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. 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. In addition to having perfect views of the field and surrounding areas, fans experience nearly $2 million worth of art.

KeyArena began its history in 1962 as the Washington State Pavilion for the Century 21 Exposition and Seattle World’s Fair. After the close of the Exposition, the Pavilion was remodeled as the Washington State Coliseum, one of the centerpieces of Seattle Center. The Coliseum soon became home to the Seattle SuperSonics beginning with their inaugural season in 1967. The Washington State Coliseum later was renamed the Seattle Center Coliseum and continued to be operated by the City of Seattle.
Notable events during the 1960’s and 1970’s were concerts by The Beatles in 1964 and Elvis Presley in 1970 and the 1974 NBA All-Star Game.
The Coliseum was rebuilt from the ground up between 1994 and 1995, bringing the arena into the 21st century with state-of-the-art amenities.

On April 11, 1995, the city sold the naming rights to Cleveland-based KeyCorp, the parent of KeyBank, which renamed the Coliseum as KeyArena. The doors opened on the newly renovated arena and home court for the Seattle Sonics on October 26, 1995. The arena accommodates up to 17,000 for sporting events, and with help from its flexible lay-out it is adaptable to more intimate gatherings of 5,000 to 9,000.

In 2002, KeyArena welcomed the WNBA Seattle Storm. The Seattle Sonics continued to play in the arena until 2008. In 2009 this premier large events venue continued to host dozens of nationally touring concerts, family shows and conferences. It also welcomed the Rat City Rollergirls and Seattle University Men’s Basketball in its return to NCAA Division I competition.

Safeco Field is the fabulous home of the Seattle Mariners. Guests are treated to a 19.59-acre outdoor baseball park with real grass and a retractable roof.

 

Since the Inaugural Game on July 15, 1999, Safeco Field 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 Safeco Field an experience unequalled in Major League Baseball.

Chihuly Garden and Glass provides a look at the inspiration and influences that inform the career of artist Dale Chihuly. Located at Seattle Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass includes an Exhibition Hall, the centerpiece Glasshouse and a lush Garden. The Exhibition Hall contains eight galleries and three Drawing Walls, offering visitors a comprehensive look at Chihuly’s significant series of work; the Glasshouse presents a suspended 1,400-piece, 100-foot-long sculpture; and the Garden is a backdrop for four monumental sculptures and other installations.

EMP (formerly known as Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame or EMP|SFM) is a leading-edge, nonprofit museum, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture. With its roots in rock 'n' roll, EMP serves as a gateway museum, reaching multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, using interactive technologies to engage and empower our visitors. At EMP, artists, audiences and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the popular culture of our time.

The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) is a history museum located in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. MOHAI is the largest private heritage organization in the State of Washington maintaining a collection of nearly 4 million artifacts, photographs, and archival materials that primarily focus on Seattle and the greater Puget Sound region. A portion of this collection (roughly 2% at any given time) is on display in the museum's galleries at the historic Naval Reserve Armory in Lake Union Park. Highlights include Boeing's first commercial plane, the 1919 Boeing B-1; the Petticoat Flag, an 1856 American Flag sewn by women during the Battle of Seattle; and the Rainier Brewing Company's 12-foot tall neon "R" sign. In addition to both permanent and temporary exhibits, MOHAI administers ongoing youth and adult programming, and regularly hosts public events in partnership with other community organizations, particularly within the South Lake Union neighborhood.

First Thursdays free admission. Seattle Magazine article about MOHAI.

Seattle Art Museum is internationally recognized for its excellent collection of Asian, African and Native American art and for its fine collection of modern art produced by Pacific Northwest artists. The permanent collection includes 21,000 pieces and while it doesn't have huge collections of European art, it does have plentiful local art and wonderful visiting exhibits. Its original museum provided an area of 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2); the present facilities provide 312,000 square feet (29,000 m2) plus the 9-acre (3.6 ha) Olympic Sculpture Park.

 

The park is situated at the northern end of the Seattle seawall and the southern end of Myrtle Edwards Park. The former industrial site was occupied by the oil and gas corporation Unocal until the 1970s and subsequently became a contaminated brownfield before the Seattle Art Museum proposed to transform the area into one of the only green spaces in Downtown Seattle.

The Seattle Asian Art Museum is a museum of Asian art located inside Volunteer Park in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Seattle. Part of the Seattle Art Museum, SAAM occupies the 1933 Art Moderne building which was originally home to the Seattle Art Museum's main collection. In 1991 the main collection moved to a newly-constructed Seattle Art Museum building in downtown Seattle, at which time the Seattle Asian Art Museum was created. Admission is free on the first Thursday and the first Saturday of every month.

