Sleepless in Seattle – Exciting Tourist Attractions in Seattle

Seattle is a vibrant city with many tourist attractions. My traveling buddy and I had the opportunity to visit Seattle almost two years ago before the Christmas holiday. Seattle is more than hot latte coffee on a cold rainy day. The Emerald City has a lot to offer with its appealing attractions and a greenery atmosphere.

We took advantage of the City PASS deal, valued at $119. The pass included five city main attractions, with a day and night admission to the city’s infamous landmark. By purchasing the City PASS, we saved an estimate of $105.00. 

My friend and I spent days exploring the city’s many attractions. Here’s a bucket list of tourist attractions we visited in Sleepless Seattle.

Space Needle – You can’t bring up Seattle without mentioning the iconic Space Needle. This world-renowned landmark, built in 1962, is one of Seattle’s most popular attractions.

The observation tower gives viewers a bird’s view of Seattle’s skylines. Viewers can also see neighboring city, Bellevue, and Mountain Rainer cascading in the background. We had an opportunity to visit this landmark twice (day and night admission) with our City PASS deal. We had the advantage of getting a day and night observation view of the city’s picturesque emerald charm.

The observation deck includes a glass bench, protective tilted glass walls, and a glass floor, giving visitors a unique experience. The observation deck has a section snapping pictures of visitors’ fantastic experiences. The Space Needle includes the Loupe Lounge, an upscale lounge spot to enjoy the view while enjoying cocktails and culinary food. The tower also has a bar serving food, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, and cocktails. On the lower level is a gift shop – featuring accessories and souvenirs.

Pike Place Market – Pike Place Market is also an iconic landmark of Seattle. The farmers market serves fresh seafood and grocery markets. Tourists can watch the fishermen tossing fish. You can also find collectible shops, antiques, floral stores, local home-grown goods, and bakeries inside the market.

If you’re there on a good day, you may run into special events at the Public Market. My friend and I ran into a Christmas celebration, where partiers dressed in Santa Claus costumes.

First Starbucks – Located in Pike Place Market, this unique treasure is a top tourist attraction as visitors line up to get a taste of the Original Starbucks Store. It’s a long wait, so be prepared. Guests receive free coffee samples while they’re waiting in line.

My friend and I didn’t go inside due to the long line, but we did get a window view of the inside. The inside had the original fixtures. Whether you want to go inside or view from the outside, it’s worth stopping by to snap pictures.

The Gum Wall – This unique tourist attraction is in Post Alley, on the left side of Pike’s Market. You will find new and old gum coated on the brick walls and ground there. This attraction started as visitors placed gum on the wall in the 1990s. Patrons would stick their gum on the wall while waiting to enter the Market Theater. The gum built over time and was entirely covered throughout the alley. 

Visitors can also find stringy gum on the pipping bottom of the window. Some may consider it gross, and some may think of it as a sticky mess of art. I put it on my list of attractions that are worth visiting.

Freemont Troll – The Freemont Troll is a public sculpture in Freemont, a neighborhood of Seattle. This sculpture is also known as Troll Under the Bridge.

I recall seeing it in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You, and I was curious to see it in person. There, you will find visitors climbing on the Troll, making the experience fun while taking pictures. After I tried climbing on the Troll for an amusing photo, I settled for a side-to-side camera shot but was afraid of falling off it. This famous Troll was a must-see attraction. 

Seattle Aquarium – Located at Elliott Bay, visitors can experience Seattle’s marine and bird life attractions in a fun and educational way. This aquarium features 120,000 gallons of marine life exhibits, according to the aquarium’s website, while learning the preservation education of the Pacific Northwest.

The aquarium also makes it a fun experience for visitors to discover sea life. While there, I had the opportunity to touch the jellyfish and play/enjoy the feature attraction exhibits for visitors to experience. It’s a suitable spot for people of all ages and marine life lovers.

Argosy Cruise – At Seattle’s Waterfront, the cruise tour gives guests a panoramic view of the city’s skylines, ship port, and surrounding areas while receiving a live narrated cruise of the city’s rich history. The cruise includes a full-service bar with cocktails, local wine and beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks available for purchase.

The Argosy offers an hour, two-hour, and private cruise. I had the opportunity to take the Harbor Cruise (hour cruise). The cruise has a lower, mid-level level where guests can get a window view of the scene. The top level gives viewers a full scenic view. The view is breathtaking, and it is a must-visit tourist attraction to learn the history of the Emerald City and get a stunning view of the city.

Chihuly Garden and Glass – The art glass museum is between the Space Needle and the Rock and Roll Museum. The garden is named after the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly. The museum features a spectacular, colorful glass art sculpture display shaped in different forms, an outside garden, and a large glasshouse room. Visitors will also see glass sculptures displayed on the ceiling. The place also features a 50-seat multi-use theater and café with outdoor dining.

Amazon Sphere – The Sphere is an innovative preservation area of nature. The Amazon Sphere is free to the public on 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm. The Sphere is also open on the weekdays if accompanied by an Amazon employee (up to six guests).

We were able to get a peek inside the Sphere. The inside has a rainforest appeal, which features a waterfall, fish tanks, terrariums, and plants.

The Sphere also has a seesaw outside of the Sphere. We felt like 90s kids back on the playground as we were on the seesaw. An Amazon employee mentioned that most adults play on the seesaw, tapping into their inner child. Guests can make reservations 15 days before the intended date of visit.

Kerry Park – This is the best view of Seattle. Kerry Park is a park located in the Queen Anne Hill neighborhood. We were determined to get an in-person view of what we had seen on television and social media. We hiked at least an hour to Kerry Park from the Freemont neighborhood. The walk was hilly and worked out our calf muscles and thighs.

Kerry Park live up to my expectation. This breathtaking view gives you a panoramic view of the city, Space Needle, Mount Rainer, and Elliott Bay. The park has a spacious area for people to sit and relax while enjoying this view.

Museum of Pop Culture– The outside of the museum has an interesting abstract outer architectural design beside the Space Needle. This attraction was part of the City Pass deal. The pop culture museum features exhibitions of hip-hop and rock and roll culture, fantasy collections, a sound lab, and indie video games. The Guitar Gallery is a collection of acoustic and electric guitars, basses, and related instruments dedicated to the history of American popular music.

Some exhibits feature artifacts from sci-fi literature, horror films, and other popular film and television shows. Additionally, the museum have popular displays dedicated to iconic music phenoms, Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses, Hendrix Collection: Wild Blue Angel, and Pearl Jam: Home and Away.

Those are my top attractions, the gem of the Pacific Northwest. We didn’t get to see other interests, but I look forward to visiting Sleepless Seattle to discover more attractions while reliving the jewel of the main attractions. 

If you want to see the city’s main attractions, get the City PASS to save money on viewing the top attractions included in the package and take advantage of the free attractions. We visited the city during the fall when it was cold for this Southerner. So do prepare for the cold, rainy weather. If you don’t like the cold weather, I recommend visiting during the warmer months. We purchased round-trip tickets two months before our visit. 

Add Seattle to your bucket list of places to visit. This city will WOW your expectations.