Volunteer Park Water Tower

Built in 1906 by the city’s water department, this brick tower doubles as an observation deck offering one of Seattle’s most expansive panoramic views. Visitors willing to climb the narrow stairwell to the top are rewarded with a full 360-degree view from one of the city’s highest natural points.

Though the tower itself stands just 75 feet tall, its perch atop Capitol Hill means the observation deck reaches roughly the same elevation as the Space Needle’s, about 520 feet above sea level.

Inside, the space also serves as a small museum. Plaques along the interior walls trace the history of Volunteer Park and the legacy of the Olmsted Brothers, the famed landscape architects who helped shape Seattle’s park system.