Just about everyone knows about popular attractions like the Space Needle and Pike’s Place Market, but what about Seattle’s hidden gems? There are lots of things you probably didn’t know you could do in this city, that you may not want to miss, including these.
Take a Selfie with the Fremont Troll
If you like the quirky, be sure to head to the Fremont neighborhood to check out the troll that lives under the Aurora Bridge. The creepy but somewhat adorable guy is clutching a Volkswagen Bug and is a whopping 18-feet-tall. He’s made of concrete, wire and steel, and has a hubcap that serves as his one good eye. The creature was constructed in 1990 by a team of local artists as part of a competition to promote urban renewal. Surprisingly, the judges didn’t care for it, calling it a “hideous fiend,” but the locals loved it. Ultimately, they rallied around the troll, and it won the right to lurk here for all eternity. You can take selfie with it for a fun souvenir of your time in the city, and even climb on it too.
Take a Water Taxi to West Seattle
If you’re on a budget, the West Seattle Water Taxi offers one of the best entertainment values around. It will take you on a 12-minute ride to Seacrest Park in West Seattle, where you can soak up jaw-dropping views of the city skyline. If you’re looking for even more breathtaking views, enjoy lunch or dinner at Salty’s.
Climb to the Top of a Lighthouse
While you’re in West Seattle, head to the tip of Alki Beach where you’ll find the Alki Lighthouse. Here you’ll have the chance to climb the tower to the top and enjoy yet another incredible view.
Center for Wooden Boats
Sail for free at the Center for Wooden Boats
So, you want to get out on the water, but you don’t have your own boat, or the money to rent one. You’re not out of luck, you can actually go sailing for free, at the Center for Wooden Boats in Lake Union. You’ll be taken around by a volunteer skipper and the ride lasts for about an hour. Sign-ups begin in person at 10 a.m. every Sunday – arrive early, especially on holiday weekends and sunny days.. The center also offers pedal boats, classic canoes and rowboats for floating around the lake at a relatively inexpensive price.
Try a Wonder Wiener and Check Out the Works at OBAMA – The Official Bad Art Museum of Art
Another great spot for those that are drawn to the unusual is OBAMA, the Official Bad Art Museum of Art. It sits within Café Racer and includes paint-by-numbers, black velvet paintings, the famous portrait of dogs playing poker and other amusing works, with all sorts of bad art covering each and every wall. On the first Thursday of the month, the house band God’s Favorite Beefcake, made up of a group of Seattle runaways known as Circus Contraption offers live music, and you can also enjoy unique foods, like the “Wonder Wiener,” a polish dog with bacon placed inside, grilled and then stuffed with onions, green chilies, green cheese, and served on a toasted bun.
Tour Theo Chocolate
Like chocolate? Well, who doesn’t. That’s why you should really take a tour of Seattle’s very own chocolate factory, located in the Fremont neighborhood. It was the very first fair trade and organic bean-to-bar chocolate factory on the entire continent, and offers a fascinating look into the world of chocolate and its unique, creative flavors like Ghost Chili, Coffee and Cream, and Bread & Chocolate. You’ll also be entertained by the story of cocoa, and how the cocoa fruit is transformed into chocolate, and find out about environmental issues related to cocoa farmers while taking the walking tour through the facilities where chocolate is made. The highlight, of course, is sampling those heavenly products and taking some home for yourself.
Visit the Nordic Heritage Museum
Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood is well-known for its Nordic roots, and is also home to a Nordic Heritage Museum. This outstanding institution has a
permanent collection that’s spread across four galleries, including fine arts, three-dimensional objects, and a music library with more than 8,000 recordings and texts of traditional Nordic music and dance, along with items donated by community members. It hosts temporary and traveling exhibits, and a wealth of cultural treasures and memorabilia that once belonged to the Swedes, Danes, Swedes,Fins, Icelanders and Norwegians, Fins who settled in America.