Seattle Center facts for kids
Center
Seattle Center is a fun and exciting place in Seattle, Washington, USA. It's full of arts, learning, and entertainment! This big area, about 74 acres (30 hectares), was first built for the 1962 World's Fair. Its most famous building is the Space Needle, which is 605 feet tall. When it was finished, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River! Seattle Center is located just north of downtown Seattle.
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What Can You See and Do?
Seattle Center has many cool places to visit and things to experience.
Famous Landmarks
- Space Needle: This is a super tall tower with an observation deck. You can go up high and see amazing views of the city! There's even a restaurant that slowly spins around.
- Seattle Center Monorail: This special train takes you right to Seattle Center from downtown. It's a quick and fun ride!
- Seattle Center Armory: This building used to be an armory, a place for military supplies. Now, it's a lively spot with a food court. It also has the Children's Museum and The Center High School.
- International Fountain: This large fountain shoots water in cool patterns. It dances to different world music, which changes often! It's a great place to relax and watch the water show.
- Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): This museum is all about music, science fiction, and pop culture. It has awesome exhibits on movies, video games, and famous musicians.
- Chihuly Garden and Glass: Here you can see incredible art made from glass. The colorful glass sculptures are truly beautiful and unique.
- John T. Williams Totem Pole: This tall, 34-foot totem pole honors a person named John T. Williams. Totem poles are important cultural artworks.
- Kobe Bell: This bell is a special landmark at Seattle Center. It represents friendship between Seattle and its sister city, Kobe, Japan.
- Pacific Science Center: This is a fantastic place to learn about science. It has hands-on exhibits, an IMAX Theater, and a cool Laser Dome.
- Berlin Wall Piece: You can even see a piece of the real Berlin Wall inside the Seattle Center Armory food area!
Performing Arts and Shows
Seattle Center is a hub for amazing performances.
- Seattle Repertory Theatre: This theater puts on many different plays for all ages.
- Center Theatre: This is home to the Seattle Shakespeare Company and Book-It Repertory Theatre, where stories come to life on stage.
- Marion Oliver McCaw Hall: This beautiful building is where the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet perform. You can see amazing operas and ballet shows here.
- SIFF Cinema: This movie theater shows films from all over the world, especially during the Seattle International Film Festival.
- Seattle Children's Theatre: This theater creates special shows just for kids and families.
Sports and Games
If you love sports, Seattle Center has some exciting venues!
- Climate Pledge Arena: This big arena is home to several professional sports teams. You can watch the WNBA's Seattle Storm (basketball) and the NHL's Seattle Kraken (ice hockey) play here. It also hosts many concerts and events.
- Memorial Stadium: This stadium is used for high school football and soccer games.
Fun Festivals
Seattle Center is famous for hosting many exciting festivals throughout the year.
- Bumbershoot: This is a huge arts and music festival with lots of different performers.
- Seattle Center Festál: This is a year-long series of cultural events. Each event celebrates a different culture from around the world with music, dance, and food.
- PrideFest: This festival celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with a big parade and lots of fun activities. It happens every June.
- Bite of Seattle: A delicious festival where you can try food from many different restaurants.
- Winterfest: A festive event during the winter holidays with ice skating and holiday lights.
- Folklife: This festival celebrates traditional music, dance, and arts.
Future Plans for Seattle Center
Seattle Center is always planning for the future! They have a big plan to keep improving the campus over 20 years. This plan helps guide how new buildings and spaces are created. Some new projects have already been finished, like the Seattle Center Skatepark and the Artists at Play playground. The goal is to make sure Seattle Center stays a wonderful place for everyone for many years to come.
Images for kids
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View of the Space Needle with the International Fountain in the foreground.
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Kreielsheimer Promenade and Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle Center.
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Monorail tracks entering the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) building.
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The towers of the Pacific Science Center at night.
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The Kobe Bell.
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MoPOP and Space Needle seen against the backdrop of the Seattle waterfront and Puget Sound.
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Center House, Seattle Center
- "Seattle Center", pp. 18–24 in Survey Report: Comprehensive Inventory of City-Owned Historic Resources, Seattle, Washington, Department of Neighborhoods (Seattle) Historic Preservation, offers an extremely detailed account of the history of the buildings and grounds.
