Landmarks

SEATTLE CENTER & SPACE NEEDLE (www.SeattleCenter.com)

The story goes that a Seattle businessman was musing about possible centerpieces for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair when he penciled the Needle shape onto a coffeehouse place mat. The observation deck on this unmistakable landmark allows you to take in the 360-degree skyline 500 feet above the city streets. For more information, call (206) 443-2111.

PIKE PLACE MARKET (www.PikePlaceMarket.org)

The market is all about the essential sights, smells, sounds and tastes of Seattle. Explore what local artisans are offering as well as the fish from around the world neatly displayed for your perusal. This is a historic haven with the rhythm of the city. For more information, call (206) 682-7453.

SNOQUALMIE FALLS (www.SnoqualmieFalls.com)

Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors come to the Falls every year. At the Falls, you will find a two-acre park, hiking trail, observation deck, gift shop, and the famous 270 foot waterfall.

For Kids

PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER (www.PacSci.org)

One of the Northwest's leading cultural attractions featuring six acres of hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, and the Boeing IMAX Theater with a screen 6 stories tall. For more information, call (206) 443-2001.

SEATTLE AQUARIUM (www.SeattleAquarium.org)

Salmon and other northwest aquatic creatures are king at the Seattle Aquarium. This is a small, but informative and fun place for a family outing. For more information, call (206) 386-4320.

WOODLAND PARK ZOO (www.Zoo.org)

Woodland Park Zoo is hailed as one of the finest zoos in the world for its award-winning naturalistic exhibits. More than 300 animal species from around the world and a thousand plant species are displayed in the 92-acre botanical garden. And, the must-see attraction is just minutes from downtown Seattle! For more information, call (206) 684-4800.

Museums

THE BURKE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND CULTURE (www.Washington.edu/BurkeMuseum)

Dinosaurs, fossils, Native American masks, Asian cultural costumes, bugs and birds! Get the inside story on Washington State natural history and Northwest Native American culture. Check out state-of-the-art exhibits on subjects ranging from fossils to wildlife photography. For more information, call (206) 543-5590.

MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (www.mopop.org/) and SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME (www.SFHomeWorld.org)

The Experience Music Project is co-located with the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame at the Seattle Center. At Experience Music Project, you can learn to pay the guitar, jam to a crowd of screaming virtual fans, and be inspired by our amazing rotating exhibits of popular music legends. Exploring and celebrating musical diversity is what Experience Music Project is all about. Whether your preference is blues, jazz, hip-hop, funk, punk, country or rock 'n' roll, you'll find something here that strikes a chord. At Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, you'll marvel at state-of-the art interactives and famous artifacts like Captain Kirk's command chair, the giant Alien queen, E.T.-and much more. Science fiction opens wide our imagination, inviting us to consider other worlds, new creatures and different ways of being. At its heart, science fiction is about humanity itself-viewed through the lens of possibility. For more information, call 1-877-367-5483.

FUTURE OF FLIGHT AVIATION CENTER & BOEING TOUR (www.FutureOfFlight.org)

Experience the marvel of commercial jet aviation! Watch the world's largest jets assembled in the world's largest building by volume. Then explore the Aviation Zones where you can digitally design your own jet… ride the XJ5 Flight Simulator to "fly" at supersonic speeds… learn from interactive aviation displays… and much more! For more information, call 1-800-464-1476 or (425) 438-8100.

MUSEUM OF FLIGHT (www.MuseumOfFlight.org)

Visitors have the opportunity to experience the aviation industry firsthand. Visit Boeing's original plane and wrap up your tour with a lesson on the early days of aviation and a walk through presidential history aboard the first Air Force One. For more information, call (206) 764-5720.

MUSEUM of GLASS (www.MuseumOfGlass.org)

Come to the Cone! Experience contemporary art in a breathtakingly beautiful museum on Tacoma's revitalized waterfront. Feel the heat as you watch a team of artists create masterpieces from molten glass in the hot shop amphitheater. For more information, call 1-866-4MUSEUM or (253) 284-4750

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM / SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM / OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK (www.SeattleArtMuseum.org)

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) features a striking vertical design and continuous ribbon of space that allows for the expression of natural light. It opens SAM up to the city, connecting street activity to the life inside the museum. From wall texts to audio guides to computer screens and public programs, SAM offers multiple means and different perspectives to bring works of art to life. Often the voices are those of artists, curators, collectors, and others passionate about art and immersed in the particular culture. The Seattle Asian Art Museum emphasizes collections of art from Asia and from different periods of time. The Olympic Sculpture Park transforms a nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. For more information, call (206) 654-3100.

