, a number of childrens' rides, as well as a roller coaster, a water ride, and other fun rides for the whole family. The Seattle Center grounds are used for a lot of festivals such as the Bite of Seattle and Bumbershoot which are fun to attend. There are so many things offered at the Seattle Center throughout the year that it's usually an interesting place to visit. There's a Starbucks in the food court for the caffeine-starved.
Pros: All manner of things (and I forgot to mention the Science Center which is also great!).
Cons: Parking
01/29/2004 Posted by brianaksham
Home of Space Needle, Seattle Opera and Ballet and theatres galore! It is the closest thing to a total cultural and tourist experience an urban center can have....anywhere in the world! Science Museum and much, much more! A perfect place for family outings, day or night, year round! Center Fountain was the meeting place for the City to weep and share the losses of 9/11; a million flowers were brought and placed in many memorials. It was the truest communion a city could give to the losses of that terrible occasion. Being that, Seattle Center is, perhaps, the heart and soul of this city. Any changes to the place are widely debated and much concern is shared that future planning include all the community of Metro Seattle.
Pros: variety, cultural, celebrations
Cons: , buses, open to rain
