Seattle Center

The Seattle Center is an entertainment, education, tourism and performing arts center located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Constructed for the 1962 World's Fair, the Seattle Center's landmark feature is the 605ft Space Needle, an official city landmark and globally recognized symbol of Seattle's skyline. Other notable attractions include Pacific Science Center, Climate Pledge Arena, and the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), as well as McCaw Hall, which hosts both Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. The Seattle Center Monorail provides regular public transit service between the Seattle Center and Westlake Center in downtown Seattle, and is itself considered a tourist attraction.

History

Background

In 1886, Seattle founder David Denny donated the tract of land that would eventually host the Seattle Center, stipulating that it be of "public use forever".

Plans for the land took shape in 1928, when mayor Bertha Knight Landes dedicated the newly-constructed arena and auditorium on the site as the Civic Center complex.

The Seattle Field Artillery Armory was constructed in 1939.

World's Fair

In 1958, the Civic Auditorium was chosen as the future location of the World's Fair, and demolition work began following a countdown ceremony initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1961, Japanese architects Hideki Shimizu and Kazuyuki Matsushita were chosen to design the International Fountain, and a contract with Alweg Rapid Transit Systems was signed for the construction of the monorail line. On April 21, 1962, President John F. Kennedy officially opened the World's Fair; the six-month event was attended by, among others, astronaut John Glenn, politician Robert F. Kennedy, and singer Elvis Presley, who arrived in September 1962 to shoot the film It Happened at the World's Fair.

Later history

On June 1, 1963, ownership of the complex was returned to the City of Seattle, which has since maintained it as a hub for the city's performing arts and sporting events. Some of the facilities were leased to the Century 21 Center, a nonprofit corporation formed in 1962 to promote the Seattle Center complex. In December 1964, City of Seattle announced its intent to take over management of the Century 21 Center from the corporation after it had incurred $300,000 in debts. The corporation was dissolved in 1965 and promotion of the Seattle Center was transferred to Greater Seattle, Inc., the region's tourism organization.

As of 1965, the Seattle Center Armory remained under the ownership of the Washington State Military Department but was leased to the city government for use as an events and museum space.

The Seattle Center campus underwent a decline in attendance and importance after the World's Fair, which led to proposal to redevelop it for other uses. The Seattle city government contracted Walt Disney Imagineering in 1987 to design a long-term campus plan; the Disney proposal included replacement of the International Fountain with a pond and Memorial Stadium with a parking garage topped by an artificial meadow. The proposals were rejected by the city government after public outcry at hearings.

Attractions

Several buildings and pieces of artwork at the Seattle Center have Japanese influences. These include the Pacific Science Center, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, The Seattle Mural by artist Paul Horiuchi, and the Kobe Bell, a gift to Seattle from its sister city of Kobe, Japan.

Landmarks

The Space Needle, an official city landmark, featuring an observation deck and formerly a revolving restaurant. At the time of its completion in 1961, the Space Needle was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River.
International Fountain, located in the center of the complex. Designed by Japanese architects Kazuyuki Matsushita and Hideki Shimizu, the fountain was built as a modernist water sculpture and renovated extensively in 1995. With over 20 spouts, the fountain rotates through programmed cycles of water patterns, accompanied by recorded music from around the world. The music is changed twice a month; it is chosen to complement the water patterns and events programming at the center.
John T. Williams totem pole—A 34-foot (10 m) totem pole commemorating John T. Williams.
Kobe Bell, an official city landmark
Mural Amphitheatre, featuring a mosaic mural by artist Paul Horiuchi; The Seattle Mural, also created for the World's Fair, is an official city landmark.
Artists At Play playground
Howard S. Wright Memorial Fountain
Seattle Center Monorail, which runs between the Seattle Center and Westlake Center

Museums

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP, formerly EMP Museum)
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Pacific Science Center, located in the former United States Science Pavilion building designed by Minoru Yamasaki
Seattle Children's Museum, located in the Armory

Performing arts

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, home of the 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 Repertory Theatre, home of the Bagley Wright Theatre, the Leo Kreielsheimer Theatre, and the PONCHO Forum
Center Theatre, home of the Seattle Shakespeare Company and Book-It Repertory Theatre
Theatre Puget Sound
The Center School
Cornish Playhouse (originally the Seattle Center Playhouse, later renamed Intiman Playhouse when Intiman Theatre was primary tenant), home of productions of the Cornish College of the Arts
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 vacant for several years. It was demolished and the site is being redeveloped as the future home of Seattle Opera.
KEXP Gathering Space

Venues

Seattle Center Armory (known as Center House from the early 1970s until 2012, and the Food Circus 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 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.
IMAX Theater at Pacific Science Center
Seattle Laser Dome

Athletics

Climate Pledge Arena is the current home of the Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team, the WNBA's Seattle Storm and the NHL's Seattle Kraken. It was the home of the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics, now the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Seattle Thunderbirds (Western Hockey League) ice hockey. 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 and soccer stadium which predates the World's Fair. It was the home of the NWSL's Seattle Reign FC from 2014 to 2018.