Space Needle Park Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour

Welcome to Seattle Center! This circuit around the Space Needle will dive into that famous landmark’s history and all the other cool attractions in the area. So let’s get started! Our tour begins next to The Museum of Pop Culture. If you’re not there already, you should head there now.

When Seattle was preparing for the 1962 World’s Fair, fair chairman Edward Carlson knew the city needed a centerpiece. Just a year before the fair, Carlson found a small plot of land that had once been the neighborhood’s fire department. He snatched it up and completed the construction of the Space Needle just in time for the fair!

On our right, hidden by the tall hedge, is Chihuly Garden and Glass. This garden features plenty of immense glass sculptures emulating the natural world. It’s all courtesy of Dale Chihuly, glass artist and Washington native. Chihuly began his college career in interior design, but once he was exposed to the art of glass, there was no turning back!

Those big flowers on our left are called “Sonic Bloom.” Sculpted by Dan Corson in 2013, these impressive blooms hide an equally impressive secret: They’re solar-powered! Each flower boasts photovoltaic panels which capture sunlight and turn it into energy, just like real flowers!

Just ahead and to our left is the Pacific Science Center, a science and technology center built for the World Fair! During the fair, this center showcased all scientific exhibits demonstrating what a futuristic and forward-thinking city Seattle was. But it was also the site of a dramatic escape!

Off to our left, across the grass, is the Neototems Children’s Garden. An ancient Native American legend talks of whales swimming under the earth from Lake Union's fresh water to Elliott Bay's salt water. In Native American culture, whales often represent good luck, wisdom, nurture, and power. The imagery from this legend inspired Gloria Bornstein to create this children’s garden.

To our right is the Mural Amphitheatre, where public performances are put on in front of this eye-catching mural by Paul Horiuchi.

One of the lasting impacts of Seattle’s World Fair was making Seattle Center just as big a destination as the city’s bustling downtown. And this change didn’t just happen thanks to the new attractions that sprang up. The city center also became a heck of a lot more accessible. How? Because of the monorail!

This large domed fountain was first created for Seattle's World Fair to reflect outer space exploration. The original design featured a jagged, rocky surface meant to simulate the lunar landscape. The water jets shooting in all directions symbolized humanity’s excitement to explore the reaches of space.

Ahead is the Climate Pledge Arena—another of the original structures from the 1962 World Fair! This arena sat right in the middle of what was called the World of Commerce and Industry zone.

Do you see an ornate wooden structure up ahead? Keep walking toward it. That’s the Kobe Bell Meditation Garden. In the years after World War II, President Dwight Eisenhower asked municipal governments to reach out to cities in other parts of the world to foster a connection in hopes of securing a more lasting peace.