As most Seattleites know, pioneers built the city on tidelands and then realized this wasn’t a very good idea. After a boy drowned in a puddle, and flushing the toilet at high tide became perilous, city founders decided to build the streets up a level. Your second floor became your first floor and your first floor became your basement – creating a hidden subterranean Seattle. Many of these old buildings and passageways still exist and you can go below to see the original front doors and store fronts that used to be street level. The fun guided tour begins inside Doc Maynard’s Public House. You’ll learn about Doc and the colorful history of the pioneers, then descend into the darkness. Young urban explorers can imagine what it was like to have to climb a ladder to get up to the sidewalk or walk through tunnels to visit friends - not to mention checking the tide table before flushing the toilet!
Take Notice: Grown-ups and kids 13 & older can get an Underground Paranormal Experience. Descend if you dare!
Good to Know: It’s a walking tour that covers approximately three blocks at a leisurely pace. The entire tour, including introduction, takes about 75 mins.
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour
608 1st Ave.
Seattle, Wa 98104
206-682-4646
Online: undergroundtour.com or Map It
Times: Tours start on the half-hour during the summer; on the hour during the off-season.
Cost: $22/Adults (18-59); $10/Youth (7-12); $20/Student (with valid college ID); $20/Seniors (60+); 6 & under Free (but may find the tour challenging)
photo: Nick Amoscato via Flickr