Pioneer Square’s First Thursday Art Walk speaker series has some very relevant talks.

 

Milepost 31 is an award-winning information center that celebrates the
people and projects that shaped Pioneer Square and provides an inside look
at the SR 99 Tunnel Project. Learn more about the project from experts in
the field at the speaker series.

Shop the Market for summer's best fresh produce and seafood, as well as handmade crafts and gifts galore. When it's time for a shopping break, enjoy a meal at one of our many great restaurants.

Amphibious World War II vehicles will show you Seattle on wheels while you explore the waterfront, downtown Seattle shopping district, Pike Place Market and historic Pioneer Square. Then, SPLASH into Lake Union for a party on wheels that floats.

The heartbeat of hands-on marine experience and preservation education in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Aquarium offers fun, exciting ways to discover more about the amazing Puget Sound that surrounds you! Join us in our mission: Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment.

First built for the 1962 World's Fair, the 74 acre Seattle Center campus is located just north of downtown Seattle, and offers everyone a fairground, park, and arts and entertainment center all year round.

 

The Seattle Great Wheel is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., according to developers. The 280,300-pound wheel holds 42 climate-controlled gondolas, allowing for 252 passengers at full capacity. Extending 40 feet over Puget Sound, the 12-minute ride boasts incredible views of the city. 

Check out the ongoing city sponsored activities in nearby parks.

Come and rent an Electric "Duffy" boat on beautiful Lake Union. Our boats are 21' long and seat a maximum of 10 passengers, including children. Be your own captain. The boats are equipped with two tables, a CD player/IPod Jack and sound system and plush leather seats. They are fully enclosed and heated or the windows can be opened for those beautiful Seattle days as well!

Begin your 4-hour escape with a narrated cruise from downtown Seattle, Pier 55 to Blake Island State Park. Upon arrival to Tillicum Village, you are greeted with steamed clams in nectar. Make your way into the longhouse and watch as whole salmon are cooked in a traditional Northwest Coast Indian style. Enjoy a fabulous salmon buffet meal followed by a show that highlights the Coast Salish tribes through storytelling and symbolism. Afterward, you'll have free time to explore the grounds and gift shop before returning to Seattle.

Presenting new, world-class, innovative productions in intimate stage venues (walking distance from WFL).

The 5th Avenue Theatre Association exists to develop, produce and present live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community, and to preserve, maintain, and operate the historic and irreplaceable 5th Avenue Theatre.

When moving pictures became popular in the 1930s, The 5th thrived as a movie palace, thanks mainly to the efforts of film exhibitor James Q. Clemmer. Known for his showmanship, Clemmer arranged to have an organ rise from the center of the orchestra pit during a film’s most suspenseful moment and ushers wore costumes that reflected each movie’s theme.
At the theater’s grand re-opening on June 16, 1980, actress Helen Hayes christened the stage with a kiss and declared it “a national treasure.” The 5th Avenue Theatre became Seattle’s premier home for Broadway shows, starting with the national tour of Annie. In 1989, The 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company was established as a resident non-profit theater company and The 5th Avenue expanded its mission from simply presenting touring shows to producing Broadway-caliber productions of its own.

Seattle Repertory Theatre (familiarly known as "The Rep") is a major regional theatre located at the Seattle Center. It is a member of Theatre Puget Sound and Theatre Communications Group. Founded in 1963, it is led by Artistic Director Jerry Manning and Managing Director Benjamin Moore. It received the 1990 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

Currently leading all U.S. cruise homeports on the West Coast in passenger volume and number of ship calls, Cruise business is responsible for more than 4,319 jobs, $416 million in annual business revenue, and nearly $18 million annually in state and local tax revenues. Each vessel call generates almost $2.1 million for the local economy.

Clipper Navigation, Inc. is a privately held company based in Seattle, Washington that provides multiple transportation and vacation packages, many of which are offered under the name Clipper Vacations including hotel and tour packages in Victoria, Seattle, Vancouver, Friday Harbor, Portland, Whistler, British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies and Kelowna.

The company operates the popular Victoria Clipper high-speed passenger-only ferry service between downtown Seattle and the Inner Harbour in downtown Victoria, British Columbia. The various Victoria Clipper catamarans typically complete a one-way trip in less than three hours.

Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile ferry fleet in the United States and the third largest in the world by fleet size. Having carried 11 million vehicles annually, the service is also the largest in the world based on the number of vehicles carried.