Seattle Community

Cities and Areas of Interest
Bellevue
Carnation
Edmonds
Eastside
Lynnwood
Downtown Issaquah
Mercer Island
North Seattle
Queen Anne
Shoreline
West Seattle
Seattle Entertainment Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park is ranked as one of the world’s best zoos and boasts several award-winning exhibits (Tropical Rain Forest/Jaguar Cove, Elephant Forest, Northern Trail, and African Savanna) on it’s beautifully landscaped 92-acre grounds. This historic (over 100 years-old) zoo is quite popular and receives around 1 million visitors each year. This treasured

community resource features 1,090 individual creatures (almost 300 species) in exclusive global habitats which range from enchanting tropical rain forests to the captivating tundras and taigas of the Far North. The zoo is a refuge for 35 endangered species ranging from the 1/2″ long, live-bearing Partula Snail to the mammoth African Elephant and is, also home to 5 threatened animal species. The zoo, also, provides a habitat for 7,000 trees and over 50,000 shrubs and herbs representing more than 1000 species. Exceptional amenities are offered such as elephant rides, raptor demonstrations, a walk-through butterfly exhibit, giraffe and bird (small parrots) feedings, the Family Farm (a petting zoo where kids can touch goats, rabbits, and sheep), puppet shows, storytelling, the Zoomazium (an indoor playground for children), and a historic carousel.

Pike Place Market – Photo Tour of Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is a large, historic (over 100 years-old), public market along the waterfront. This spectacular market is the oldest, consistently- functioning farmer’s market in the U.S. and is a popular tourist destination for 9 to 10 million visitors per year. Pike Place Market’s land sprawls over nine acres and is home to around 500 low income people (mostly senior citizens). The market’s area was named as one of 10 great neighborhoods in America by the American Planning Association. Pike Place boasts fresh produce, antiques, comic books, and exotic goods from around the globe and is home to

over 600 retail shops, 100 restaurants, 100 farmers, over 150 craftspeople, nearly 250 performers (including street musicians), and nearly 300 commercial business people. Major attractions of Pike Place Market consist of Pike Place Fish Market (where employees throw three foot salmon and other fish to each other), Starbucks Coffee, the market’s nearly 600 pound, bronze, piggy bank mascot (Rachel), a diverse selection of vintage arcades, and ghost tours (the remains of a graveyard are located in the Pike Place neighborhood).

Museum Of Flight

The Museum Of Flight is the largest private air and space museum in the world and boasts more than 80 aircraft. 500,000 visitors attend each year, and the museum hosts the largest K-12 educational programs globally. The Museum Of Flight offers hands-on kid’s workshops and fly-ins (children’s flight simulators), a magnificent library with archives, and intriguing exhibits. The major attractions of the museum include the first presidential jet (Air Force One) and the West Coast’s only Concorde in Airpark, the Great Gallery (a six story glass and steel exhibit hall with 39 full size historic aircraft), the Space Exhibit, the Personal Courage Wing (where personal stories of World Wars I and II can be heard), and the original Boeing manufacturing facility (the Red Barn).

Seattle Art Museum

The Seattle Art Museum is a four story, world class museum which displays nearly 25,000 pieces of art work. This art-lover’s dream boasts an entrance which features Ford Tauruses in different stages of simulated explosions and maintains two other facilities-the Seattle Asian Art Museum and the new, nine acre Olympic Sculpture Park. The museum drew in close to 800,000 visitors in 2007 with it’s strong collection of modern and contemporary art (Warhol for one), Northwest Coast Indian art and artifacts, African Mask Gallery, impressionist art work (Jean Renoir for one), and some Spanish armor and royalty. The Seattle Art Museum, also, features a life-sized Japanese Tea House and a Mercedes Benz-shaped coffin from Ghana as well as a few Gothic pieces. The museum hosts an excellent museum and a fantastic cafe (the Taste).

Seattle Science Center and Space Needle

The magnificent Pacific Science Center is comprised of five buildings which house interactive science exhibits. The impressive center, also, features two IMAX theaters (one with 3D), awesome laser light shows, a wonderful planetarium, a Morphis Movie Ride Motion Simulator, a fabulous, on-site cafe, a science playground (where kids have access to electric motors and gyroscopes), and occasional traveling exhibits (past exhibits have included “China:7000 Years Of Discovery” and “Titanic: The Artifacts Exhibit”). The Pacific Science Center’s permanent exhibits include a marvelous dinosaur exhibit, a gorgeous Tropical Butterfly House, an excellent technology exhibit (robots, computers, and more), and a live animal exhibit with reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

The Space Needle is a towering 605′ landmark with a stunning observation deck where one can experience 360 degree panoramic views of Mt. Rainier, the pristine Puget Sound, the majestic Olympic and Cascade Mountains, striking sunsets, and the gorgeous city of Seattle and beyond. The Space Needle boasts fun elevator rides, delectable dining, and the ever popular Duck rides. The Duck is a WWII amphibious landing craft which is the equivalent of a 2 1/2 ton truck with a K-front wheel drive and a W-rear wheel drive.

Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the United States and is a 14, 410 foot active volcano surrounded by a gorgeous national park. The national park boasts an abundance of leisure activities such as a scenic railroad, camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing, fishing, boating, bicycling, and horseback riding. Mount Rainier’s winter activities include ranger-guided snowshoe walks, Paradise snow play (sledding and sliding), snowboarding, cross-country-skiing, and even snowmobiling (allowed only in certain areas). This captivating area features breath-taking landscape with a series of impressive glacier and volcanic caves, majestic stands of dense old growth forest (Douglas Firs and other towering evergreens), and beautiful alpine meadows. Wildlife lovers often see squirrels, marmots, and birds. Sometimes the occasional black bear, elk, or cougar may be observed as well.