In 1852, on the shores of Elliot Bay, in Puget Sound Bay, 182 kilometers from the American-Canadian border, a city called Elkie Point was founded. After some time, it was renamed in honor of the leader of the Indians - Seattle. In 1869, he received the official status of a city.
Seattle is surrounded by mountains and ponds, its surroundings throughout the year are ideal landscapes for photography and wonderful outdoor recreation. The sights of Seattle and its environs attract thousands of tourists from around the world every year. In this article we will introduce you to some of them.
Seattle Attractions: Space Needle Tower
If you happen to be in this American city, then for sure the locals will recommend that you first of all see the unique Space Needle Tower. Many of Seattle's attractions are highly original, but this one is a recognized leader among them.
It owes its appearance to the International Exhibition, which was held in the city in 1962. The Space Needle (its name is translated) is part of the architectural complex of the Seattle Center, which was built specifically for this event. She gained immense popularity immediately after the completion of construction. During the exhibition, it was visited by more than two million tourists.
The author of the idea was Edward Carlson, who was then chairman of the exhibition. But this man was very far from architecture, because his sketch was significantly modified. The futuristic look of the tower was consistent with the theme of the exhibition - the 21st century.
For the foundation of this design, more than five hundred trucks with cement were used. The tower has a large margin of safety. It is able to withstand both a 9-point earthquake and a severe hurricane. The TV tower weighs ninety tons, and its height reaches 184 meters. The construction is crowned by a narrow spire, which gave the name to the object. Initially, the construction cost the city treasury four and a half million dollars, and 20 million were spent on the reconstruction of 2000.
Today, there are everyone who wants to see Seattle (sights). Photos (the tower is included in all excursion programs) against the background of this magnificent design are made by many in order to preserve good memories of the trip. On the ground floor of the building is the Cosmic Base store, which sells original souvenirs. Guests go to the observation deck (159 m) by high-speed elevators. Due to the fact that they have restrictions on the number of visitors, sometimes small lines appear.
In addition to the observation deck, there is a restaurant on the top floor. At first there were two. After the reconstruction, it was decided to leave one, which was called "Heavenly City." Today it is the most popular and stylish restaurant in the city. A bird's eye view offers amazing views of the whole of Seattle, the port in Eliot Bay, Mount Rainier volcano, mountains and numerous islands.
Museum of Science Fiction and the History of Music
Not all of Seattle's sights (photos and descriptions of the most interesting ones are presented in the article) can be found in travel booklets advertising brochures. And this museum is in all advertising publications and guidebooks. The "metal" brainchild of architect Frank Gehry is located in the city center. Someone considers this unusual structure, the area of which is no less than 42 thousand square meters, ugly, and someone admires its originality.
This building houses one of the most interesting museums in the state. It opened in 2000, and is called the Music History Project. The idea of its creation belongs to the admirer of the work of J. Hendrix - Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft Corporations. Museum galleries introduce musical instruments, photographs, videos of world famous musicians exhibited here. In the museum, each guest is given the opportunity to record his song, learn to play the guitar and even speak to the public.
Science fiction museum
In 2004, the Science Fiction Museum was opened here, which will tell fans of this genre about starships, inhabitants of other civilizations, etc. In the Hall of Fame, you can find out details from the life and work of great science fiction writers and directors who shot films in this genre. The museum has about 80 thousand rare exhibits.
Log House Museum
If the previous attractions of Seattle are striking in their huge size, then this museum, located next to the famous Elki beach, seems very small. The treasures that are collected here tell about the history and identity of the region.
It is probably no coincidence that his main exposition is called "Homeland - Seattle." In this small, but very educational institution, visitors are offered to get acquainted with ancient artifacts, attend multimedia presentations of exhibitions that tell about local settlers and indigenous people of Shukuamish and Dyuvamish.
Every month, events are held here for young visitors and various groups of adults (by interests). You can visit a small gift shop.
Kubota Garden
Attractions in Seattle (USA) are very diverse. It is unlikely that even the most sophisticated traveler expects to see waterfalls and neat bridges, sakura and other elements typical of the Land of the Rising Sun among numerous skyscrapers and amazing "space" structures. We are talking about the Kubota Garden, which, undoubtedly, is one of the main and most interesting sights of the city, as well as a favorite vacation spot for citizens.
It was created by an emigrant from Japan, Fujitaro Kubota. He is the author of many interesting landscape and park art projects in the United States. A talented craftsman arrived in America in 1907, and set up his magnificent garden in Seattle in 1927. Of course, creating this beauty, the master recalled his native land.
Kubota Garden occupies a rather large territory, so before starting the inspection visitors are given a map on which the most interesting places are marked.
St james cathedral
Describing the attractions of Seattle (the photo you see in this article), one can not help but mention the majestic, monumental St. James Cathedral. This Catholic temple is located in the expensive First Hill area. It can be called the pearl of the cult architecture of the state of Washington. Such a cathedral would be entirely appropriate in the main square of Paris or Florence. Nevertheless, the temple was built in a fun and welcoming Seattle. Locals are very kind to him.
It should be noted that US churches do not have such a rich history as similar buildings in Europe. However, St. James has already celebrated its first centenary. It was built in 1907 specifically for the diocese of Washington, which was transferred to Seattle from Vancouver. At that time, it had existed for more than half a century. The diocese gradually expanded, and a worthy cathedral became necessary for it.
Unfortunately, negligent builders came across, or maybe the architect made a mistake in the project, but after 9 years (1916), due to heavy snowfall, the dome of the temple failed. Restoration work began immediately, but it was decided to slightly change the original plan of the temple. This was followed by major repairs in the 50s of the last century, in the 80s the abbot's house and utility rooms were completed. Thus, the cathedral today differs significantly from the original project. However, the city government placed it on the official Seattle Attractions list.
Smith tower
The Smith Tower is inferior in height to the Space Needle. This building is 42 floors high and ranks third among the city’s skyscrapers. But it’s noteworthy at all. Smith Tower is the oldest high-rise building of the city, which was built in 1914. On the thirty-fifth floor there is a large observation deck, traditional for all skyscrapers.
Kerry park
If, while in Seattle, you want to relax in nature, go to one of the most beautiful parks in the city - Kerry Park. This is a real urban oasis, featuring stunning flora and magnificent landscapes that can be enjoyed endlessly.
Interesting fact: Seattle is one of the greenest cities in America. On its territory more than 400 squares and parks are broken.
We have listed only some of the attractions of Seattle. This is an amazing city in which echoes of the past and the present are harmoniously combined and the breath of the future is felt. It is never boring here and there is always something to see. Perhaps this is why tourists who have been here once come back to the city again and again.