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Things to do in Seattle

Fremont

Seattle's self-declared Center of the Universe: an offbeat neighborhood on the ship canal, with a troll under a bridge, a year-round Sunday market and public art you can find on foot.

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The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
Visitors who like public art, offbeat neighborhoods and browsing, and anyone looking for a relaxed half day away from the downtown crowds.
Time to protect
Two hours covers the Troll, the bridge and a canal walk. Make it a half day with the Sunday Market or a stroll to Gas Works Park.
Cruise-day fit
Fremont is north of Lake Union, a few miles from both cruise terminals, so it's a relaxed outing the day before or after a sailing rather than a walk from the ship. Drop your bags first; on a Sunday, the market makes a good first stop.
From the terminals
Pier 91 is slightly closer, east along the ship canal; Pier 66 is a ride north past Lake Union. Either way it's a short ride, not a walk with luggage.
Before a flight
There's no light rail in Fremont, and SEA is a long drive south through the city. It works on an arrival afternoon or a free day; on a flight day, leave a generous buffer.

A short Fremont walk

The highlights are close together, so this is an easy loop on foot.

  1. 1. The Fremont Bridge

    Start at the north end of the blue-and-orange drawbridge, by the canal.

  2. 2. Lenin and the public art

    Walk up into the neighborhood to find the Lenin statue and more of Fremont's public art.

  3. 3. The Troll

    Head east to the Aurora Bridge. The Troll is underneath its north end.

  4. 4. Back to the water

    Finish on the Burke-Gilman Trail by the canal. On a Sunday, the market is near the bridge.

Have more time? Gas Works Park is east along the trail.

Read the Gas Works Park guide →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    Locals proudly call Fremont the Center of the Universe. Settlers from Fremont, Nebraska, laid out the neighborhood in 1888, on the north side of the water between Lake Union and Ballard.

  2. 02

    The Fremont Troll lurks under the north end of the Aurora Bridge with a real Volkswagen Beetle in his hand. The Fremont Arts Council ran the 1990 contest that chose the design, out of 40 proposals.

  3. 03

    Fremont's statue of Lenin, near the Troll, is one of its most talked-about, and most debated, pieces of public art.

  4. 04

    The blue-and-orange Fremont Bridge opened in 1917, Seattle's first double-leaf drawbridge. It's believed to open and close more often than any other drawbridge in the country, so you may get to watch it lift for a boat.

  5. 05

    The Fremont Sunday Market runs every week, rain or shine, all year, with more than 200 local makers by the Fremont Bridge. It moves between two spots near the canal with the seasons, and the winter site is covered and heated.

  6. 06

    The Burke-Gilman Trail runs along the water through Fremont, so you can walk or bike east to Gas Works Park.

  7. 07

    In June the Solstice Parade, free and open to all, fills the streets. Printed words and logos aren't allowed in it. On October 31 the Troll gets a birthday party, Trolloween.

Market locations, events and street closures change. Check the Fremont Chamber and Fremont Sunday Market sites before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours that visit Fremont

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 Fremont: 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 Fremont.

    See tours and tickets

Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. For current notices, see the Fremont Chamber of Commerce site.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Fremont: the Troll, the Sunday Market and the canal, Fremont Avenue North and North 34th Street

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: Fremont 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 91 is slightly closer, east along the ship canal; Pier 66 is a ride north past Lake Union. Either way it's a short ride, not a walk with luggage.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit Fremont

    Two hours covers the Troll, the bridge and a canal walk. Make it a half day with the Sunday Market or a stroll to Gas Works Park.

    Tours nearby

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    There's no light rail in Fremont, and SEA is a long drive south through the city. It works on an arrival afternoon or a free day; on a flight day, leave a generous buffer.

    Fremont 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 Fremont 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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