Seattle is a beautiful city, whether it’s sunny or raining. We all see the city from the streets looking up at the buildings, but where can we go to find the best sights of the city from above? Today we’re going to look at 6 of the best views in Seattle. These locations will either be a great place to view the skyline, or they will be a place for you to be apart of the skyline and look down on the world from above.
The Best Views in Seattle
1. Space Needle
Ron Clausen, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
This is an easy one, and is probably on everyone’s bucket list when they visit Seattle. The Space Needle is an icon of the Emerald City, and one of its biggest tourist attractions.
At the base of the Needle, you can find a gift shop full of all of the Seattle souvenirs you could ever want. If you have a reservation, you can take an elevator up to the restaurant where you can enjoy a nice dinner while slowly spinning around the entire needle. By the time you have finished your dinner, you will likely have made a full 360-degree rotation, getting a view of everything around you.
The next level up is the observation deck, where you can really get a good view of the city. The observation deck is outside, so bring a jacket because it will be chilly! The Space Needle recently went through a major renovation, and now the observation deck features massive floor-to-ceiling windows tilted outwards with benches to relax on. It’s a little pricey to go up, but it is definitely worth it if you’re trying to complete some items on your Seattle bucket list.
2. Columbia Center
Columbia Center is the tallest building in the city of Seattle (and all of Washington state), and has an incredible observation deck for the most incredible views of the city.
Located on the 73rd floor of the building is the Sky View Observatory & Bar, the tallest observatory in the Pacific Northwest. Did you notice the Bar part of that name? Yes, you can sip on your favorite beverage 903 feet above the ground!
The Sky View Observatory also offers the ability for you to privately rent the observatory for an hour for you and four guests. You will have the entire 360-degree view of Seattle all to yourselves!
3. Smith Tower
X-Weinzar, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
Smith Tower is another one of Seattle’s great icons, and is the first skyscraper ever built in the city. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest skyscraper on the West side of the Mississippi river.
While the observatory at Smith Tower is not quite as high as Columbia Center (at only the 35th floor), it also features a bar, and you get to experience the awesome history that this building has to offer.
4. Hamilton Viewpoint Park
Located in West Seattle, Hamilton Viewpoint Park has an amazing view of the Seattle skyline from across Elliott Bay. Especially with the Cascade mountains in the background.
I’ve taken a few awesome photos here, and I’m sure you can get some too. You could also come here for an awesome picnic with a view, and when you’re done, go take a walk along Alki Beach.
5. Kerry Park
This is one of the most famous viewpoints in Seattle, especially because it doesn’t cost any money to go to, and has such a great view. If you google “Seattle skyline”, I guarantee that a large amount of those photos were taken at this park.
Located in Queen Anne, this park isn’t very big, but the sights you can see from it are incredible. Also up the street is a house from the show Grey’s Anatomy, so that’s something worth noting.
6. Mt Baker Ridge Viewpoint
The last location on this list is Mt Baker Ridge Viewpoint. This is, believe it or not, not on Mt Baker. This viewpoint is located right on top of the I-90 tunnels, and is a little further out of downtown than any of the other locations on this list.
Even though it’s a little further away, it still has a great view. You can see the city from a distance looking over the top of hundreds of houses and buildings. This spot is a little less known, so there’s a good chance you haven’t seen this one yet. If not, make sure to check it out!
Conclusion
There’s a bunch of places you can go in the city to find great views, and this is just a few of them. I’m sure there’s many lesser-known places that aren’t on this list. If you know of any of those, please feel free to leave a comment below, and we might use them in a future article.
Hi, I’m Jared. I’m a life-long Washington resident, and love the big city. In my free time, I do YouTube, photography, coding, and more.
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