The Atlas Obscura Guide To Seattle

131 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Seattle, Washington

Updated June 16, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Seattle

Seattle, Washington

Fremont Troll

A giant Troll lurks under one of Seattle's oldest bridges.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Underground

A walk through the historic city center, under the streets of Seattle.

Medical Ed. Photo by Annetta Black

Seattle, Washington

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

A 100-year-old purveyor of curiosities, curios, and kitsch featuring mummies, shrunken heads, and a Fiji Mermaid.

Seattle, Washington

Museum of Pop Culture

A museum dedicated to the history and exploration of both popular music and science fiction.

A "meowcha", get it?

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café

Make your reservation to have coffee with some kitties.

Seattle, Washington

'A Sound Garden'

A huge musical sculpture and other art installations on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grounds.

Kubota Gardens

Seattle, Washington

Kubota Garden

This semi-secret garden in south Seattle emulates a traditional Japanese garden using the plants of the Pacific Northwest.

Enthralled by the machine...

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Pinball Museum

Couple's personal collection of pinball machines turned public pinball museum.

See All 131 Things To Do in Seattle

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Seattle

A "meowcha", get it?

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Café

Make your reservation to have coffee with some kitties.

Seattle, Washington

Beacon Food Forest

This edible park is open to any and all foragers.

Seattle, Washington

Blue Moon Tavern

This popular bar has been blurring the line between normal and edgy for more than 75 years.

Presidential Car.

Seattle, Washington

Orient Express Restaurant

This Seattle joint serves food inside an old train car once used by FDR.

See all 10 Places to Eat in Seattle

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

A Feminist Road Trip Across the U.S.

Atlas Obscura has a tradition of exploring the stories of women who changed the world, from wildlife biologists and mountain climbers to Civil War spies and tattoo artists. To celebrate these daring women who struck out on their own, we’ve put together a cross-country road trip. Over 12 stops and more than 3,000 miles, this route will give you a front-row seat to women’s history in America.

Explore Seattle, Washington

Shops 22

Unique Restaurants & Bars 15

Collections 11

Art 11

History 10

Parks 9

Outsider Art 8

Restaurants 7

Plants 7

Monuments 6

Music 6

Bars 6

Places To Stay 2

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Recent Seattle Activity

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wants to go to Montlake Spite House
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wants to go to Bettie Page House
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wants to go to Smith Tower Penthouse
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wants to go to Alki Flower Houses

Stories About Seattle

Podcast: A Sound Garden

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

A male great argus hopes to impress a potential mate with an arresting show of plumage and pomp.

This Bird's Mating Dance Is Full of Stomp and Pomp

The great argus uses its unusual wing feathers to maximum, eye-catching effect.

by Gemma Tarlach

One of Jerry Weller's photo albums, with notes that Patti May gave to GLAPN identifying people in the pictures.

The Precious, Precarious Work of Queer Archiving in the Pacific Northwest

Local legacy-keepers are working to ensure that the histories aren't lost or forgotten.

This Seattle Arts Building Was Once an Immigrant Detention Center

Inscape Arts takes its name from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS.

by Evan Peterson

Tommy the cat is on the left, and Golly on the right.

During the 1918 Flu Epidemic, Pet Parents Put Masks on Their Cats

Yancia the bulldog even made the local paper: "This Seattle Dog Wears Flu Mask."

In a matter of months, Cobain wouldn't need the $26.57 anyway.

Found in a Record Store: Kurt Cobain's Royalty Check

He never even cashed it.

by Matthew Taub

September 3, 2019

This photo, taken on the Minnesota frontier, depicts Regina Sorenson and three others "dressed in men's suits."

The Forgotten Trans History of the Wild West

It was a frontier in more ways than one.

by Sabrina Imbler

Teamwork and speed.

The Competitive Book Sorters Who Spread Knowledge Around New York

Inside an annual contest of brains, brawn, and library logistics.

by Matthew Taub

November 14, 2018

Lists Featuring Seattle

World Famous Giant Shoe Museum

Gum Wall window ledge

The giant sequoia.

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near Pike Place for Curious Travelers

Including World Famous Giant Shoe Museum, Psychic Chicken of Seattle , and Gum Wall

They were built in 1979.

The Howe Street stair corridor is the longest in Seattle.

Seward Street Slides

When Stairs and Slides Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Play real-life Chutes and Ladders at these obscure thruways.

Including Secret Tiled Staircase, Esmeralda Slide Park, and Howe Street Stairs

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