12 Must-See Iconic Places to Visit in Seattle

TL;DR: Locals + tourists agree: these 12 Seattle attractions are worth it every single time.

📸 12 iconic Seattle spots in one epic photo gallery
🎶 Arts, music, food & shopping that define the city
🌟 Fun facts + insider reasons Seattle is a must-visit

Fun Fact: Over 40 million people visited the world-class city of Seattle last year. The company that tracks this, Visit Seattle, says this is almost 100% of the number of people who visited the Emerald City the year before the COVID pandemic started. Seattle is the comeback kid!

Why Seattle Captivates Millions Year After Year

These are the major reasons why people want to visit Seattle and keep coming back year after year.

Arts, Sports & Entertainment

Major concerts, comedy shows, and Broadway plays are always happening in Seattle. (I'm so jealous!) See them at venues like Climate Pledge Arena, Paramount Theatre, The Moore, The Crocodile, Benaroya Hall, and McCaw Hall.

Popular festivals take place in Seattle, like Emerald City Comic Con, Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle Pride, Capitol Hill Block Party, and the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).

Music History

Tourists like to visit Linda's Tavern because of Kurt Cobain, but you can also check out places like Central Saloon (the birthplace of grunge) and Greenwood Memorial Park, where Jimi Hendrix is buried.

Food Scene

You've got to get a burger at Dick's and listen out for the faint sounds of street parties with the posse on Broadway, made famous by Seattle native Sir Mix-A-Lot. Grab a bite to eat at the James Beard Award-winning Canlis and my personal favorite, the Purple Cafe.

Shopping

Ain't no shopping like downtown Seattle shopping, 'cause the downtown shopping don't stop! Tiffany's, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, and more luxury stores abound, plus the Sephora on Pine Street is huge.