Seattle Underground Tour

The Underground Tour takes you below the streets of Pioneer Square, the city's oldest neighbourhood. After the Great Fire of 1889, Seattle rebuilt on top of itself, raising the streets and leaving the old ground-level storefronts and sidewalks entombed beneath them. The tour leads you through the interconnecting passages of this hidden layer, and the company describes it as the only way to tour the network of the Seattle Underground.

The tour lasts 75 minutes and is led by a guide who tells the story of the fire and the rebuilding of the city along the way. It begins beneath Doc Maynard's Public House at 614 First Avenue, between Cherry and James Streets, with the ticket counter in Pioneer Place Park.

Tours start on the hour every day, all year, from 10am to 6pm. From June to September, extra tours run every half hour between 10:30am and 5:30pm, sold only at the box office. The tour is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and runs shorter hours on Christmas Eve. Tickets can be bought in advance online, by phone or at the ticket counter, and booking ahead is sensible in summer and at weekends.

Wear comfortable shoes, as old underground passages can be uneven, and if you have mobility concerns, contact the company before booking. Bring a light layer, as it can be cool below ground. The tour suits families with older children, history fans and anyone curious about how the city was built.

If you are driving, the company recommends taking the James Street exit from Interstate 5, and it publishes a parking map on its website. Otherwise, Pioneer Square is a short walk from downtown hotels and from the Colman Dock ferry terminal. The tour has been recognised with a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award in 2025. Visitors who want to understand why Pioneer Square looks the way it does, with its raised streets and old buildings, will find it explains a great deal about the neighbourhood above.

Pioneer Square has plenty more to see once you resurface, including historic brick buildings, galleries and cafés. Taylor Shellfish has an oyster bar nearby on Occidental Avenue, and the waterfront is a few blocks west. Combine the tour with a ride to the top of Sky View Observatory for a contrast between the city's buried past and its modern skyline.