Seattle Center is an arts, educational, tourism and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington, United States. Spanning an area of 74 acres (30 ha), it was originally built for the
1962 World's Fair
The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair) was a world's fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962, in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States.Space Needle, which at the time of its completion was the tallest building west of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...
. Seattle Center is located just north of Belltown in the
Uptown
Uptown may refer to:
Neighborhoods or regions in several cities
United States
* Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
* Uptown, area surrounding the University of C ...
neighborhood.
Attractions
Landmarks
* Space Needle, an official city landmark, featuring an observation deck and revolving restaurantLandmarks Alphabetical Listing for S , Individual Landmarks, City of Seattle. Accessed 28 December 2007.
*
International Fountain
The International Fountain, designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyuki Matsushita and Hideki Shimizu during 1961–1962 for the Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair), is a concrete fountain and sculpture installed in Sea ...
, located in the middle of the campus, operates all year round. Built for the
1962 World's Fair
The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair) was a world's fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962, in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States.Seattle Center Monorail terminus
* John T. Williams totem pole - A 34 feet (10 m) high totem pole commemorating John T. Williams
*Kobe Bell, an official city landmark
*The outdoor Mural Amphitheatre, featuring a mosaic mural by
Paul Horiuchi
Paul Horiuchi (April 12, 1906 – August 29, 1999) was an American painter and collagist. He was born in Oishi, Japan, and studied art from an early age. After immigrating to the United States in his early teens, he spent many years as a railro ...
: the Horiuchi Mural, also created for the World's Fair, is an official city landmark.
*Artists At Play playground
*Howard S. Wright Memorial Fountain
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graem ...
TheaterIMAX Theater , Accessed November 25, 2018 and Seattle Laser Dome
*
Seattle Children's Museum
The Seattle Children's Museum in Seattle is located on the lowest floor of the Armory at the Seattle Center. Founded in 1979 with a single exhibit, the museum currently features 18,000 sq feet of play space with 11 exhibits designed for kids 6 mon ...
Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914.
History
Cornish College of the Arts was founded in 1914 as the Cornish School of Music, by Nellie Cornish (1876–1956), a teacher of ...
* Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, home of Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet, whose ballet school is adjacent at the Phelps Center. This is the third performance space on this site, the second being the Opera House built at the time of the World's Fair.
* Seattle Children's Theatre at the Charlotte Martin Theatre
* The Vera Project (or VERA)
* Mercer Arena, formerly a sports, concert, and opera venue before sitting dormant for several years. It was demolished and the site is being redeveloped as the future home of Seattle Opera.
Venues
*Seattle Center Armory (known as Center HousePress Release , Seattle Center March 26, 2012 Press release. Accessed 25 July 2013 from the early 1970s until 2012, and the Food CircusSeattle Center Armory , Seattle Center Website. Accessed 25 July 2013 from 1962 to the early 1970s), including Center Theatre, the home of Seattle Shakespeare Company and Book-It Repertory Theatre, as well as the
Seattle Children's Museum
The Seattle Children's Museum in Seattle is located on the lowest floor of the Armory at the Seattle Center. Founded in 1979 with a single exhibit, the museum currently features 18,000 sq feet of play space with 11 exhibits designed for kids 6 mon ...
, The Center High School and the Academy of Interactive Entertainment. Before the 1962 World's Fair, the building was an armory. Seattle Center Armory is an official city landmark.
**A piece of the Berlin Wall is in the food atrium.
*Exhibition Hall, a space for trade shows, receptions, exhibits, and special events
*Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center is one of the largest rental venues on the grounds and the first City of Seattle building to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The large, flexible space can accommodate a wide range of commercial, charity and community events.
*The Northwest Rooms, once a small conference center, now houses SIFF Film Center, The VERA Project, and
KEXP-FM
KEXP-FM (90.3 MHz) is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Seattle, Washington, United States, specializing in alternative and indie rock programmed by its disc jockeys for the Seattle metropolitan area. The station is owned by the non- ...
.
Athletics
*
Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was ...
is the current home of the
Seattle University
Seattle University (SeattleU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate p ...
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior ...
)
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...
. Originally opened as the Seattle Center Coliseum in 1962, it was renovated in 1995 as KeyArena and rebuilt in 2020-2021 as Climate Pledge Arena. The arena hosts over 100 events per year and was the region's top live concert touring venue in 2016 (according to Venues Today magazine)
* Memorial Stadium, a
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
and soccer stadium which predates the World's Fair. It was the home of the NWSL's
OL Reign
OL Reign is an American professional women's soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded by Bill and Teresa Predmore in 2012 as Seattle Reign FC, it was one of eight inaugural members of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). In 2020, ...
from 2014 to 2018.
Festivals
Seattle Center hosts many cultural, music and arts festivals. Major attractions include:
*
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend (leading up to and including the first Monday of September) at th ...
*Seattle Center
Festál
Festál is a free series of annual ethnically-related festivals that take place on the grounds of Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. A major cultural program of Seattle, these festivals aim to celebrate and connect the city to its var ...
File:Seattle - International Fountain & Space Needle.jpg, View of the Space Needle with the
International Fountain
The International Fountain, designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyuki Matsushita and Hideki Shimizu during 1961–1962 for the Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair), is a concrete fountain and sculpture installed in Sea ...
in the foreground.
File:McCaw Hall Kreielsheimer Promenade.JPG, Kreielsheimer Promenade and Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle Center.
File:Monorail tracks enter EMP-SFM 01.jpg, Monorail tracks entering the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) building.
File:Pacific Science Center at night 02.jpg, The towers of the Pacific Science Center at night.
File:Seattle Center - Kobe Bell 02A.jpg, The Kobe Bell.
File:Aerial Space Needle and EMP - November 2011.JPG, MoPOP and Space Needle seen against the backdrop of the Seattle waterfront and Puget Sound.