Pioneer Square Park, Seattle
Pioneer Park has long been dominated by a Victorian iron-and-glass pergola built in 1905 and which once sheltered the patrons of a 1.3-mile (2.1 kilometers) cable-car route. Destroyed by a truck in 2001, the pergola was so popular that a new cast- and wrought-iron one – with a safer and stronger steel structure – was unveiled less than two years later. Adjacent is the totem pole made by the Tlingit tribe of Alaska, and a bust of Chief Sealth (or Seattle) perched upon a drinking fountain.
Opposite the pergola is the Merchant's Cafe, the city's oldest restaurant, which in Gold Rush times served 5-cent beers to miners, as they waited for their turn in the brothel upstairs. Seattle's Great Fire of 1889 wiped out almost all of the bar's neighbors in the Pioneer Square area, and architect Elmer Fisher, who was responsible for at least 50 of the new structures, set the new dominant style. A characteristic example of his work is the elegant Pioneer Building (600 1st Avenue) on the plaza, whose tenants included several dozen mining companies above a saloon, which was once operated by Dr 'Doc' Maynard, one of the area's first and pre-eminent settlers.
Tip:
Doc Maynard's former saloon is now the starting point of the popular Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, an inspection of the shops and rooms that were abandoned when this part of town was rebuilt. The tour takes in a warren of the musty, debris-lined passageways and rooms that had been at ground level, and ends at the Rogue's Gallery, where old photos, magazines, artifacts, and scale models depict the area as it was before the fire. Ghost enthusiasts can also take the Paranormal Tour.
Opposite the pergola is the Merchant's Cafe, the city's oldest restaurant, which in Gold Rush times served 5-cent beers to miners, as they waited for their turn in the brothel upstairs. Seattle's Great Fire of 1889 wiped out almost all of the bar's neighbors in the Pioneer Square area, and architect Elmer Fisher, who was responsible for at least 50 of the new structures, set the new dominant style. A characteristic example of his work is the elegant Pioneer Building (600 1st Avenue) on the plaza, whose tenants included several dozen mining companies above a saloon, which was once operated by Dr 'Doc' Maynard, one of the area's first and pre-eminent settlers.
Tip:
Doc Maynard's former saloon is now the starting point of the popular Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, an inspection of the shops and rooms that were abandoned when this part of town was rebuilt. The tour takes in a warren of the musty, debris-lined passageways and rooms that had been at ground level, and ends at the Rogue's Gallery, where old photos, magazines, artifacts, and scale models depict the area as it was before the fire. Ghost enthusiasts can also take the Paranormal Tour.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Seattle. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Pioneer Square Park on Map
Sight Name: Pioneer Square Park
Sight Location: Seattle, USA (See walking tours in Seattle)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Seattle, USA (See walking tours in Seattle)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Seattle, Washington
Create Your Own Walk in Seattle
Creating your own self-guided walk in Seattle is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Fremont Neighborhood Walking Tour
Fremont is a vibrant neighborhood in Seattle, renowned for its quirky and artistic character. Among other things, this famous district is home to some of Seattle's most beloved and controversial sculptures.
One of its most iconic landmarks is the Fremont Troll, a massive sculpture of a troll lurking underneath the Aurora Bridge.
At the height of its counterculture days, Fremont renamed... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
One of its most iconic landmarks is the Fremont Troll, a massive sculpture of a troll lurking underneath the Aurora Bridge.
At the height of its counterculture days, Fremont renamed... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Seattle Center Walking Tour
Immediately north of Downtown Seattle, you will find the ever-popular Seattle Center. Developed for the 1962 World's Fair, this 30-hectare (74-acre) park and arts & entertainment center contains numerous landmarks. It is also where Seattle's biggest festivals, concerts, film screenings, and theatrical performances are held.
At the heart of this bustling area stands the iconic... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
At the heart of this bustling area stands the iconic... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
Seattle Architecture Walking Tour
In terms of towering skyscrapers abuzz with commerce, upscale shopping & dining, and splendid theaters, Downtown Seattle resembles many American cities. At the same time, it is also unexpectedly pleasant with hills, outdoor sculptures, and peek-a-boo views of Elliot Bay's sparkling water. Still, the diverse architectural landscape of the city is distinctive primarily for its landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Historical Religious Buildings Tour
Seattle, Washington, boasts a wealth of religious sites of various denominations – together reflecting the city's diverse spiritual heritage. Besides being purely centers of faith, these buildings are an important part of the city's historical heritage, some of them standing as architectural marvels, each with its unique story.
Trinity Parish Church, founded in 1865, is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Trinity Parish Church, founded in 1865, is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Seattle Introduction Walking Tour
Overlooking Puget Sound's Elliott Bay on the West Coast of the United States, the port city of Seattle is renowned for its surrounding waters, mountains, evergreen forests, and thousands of acres of parkland. The largest metropolitan area in today's Washington State had been inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years prior to the European pioneers. The first European to set... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.3 Km or 2.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.3 Km or 2.7 Miles
Pioneer Square District Walking Tour
Pioneer Square, the district where Seattle was founded in the mid-19th century, had gone through its boom and near-bust until a period of preservation managed to save it for a new life. Today, this is the most historic part of Seattle that holds a special place in the city's yesteryear and is home to several noteworthy landmarks and attractions.
One of the most prominent sites in the area... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
One of the most prominent sites in the area... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
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