City Attractions

Pioneer Square

Pioneer Square marks Seattle's original downtown, dating back to 1852. The district is characterized by late nineteenth century brick and stone buildings, and one of the nation's best surviving collections of Romanesque Revival style urban architecture.

Pioneer Square is home to art galleries, internet companies, cafes, sports bars, nightclubs, bookstores, the Seattle Underground Tour, and a museum and info center for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

Just south of Pioneer Square, in the SoDo district, are Seattle's two major sports stadiums, Qwest Field and Safeco Field.

(map it)

The popular Seattle Underground Tour visits the eerie sunken storefronts of what was ground-level Pioneer Square before the Great Fire of 1889. Smith Tower, which overlooks the square, was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1914. Ride the last manually-operated West Coast elevator up to the Smith Tower Observation Deck for a panoramic view of downtown Seattle, the waterfront and Mt. Rainier.

The Alliance for Pioneer Square

More info about Pioneer Square from Wikipedia.