Seattle Landmarks: Book Tickets Now

Climb a 1914 skyscraper, ride a 1962 monorail and look out over the Space Needle from 73 floors up.

Seattle Center & Space Needle: Guided Walking Tour

From $135.00

Seattle Center Monorail: Transport Ticket

From $4.00

Skip the Line: Sky View Observatory Admission Tickets

From $28.30

Sky View Observatory: enjoy the views

From $28.35

Smith Tower Observatory: Entry Ticket + Self-Guided Tour

From $26.25

Seattle’s best-known landmarks are close enough together to fit into one trip. You can go up Smith Tower, look across the whole city from Sky View Observatory, ride the Seattle Center Monorail, or take a guided walk around Seattle Center and the Space Needle.

Book your tickets online and pick the ones that suit your plans.

Which Seattle Landmarks Should I Visit?

Seattle observation decks with views of Mount Rainier and the Space Needle

Two of downtown Seattle’s best high viewpoints are Sky View Observatory and Smith Tower, and they give you very different outlooks. Sky View Observatory sits on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, 902 feet up, with a 360-degree view that takes in Mount Rainier, the Cascades, the Olympic Mountains, Elliott Bay and the Space Needle. Smith Tower’s observatory is lower, on the 35th floor, but its outdoor deck keeps you closer to the streets of Pioneer Square.

On a clear day, either one is a good way to get your bearings early in a trip.

Smith Tower: a 1914 skyscraper in Pioneer Square

Smith Tower opened in 1914 and was the tallest building on the West Coast for almost 50 years. The 35th floor is the reason to go up. The Chinese Room has a carved ceiling and heavy carved furniture that have been there since opening year, and an outdoor deck sits just beside it.

The ride up in one of the building’s historic elevators is part of the visit.

Seattle Center, the Space Needle and the 1962 World’s Fair

Seattle Center is the 74-acre site of the 1962 World’s Fair, and the Space Needle was built for it. A guide can fill in the story of the fair and how the grounds changed afterward, and a guided walking tour lets you hear that story on the spot.

It’s a relaxed way to see the area if you’d rather not work out what you’re looking at on your own.

Riding the Seattle Center Monorail

The Seattle Center Monorail was built for the same World’s Fair and still runs the same short route. It covers 0.9 miles along Fifth Avenue between Westlake Center downtown and Seattle Center, with no stops in between, and the trip takes about two minutes. Near the Seattle Center end, the track passes through the Museum of Pop Culture building before reaching the station.

Plenty of visitors use it simply to get between downtown and the Space Needle, and it works well for that too.

Good to Know Before Visiting Seattle Landmarks

Sky View Observatory is on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, and clear days give the best views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains.

Smith Tower's observatory is on the 35th floor in Pioneer Square, and you reach it in the building's historic elevators.

The Seattle Center Monorail runs between Westlake Center and Seattle Center with no stops in between, and the ride takes about two minutes.

You can transfer to Link light rail at Westlake, which makes the monorail an easy way to reach Seattle Center from other parts of the city.

The guided walking tour covers Seattle Center and the Space Needle area on foot, so comfortable shoes and a layer for changeable weather are worth bringing.

Each landmark has its own entrance and schedule, so check the time and meeting point on your booking before you set out.

Booking tickets online ahead of time makes it easier to fit two or three of these landmarks into the same day.

Seattle Landmarks - Gallery

Seattle's Top 5 Picks

Seattle Aquarium

A Pier 59 waterfront aquarium focused on Puget Sound marine life, with a 400,000-gallon Underwater Dome at its center.

Sky View Observatory

A 360-degree viewing floor 902 feet up on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, with Mount Rainier and the Space Needle in sight.

Woodland Park Zoo

A 92-acre zoo in Phinney Ridge known for habitat-style exhibits, from grizzly bears on the Northern Trail to giraffes on the African Savanna.

Smith Tower

A 1914 Pioneer Square skyscraper with a 35th-floor observatory, an open-air deck and the carved Chinese Room.

National Nordic Museum

A Ballard museum, in a purpose-built building that opened in 2018, devoted to the heritage of the five Nordic countries and Nordic Americans.

FAQs about Seattle Landmarks

What are the best landmarks to visit in Seattle?

Smith Tower, Sky View Observatory, Seattle Center with the Space Needle, and the Seattle Center Monorail are all good places to start.

Which Seattle landmarks have observation decks?

Sky View Observatory on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center and the Smith Tower observatory on the 35th floor are two of downtown's best-known options.

How high is Sky View Observatory?

It sits on the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, about 902 feet above the street.

What can you see from Sky View Observatory?

The 360-degree view covers Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, the Cascades, the Olympic Mountains, Elliott Bay and the Space Needle.

When was Smith Tower built?

Smith Tower opened in 1914 and stayed the tallest building on the West Coast for almost 50 years.

What is the Chinese Room at Smith Tower?

It is a room on the 35th floor with a carved ceiling and carved furniture that have been part of the tower since it opened.

How long does the Seattle Center Monorail take?

The ride between Westlake Center and Seattle Center covers 0.9 miles and takes about two minutes.

Where does the Seattle Center Monorail go?

It runs along Fifth Avenue between Westlake Center downtown and Seattle Center, with no stops in between.

What does the Seattle Center and Space Needle walking tour cover?

It is a guided walk around Seattle Center, the former 1962 World's Fair grounds where the Space Needle stands.

When is the best time to go up an observation deck in Seattle?

A clear day gives you the best chance of seeing Mount Rainier and the surrounding mountains, so it helps to check the forecast first.

Can I book Seattle landmark tickets online in advance?

Yes, you can book online ahead of your visit and plan the rest of your day around it.