Seattle Local Attractions

Seattle Central Library

Seattle Central Library The Seattle Central Library is the flagship of the Seattle Public Library system, and is located just across the street from the conference hotel. iConference attendees will enjoy rock-star access during our after-hours opening reception, which will be held in the library’s spectacular Norcliff Room. The 11-story glass and steel building opened to many accolades in 2004, and more than 2 million individuals visited in its first year. The library’s striking appearance consists of several discrete "floating platforms," seemingly wrapped in a large steel net around a glass skin. In 2007, the building was voted #108 on the American Institute of Architects' list of Americans' 150 favorite structures in the U.S. (Photo by Karla Thomas.)

Seattle Art Museum

The Seattle Art Museum is located just seven blocks from the conference hotel. Permanent exhibitions include the Native and Mesoamerican collection, with works by the area’s original inhabitants. Other highlights include contemporary works by Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol; European masterpieces of portraiture and sculpture; and Asian pieces dating back to the second century. A little farther afield (2.5 miles), the Seattle Asian Art Museum, housed in a stunning 1933 Art Moderne building in the city's Volunteer Park, features noteworthy collections of Chinese, Korean, and Southeast Asian art; its Japanese art collection is considered among the most distinguished outside of Japan.

Pike Place Market

Perhaps Seattle’s most iconic attraction, the Pike Place Market has been in operation since 1907, when it was conceived as a place where downtown residents could “meet the producer”—a philosophy the market embraces to this day. Here you’ll find aisles of gleaming fruits and vegetables, tables overflowing with fresh floral bouquets, and booth after booth selling all manner of locally made jewelry, clothing and gifts. The market is home to the original Starbucks coffee shop, and specialty eateries abound. Beneath the market you’ll find a subterranean warren of intriguing shops that cascade down the hillside to the waterfront—think of it as Seattle’s take on a middle-eastern souk. The market is a nine-block walk from the conference hotel, and winter hours are 11am to 5pm. (Visitor tip: The malapropism “Pike’s Market” will brand you a tourist. Correct terminology is “Pike Place Market.”)

Seattle Waterfront and Ferries

The Seattle waterfront is active year round, a maze of paths, piers and public spaces located downtown along Alaskan Way. Here you’ll enjoy stunning views of the city skyline, West Seattle, and the Olympic Mountains. It's home to the Olympic Sculpture Park and The Seattle Aquarium. Antique and specialty shops abound, interspersed with restaurants featuring fresh Pacific Northwest seafood. The waterfront also offers what is perhaps Seattle’s greatest bargain adventure: a ride on the Washington State Ferries. For a mere $6.90 (round trip) you can enjoy the 35 minute ride to Bainbridge Island; there, you can disembark to explore the quaint island town of Winslow, or simply re-board the vessel and ride back to Seattle. Best viewing is at twilight, with the city lights turning on. The downtown ferry terminal is located just eight blocks from the conference hotel. Bon voyage!

Seattle Center and Space Needle

Space Needle Think of the Seattle Center as the city’s living room, a multi-acre entertainment hub featuring four museums, 11 theaters, five gardens, six fountains, a dozen restaurants and more—all of it anchored by the Space Needle, Seattle’s highest-profile landmark. Ride the glass elevator to the best view spot in town, or visit the Needle’s revolving restaurant, which provides a 360-degree view while you dine. Another big-name attraction at the Center is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum, housed in a brightly colored and provocative building designed by architect Frank Gehry (said to resemble a smashed electric guitar); thanks to a special arrangement with EMP, iConference attendees can show their badge to receive a discounted admission rate of $5. There’s also the Pacific Science Center, an interactive, high-tech artifact of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. All of it can be found just over a mile from the conference hotel, and conference attendees will receive special discount admission to the Space Needle, Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum. (Photo by Karla Thomas.)

Museum of Flight

Thanks to local aviation pioneer Bill Boeing, Seattle’s bond with air travel spans the decades, to the point where many locals eschew the official “Emerald City” moniker in favor of the more hip “Jet City.” The Museum of Flight is said to rival the Smithsonian for the title of finest aviation museum in the nation. More than 150 historic artifacts are on display, including the legendary SR-71 Blackbird (capable of speeds up to Mach 3 and altitudes above 85,000 feet), an original Concorde jetliner, and the actual 707 jet used as Air Force One during the ’50s, ’60s and early ’70s. Many of the exhibits are hands-on and perfect for kids, including flight simulators, a control tower and the Kid’s Flight Zone, where they can strap on flight gear and test their piloting skills. Located seven miles south of the conference hotel, this attraction will require a bus or taxi ride—if you’re an aviation fan, it’s well worth the trip.

Underground Tour

In 1889, the clapboard wooden buildings of pioneer Seattle burned to the ground in the Great Seattle Fire. Undaunted, the city rebuilt, and a collection of spectacular and ornate stone edifices rose from the ashes. Then, several years later, in a classic case of urban NON-planning, the city launched a re-grading program designed to raise street elevation in the Pioneer Square district: almost overnight, second floors became first floors, and the original entryways were entombed underground forever. Today, visitors can take the Underground Tour to enjoy an intriguing and quirky journey through the Seattle of yesteryear. Tours start 8 blocks from the conference hotel.

Woodland Park Zoo

For animal lovers, Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo is a wonderful place to experience exotic wildlife. It has long been a pioneer in the field of immersion exhibits, an environment that gives visitors the sense they're actually in the animals' habitats. Woodland Park Zoo's first immersion exhibit, a gorilla habitat, opened in the late 1970s. Other noteworthy exhibits include Tropical Asia, African Savanna, and Northern Trail, the latter of which focuses on animals of the Northwest, Western Canada, and Alaska. Think winter isn’t a good time for viewing animals? Try telling that to the snow leopards (two cubs born last year), or the denizens of the newly opened penguin exhibit. The zoo is located four miles from the conference hotel.

Geocaching Headquarters

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure-hunting game in which adventure-seekers use GPS devices to locate hidden caches sequestered around the world, and this data-driven craze was started by Seattle-based Groundspeak. Any geocacher worth his or her salt will certainly want to pay a visit to “the lily pad,” as HQ is affectionately known—especially since the central cache located here is an integral part of The Triad (‘nuf said). Of course, we’re not going to tell you how far this destination is located from the conference hotel—figuring that out is part of the fun.