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Things to do in Seattle

Seattle Center

The 74-acre campus built for the 1962 World's Fair: the Space Needle, Chihuly, MoPOP and Pacific Science Center, the International Fountain, Climate Pledge Arena and the Monorail to downtown.

Get a ride therePlan a Seattle trip with itTours nearby
Illustration of Climate Pledge Arena's sweeping roof next to the Space Needle at Seattle Center

The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
First-time visitors who want the Space Needle and its neighbors in one place, families with kids who need a fountain and a playground, and anyone heading to a game or concert at Climate Pledge Arena.
Time to protect
Give it a half day for the Space Needle and one other attraction, or a full day for three. The fountain, the playground and a lap of the grounds take about an hour.
Cruise-day fit
Seattle Center is in Uptown, between the two cruise terminals but not at either. Pier 66 is the closer one, a short ride up from the waterfront, so it fits the day before or after a sailing. Several attractions won't take big bags, so drop your luggage first.
From the terminals
Pier 66 is the closer terminal, a short ride up from the waterfront. Pier 91 is farther north, and no public transit serves it, so plan a ride either way.
Before a flight
From SEA, take the 1 Line to Westlake Station, then the Monorail from Westlake Center to Seattle Center. Timed tickets at the Space Needle and other attractions add fixed points to your day, so leave plenty of time for the trip back to the airport.

Plan a Seattle Center day

Everything is a short walk apart, so pick by what you want to see and how long you have.

  1. Come in by Monorail

    Ride from Westlake Center downtown and step off by MoPOP, a quick ride from the hotels near Pike Place.

  2. Pair the Needle and the glass

    The Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass are next door to each other. Book your Needle time first.

  3. Free time for kids

    Splash at the International Fountain and climb at Artists at Play, then eat at the Armory.

  4. Going to a game or concert?

    Climate Pledge Arena is on the campus, and your event ticket includes a transit pass that works on the Monorail.

Read the Space Needle guide →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    Seattle Center is a city-run campus of 74 acres, home to more than 30 arts, culture, sports and entertainment groups. Walking the grounds is free; each attraction sells its own tickets.

  2. 02

    Much of it was built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition: the Space Needle, the Monorail, the Coliseum, now Climate Pledge Arena, and the United States Science Pavilion, now Pacific Science Center. The site's civic story goes back further, to the Civic Auditorium of 1927, today's McCaw Hall.

  3. 03

    The big four for visitors are all here: the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass next door, MoPOP in Frank Gehry's building, and Pacific Science Center. Each has its own guide on this site.

  4. 04

    The International Fountain, also from the 1962 fair, sits in a bowl 220 feet across. Its dome was rebuilt in 1995 so people can play in the water, and its jets dance to music, from Beethoven's Ninth to Duke Ellington.

  5. 05

    The Seattle Center Monorail has run since March 24, 1962, a month before the fair opened. Its two Alweg trains, the Red and the Blue, were built in West Germany in 1961, and the ride from Westlake Center downtown, on the third level at 400 Pine Street, takes about two minutes on just under a mile of track.

  6. 06

    Trains leave about every 10 minutes from each end. Pay with a card or contactless at the machines, tap an ORCA card at the gate, or buy ahead online. Strollers and luggage are allowed on board.

  7. 07

    Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Kraken and the Storm, opened in 2021, built new beneath the 1962 roof. An arena event ticket includes a free transit pass that works on the Monorail.

  8. 08

    The Armory, built in 1939, was the fair's Food Circus and is now the campus food hall, with a deck outside. Artists at Play, a free playground with a 30-foot climbing tower, is between MoPOP and the Armory, just north of the Monorail station.

  9. 09

    Driving? Seattle Center runs two garages, on Mercer Street and on 5th Avenue North, and many bus routes stop around the campus.

Event days, construction detours around the campus and attraction schedules change. Check Seattle Center and the Monorail sites before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours that visit Seattle Center

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 Seattle Center: just go. If you'd like a guide, a harbor cruise or another stop the same day, start here.

  • Tickets and tours

    Seattle Center Monorail ticket

    One-way or round trip between Westlake Center downtown and Seattle Center. Scan at the gate and skip the ticket machine.

    See times and tickets

  • Tours and activities

    Seattle tours and tickets

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

    See tours and tickets

Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. For current notices, see the Seattle Center official site.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Seattle Center: the 1962 World's Fair grounds, 305 Harrison 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: Seattle Center 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, a short ride up from the waterfront. Pier 91 is farther north, and no public transit serves it, so plan a ride either way.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit Seattle Center

    Give it a half day for the Space Needle and one other attraction, or a full day for three. The fountain, the playground and a lap of the grounds take about an hour.

    Tours nearby

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    From SEA, take the 1 Line to Westlake Station, then the Monorail from Westlake Center to Seattle Center. Timed tickets at the Space Needle and other attractions add fixed points to your day, so leave plenty of time for the trip back to the airport.

    Seattle Center 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 Seattle Center 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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