SeatacSeatac Connection
Things to do in Seattle

Capitol Hill

The lively hill just east of downtown, with a light rail station on Broadway, Cal Anderson Park and, at the north end, Volunteer Park's water tower and plant conservatory.

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The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
Visitors who want a lively neighborhood with parks and plants, garden lovers, and anyone without a car: it's one of the easiest neighborhoods to reach by train.
Time to protect
Allow two to three hours: walk from the station through Cal Anderson Park, up to Volunteer Park and the Conservatory, and back.
Cruise-day fit
Capitol Hill rises just east of downtown, a short ride from the Pier 66 cruise terminal, so it fits the day before or after a sailing. It's hilly, so drop your luggage first. Pier 91 is a longer ride from the north.
From the terminals
Pier 66 is the closer terminal, about two miles by road up from the waterfront. From Pier 91 it's a ride across the city.
Before a flight
The 1 Line runs from SEA straight to Capitol Hill Station with no transfer, so it's one of the easiest neighborhoods to fit around a flight. Leave plenty of time for the ride back to the airport.

A Capitol Hill walk from the station

Start at the train and head north; Volunteer Park is about a mile away.

  1. 1. Cal Anderson Park

    Next to Capitol Hill Station, with the fountain and The AMP at its north end.

  2. 2. North through the neighborhood

    Walk north toward Volunteer Park. Its address is on 15th Avenue East.

  3. 3. Volunteer Park

    The water tower, the Conservatory, the Seattle Asian Art Museum and Black Sun are all in the same park.

Heading home? The 1 Line from Capitol Hill Station runs straight to the airport.

Book a ride to Capitol Hill →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    Capitol Hill Station is on Broadway, on the 1 Line, with direct trains to downtown and the airport. There's no Sound Transit parking there.

  2. 02

    Cal Anderson Park, right by the station, is the hub of the neighborhood: a fountain and reflecting pool, a meadow, sports fields and oversize chess boards. The AIDS Memorial Pathway, The AMP, starts at its north end.

  3. 03

    Volunteer Park, at the north end of the hill, is the most complete and best-preserved of Seattle's Olmsted parks. It was named for the volunteers of the Spanish-American War and is the site of the city's first reservoir.

  4. 04

    The park's water tower has had an observation deck open to the public since 1908. Seattle Parks lists separate hours for the tower, so check before you go up.

  5. 05

    The Volunteer Park Conservatory has five houses: bromeliads, palms and orchids, ferns, cactus, and a seasonal house whose display changes six times a year. Pay at the kiosks on site; it's free on the first Thursday of each month.

  6. 06

    The park is also home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum, renovated and expanded from 2018 to 2020, and to Isamu Noguchi's sculpture Black Sun.

  7. 07

    Dahlias from the Puget Sound Dahlia Association bloom in the park from July until the first frost. Parking in the park is free, first come, first served.

Conservatory and water tower hours, and train service, change. Check Seattle Parks, the Conservatory and Sound Transit before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours that visit Capitol Hill

Entry itself is free. These well-reviewed tours include it, with current prices. Check a date to see open start times, then book with Viator.

Tours are sold and run through Viator; booking opens viator.com in a new tab, and Viator confirms the final price and time. Seatac may earn a commission.

Free to visit, with tours nearby

There's no ticket for Capitol Hill: just go. If you'd like a guide, a harbor cruise or another stop the same day, start here.

  • Tours and activities

    Seattle tours and tickets

    Guided tours, attraction tickets and day trips around Seattle, including options near Capitol Hill.

    See tours and tickets

Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. For current notices, see the Seattle Parks Volunteer Park page.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Capitol Hill and Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill Station

Starting from

Your fare is worked out for the exact trip on the next step, before you pay. Want the car to wait while you visit? Book by the hour.

Cruise day: Capitol Hill between the ship and your flight

Off the ship with a few hours before your flight? Book the ride from the pier and the ride on to the airport now, so each driver knows where you are going.

  1. Step 1

    Ride from the pier

    Pier 66 is the closer terminal, about two miles by road up from the waterfront. From Pier 91 it's a ride across the city.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit Capitol Hill

    Allow two to three hours: walk from the station through Cal Anderson Park, up to Volunteer Park and the Conservatory, and back.

    Tours nearby

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    The 1 Line runs from SEA straight to Capitol Hill Station with no transfer, so it's one of the easiest neighborhoods to fit around a flight. Leave plenty of time for the ride back to the airport.

    Capitol Hill to the airport

Big bags

  • Pier 66: Same-day bag storage is available. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.
  • Pier 91: Same-day bag storage in the Crew Center, north of the Ground Transportation Center. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.

Stored bags mean a stop back at the pier before the airport. To keep them with you instead, book a car by the hour and the driver waits with your luggage.

Planning the whole cruise trip? Keep Capitol Hill on it with the rides around it.

Plan the whole cruise trip

Not sure which pier? Find your ship and pier or compare Pier 66 and Pier 91.

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