PIONEER SQUARE HISTORIC DISTRICT (www.SeattleInsider.com) and UNDERGROUND TOUR (www.UndergroundTour.com)

Pioneer Square is the epicenter of Seattle where many of the oldest buildings in town are located. It is home to many wonderful art galleries, antique stores, bookstores and coffee houses. One of Seattle's most unusual attraction is the Underground Tour, which is a daily walking history tour with humor. For more information, call (206) 682-4646 / tour (206) 682-4646.

Sports

SEATTLE KRAKEN (www.nhl.com/kraken)

Our maritime city with a proud history of adventure is deserving of a hockey club as untamed as the sea herself. The Kraken represents the fiercest beast in all the world. Too large and indomitable to be contained by man (or finned mammal). It instills one message in all opponents whether in our waters, or theirs… Abandon all hope.

The largest octopus on planet Earth lives right here in Puget Sound. The Giant Pacific Octopus lurks in the deep around Seattle. According to Tacoma legend, they inhabit the ruins of collapsed bridge "Galloping Gertie" with the infamous "King Octopus." National Geographic notes the biggest on record at 30 ft wide and over 600 lbs. If you encountered that in the depths of our Sound, you'd tell tales of one thing… You just saw the Kraken.

We met deposit day with 32,000 passionate fans and scores of prospective team names. One in particular emerged quickly as the frontrunner. Two years later, and that same name still carries the conversation. 215,000 fan votes, 50+ fan forums & speaking engagements and over 12 months of social media listening have supported this phenomenon — Seattle is the Kraken.

Our history in the great ice game goes as deep as Puget Sound. The Seattle Metropolitans were the first American club to hoist the Stanley Cup. They are an eternal part of our city's history and we pay tribute to them by wearing the 'S.' We will aspire to bring the Cup back to Seattle in their honor.

SEATTLE MARINERS (www.Mariners.org) and T-MOBILE PARK (www.MLB.com/mariners/ballpark

The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit! In 1970, in the aftermath of the Seattle Pilots' purchase and relocation to Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers by Bud Selig, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington (represented by then-state Attorney General and future U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract. Confident that Major League Baseball would return to Seattle within a few years, King County built the multi-purpose Kingdome, which would become home to the National Football League's expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976. The name "Mariners" was chosen by club officials in August 1976 from over 600 names submitted by 15,000 entrants in a name-the-team contest.

Replacing the Kingdom as the venue on July 15, 1999, T-Mobile Park has gained a reputation locally, regionally and nationally as a terrific setting for baseball and a great place for baseball fans. Sweeping views of Seattle's downtown skyline, breathtaking sunsets over Puget Sound, combined with excellent views of game action from all angles give fans at T-Mobile Park an experience unequalled in Major League Baseball.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (www.Seahawks.com) and LUMEN FIELD (www.LumenField.com)

In 1996, Paul G. Allen obtained an option to purchase the Seattle Seahawks and launched a campaign to win public support for a new world-class football/ soccer stadium and exhibition center. Six years later, the dream became reality as the Seahawks opened the 2002 preseason against the Indianapolis Colts in new Seahawks Stadium, renamed Qwest Field on June 2, 2004. After seven seasons, the field was renamed CenturyLink Field on June 23, 2011. and then Lumen Field on November 19, 2020. The facility, built atop of the site of the Kingdome, is not only home to the Seahawks, but the stadium accommodates many levels of soccer competition, including Major League Soccer, amateur, international, World Cup and collegiate soccer.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS (www.Soundersfc.com)

Seattle Sounders FC competes in the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, the Major League Soccer (MLS). Established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, fans chose the Sounders name through an online poll in 2008.

Shopping

BELLEVUE SQUARE (www.BellevueSquare.com)

Discover non-stop shopping at more that 200 stores. At Bellevue Square, you'll find the best of style, scene and in between to dress your body and home. Come browse through renowned stores like Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel, Macy's and Tiffany & Co., or explore our dozens of unique shops that you won't find anywhere. From A|X Armani Exchange to Urban Dogs.

REDMOND TOWN CENTER (www.RedmondTownCenter.com)

Located in the city that is home for Microsoft, the Redmond Town Center's outdoor pavilion and mall has over 100 fantastic specialty stores and over 17 great restaurants and entertainment venues.

UNIVERSITY VILLAGE (www.UVillage.com)

Located just north of downtown Seattle, University Village is the premier open-air lifestyle shopping center in the Pacific Northwest and offers a unique formula of national stores and local retailers.

WESTFIELD SOUTHCENTER (www.Westfield.com/Southcenter)

Long known as one of the Pacific Northwest's leading shopping destinations, Westfield Southcenter and its surrounding area continues to offer the greatest number and variety of stores in the Northwest.