Search hotels in Seattle Center

Surrounding the dominant feature of the Seattle skyline, the Space Needle, is Seattle Center, a park and entertainment space full of art, architecture and outdoor facilities, covering an area of 73 acres. Originally created for the World Fair of 1962, it is a local cultural and historic feature of the city and located in the heart of the Lower Queen Anne neighbourhood, north of downtown Seattle. The Center is the perfect combination of relaxation and activity, offering a calm yet engaging experience of Seattle culture.

The main attraction of Seattle Center is the Space Needle, which, at 184 metres tall, dominates the landscape and offer magnificent panoramic views over the city from its observation deck and revolving restaurant. In the middle of Seattle Center, the International Fountain stands as a core artistic feature, performing a show of water patterns coordinated with world music, which changes songs every month. In addition to music, the centre offers the creative elements of literature and drama at its theatre, the home of Seattle Shakespeare Company, and art through a scattered collection of modernist sculptures and a mosaic mural. There are also two museums, a section of the Berlin Wall, a skate park, an amphitheatre, IMAX theatre, a laser dome, pavilion and the Kobe Bell city landmark, all of which visitors are free to explore.

Drivers can easily reach Seattle Center as it is in the heart of the city and close to many convenient parking facilities, so visitors from throughout Washington need only follow Interstate 5 or Highway 99. The monorail is the perfect public transport facility to take to Seattle Center as it is a direct route from downtown to the base of the Space Needle, but visitors can also take a local bus or even walk in less than an hour.

The 1962 World’s Fair was a pivotal time in the history of the city when the Seattle Centre originated and helped transform the area into a cosmopolitan hub and urban centre, especially establishing its artistic essence. Before this time, the space of the Center was an unused land of meadow, which historians say original Indigenous people used for hunting and perhaps even tribal rituals. In the mid-20th Century, Seattle Center fell into neglect and misuse, until a renovation project in the 1990s and the 1999 promotion of the Space Needle redeemed its cultural reputation.