The Space Needle is one of the iconic symbols of Seattle and is well known as one of the city’s top tourist attractions – and for good reasons. What we didn’t know before we began researching our trip is that it is located in an area known as Seattle Center which boasts a range of other attractions, including the stunning Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit.
We were incredibly lucky with the weather – superb visibility allowed us to see not only across Seattle and the Puget Sound, we were able to enjoy great views of Mount Rainier and even the Cascade Mountain range.
In addition, if you book in advance, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll through the interpretative displays on the way to the elevators which take you to the observation deck.
The interactive interpretative kiosks aren’t obvious when the observation deck is crowded but they were well worth finding and poring over – what we thought might be a state building turned out to be a former school, now converted into apartments!
We went to the Chihuly exhibit without knowing a great deal about it and were blown away. A Washington native, Chihuly has pushed the boundaries of glass and fine art. This exhibit combines large scale indoor exhibits with beautiful gardens designed around further examples of his work. There are even a couple of chandeliers, a ‘glass house’ and information on his inspirations and working methods. We highly recommend a visit.
