Make sure to visit some of Seattle’s most historic places when visiting this vibrant city, as these landmarks will appeal to people of all ages.
Pike Place Market has long been a signature feature of Seattle, serving as an opportunity for shopping, dining and witnessing some local history.
1. Gas Works Park
Visit Gas Works Park near Lake Union to witness remnants of an industrial project that once supplied energy for Seattle from 1906 until 1956, producing synthetic gas by superheating coal and petroleum.
Seattle purchased this 19-acre site after its closure in 1962 for parkland purposes, and landscape architect Richard Haag was charged with turning its complex of boilers, stacks and pipes into an inviting public space – something he accomplished remarkably successfully.
He transformed the boiler house into a picnic shelter and the exhauster-compressor building into an open-air play barn with brightly painted machinery for kids to explore. Furthermore, he covered any potentially toxic sections with 18 inches of dirt to prevent further leakage while also highlighting historic structures on site.
At present, the park offers visitors an enchanting experience where they can stroll leisurely along Lake Union while gazing upon Seattle’s skyline or relax on its banks – ideal for kite flying and watching Tuesday evening Duck Dodge sailboat races! It also serves as an incredible venue for kite flying competitions and is popular for kite flying as well.
2. Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery was founded in 1858 due to Jamestown’s rapid population growth and changing ideas about suitable burial grounds. Like Mount Auburn, Laurel Hill and Green-Wood before it, Lake View is designed as a place of beauty, statuary and moral education for living people.
Here, Seattle’s early pioneers – such as those found along Denny, Maynard, Boren and Mercer streets) can be found resting peacefully alongside notable Northwest figures like poet Denise Levertov, painter Cordelia Wilson and Nordstrom department store founder John W. Nordstrom are laid to rest. Perhaps the most well-known grave in this cemetery belongs to martial artist/actor Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee.
No matter if it’s for Hilloween or just to take a spooky stroll, this 40-acre cemetery has something special for every spooky stroll. With flat stretches of open space, hills, and shaded back corners – don’t miss Madam Damnable’s grave; legend has it that six men were required to lift her casket.
3. Museum of Pop Culture
Seattle has emerged from its frontier roots to become an epicentre of creativity. Its residents embrace risk-taking while supporting diverse communities – which makes Seattle an ideal spot to visit three museums dedicated to popular culture.
Experience the power of music with one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts related to Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, or venture into unfamiliar worlds through movie costumes from Star Wars, Blade Runner and Back to the Future. Additionally, visit an interactive theater Bandshell as well as exhibitions covering video games, rock musicians and more!
The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is a nonprofit museum devoted to contemporary popular culture founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 and formerly known as Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM) until November 2016. Housed within an 140,000-square-foot Frank Gehry building that resembles an electric guitar being played, MoPOP offers visitors an experience unlike any other that honors rock ‘n’ roll while engaging visitors through inspirational exhibits, engaging experiences and insightful cultural analyses – making MoPOP an unmissable destination in which to celebrate rock ‘n’ roll spirit while engaging visitors through immersive exhibits, hands-on experiences and intelligent cultural analyses.
4. West Point Lighthouse
West Point Lighthouse was constructed in 1881 as an active aid to navigation on an outlying sandy spit of Puget Sound near Elliott Bay and marks a potentially hazardous shoal and entrance into Elliott Bay. Similar in design to Point No Point Light, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and remains an iconic feature of Seattle’s Discovery Park.
In 1860, local lumber companies harvested Magnolia Bluff – later to become the site of West Point Lighthouse – with plans for its eventual development by 1872 when Congress authorized a $25,000 budget for a brick/stucco lighthouse with dual keepers houses.
The tower contains an octagonal lantern room and a fourth-order Fresnel lens that flashes red and white every 10 seconds.
Discovery Park features a lighthouse located within its historic district with 19th-century military structures, where you can walk along paved pathways and explore old military structures. Furthermore, visit the Discovery Center which offers activities suitable for all ages.
