Seattle is full of weird things to do if you know where to look. Most people head straight for the Space Needle or the crowded market. But the real spirit of the city hides in its odd corners. You will find strange museums and underground ruins here. It is a city that loves its quirks.
Searching for weird things to do in seattle will lead you far beyond the usual travel guides. The local culture has a dark, funny, and slightly chaotic edge. This guide details the best bizarre sights in town.
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Find the Hidden Underground Streets
A massive fire destroyed the business district in 1889. The city rebuilt the streets one story higher to avoid floods. This choice left a network of empty storefronts below the modern sidewalks. Today, you can walk through these dark, dusty passages.
You must take a guided tour to see these spaces. Do not expect a polished museum. It is a damp, spooky walk through history. You will see old shop signs and brick walls under the pavement.
Can you smell the old wood and wet stone down there? It smells like a cellar that has been closed for a century. The air is cool even during the hot summer months.
To make the most of this subterranean trek, follow these quick steps.
- Book your tickets online a few days in advance.
- Wear closed-toe shoes with good traction.
- Arrive fifteen minutes early to secure your spot.
- Bring a light jacket because the tunnels get cold.
The tours start near Pioneer Square. This neighborhood is old and has some rough edges. Watch your pockets while you wait outside.
Visit the Famous Gum Wall
Most people find the Market Theater Gum Wall either amazing or totally gross. There is no middle ground here. This alleyway is covered in millions of pieces of used chewing gum. It is located in Post Alley under Pike Place Market.
The trend started in the nineties when theater patrons got bored waiting in line. They stuck their gum to the brick wall. Theater staff scraped it clean twice, but the gum kept coming back. Finally, they gave up and let it grow.
If you go, bring a pack of gum to contribute. The sweet, sugary smell hits you before you even see the bricks. It is a strange sensory mix of peppermint and damp alley air.
Is it sanitary? Absolutely not. But it is popular photo spots in the city. Just do not touch the walls with your bare hands.
Pay Your Respects to the Fremont Troll
Fremont is a self-proclaimed neighborhood of eccentrics. Under the north end of the Aurora Bridge lives a giant concrete troll. He crushes a real Volkswagen Beetle in his left hand.
The local arts council sponsored a competition to clean up the area in 1990. This sculpture was the winning design. He stands eighteen feet tall with one shiny metal eye.
You can climb on his arms and head for photos. Children love to slide down his shoulders. The space under the bridge is dusty and covered in gravel.
Keep your eyes open for other oddities in Fremont. The neighborhood also has a massive bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin. A local resident salvaged it from Slovakia after the fall of communism. It remains a point of high controversy.
Browse the Oddities at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
This waterfront shop has been open since 1899 on the Elliott Bay docks. It is part souvenir store and part freak show. You can buy cheap plastic trinkets or gaze at real mummified human remains.
The shop is famous for two mummies named Sylvester and Jane. Sylvester is preserved so well you can still see his mustache. You can also see a two-headed calf and a collection of shrunken heads.
Skip the generic keychains at the front counter. Walk to the back display cases instead. The owner amassed a strange collection of historical oddities.
The pier can get very breezy in the afternoon. Pack a windbreaker if you plan to walk along the water.
Before you head inside, keep these quick tips in mind.
- The shop is free to enter but gets crowded on weekends.
- Photography is allowed but do not use a flash.
- Avoid the lunch hour when cruise ship passengers arrive.
- Look up at the ceiling to see the taxidermy.
You can grab a cup of hot clam chowder nearby after your visit. The salty sea breeze pairs well with the greasy local food.
Discover the Mystery Soda Machine
Capitol Hill is a trendy neighborhood known for nightlife and cafes. For decades, a mysterious soda machine stood on a sidewalk corner there. Nobody knew who stocked it or where the power came from.
The buttons simply read “Mystery” in faded plastic. You put in a coin and got a random can of soda. Sometimes it was a rare flavor, and sometimes it was a brand you had never heard of.
The machine disappeared mysteriously a few years ago. But the mystery lives on in the neighborhood lore. You can still visit the spot on John Street to see where it once stood.
Is the trip worth it just to see an empty sidewalk? Probably not. But the surrounding block has some of the best thrift stores in the state.
Walk Through the Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder
Watching boats move between fresh and salt water is surprisingly fun. The Ballard Locks manage this water level transition every single day. Large yachts and tiny kayaks pack into the concrete chambers together.
Below the locks lies a subterranean viewing gallery for salmon. You can watch massive fish swim upstream through glass windows. They fight the current to return to their spawning grounds.
The best viewing happens from July through September. You can see the fish leap out of the water near the entrance. The sound of rushing water is incredibly loud.
The surrounding grounds feature a lovely botanical garden. It is a great place for a quiet stroll on a sunny afternoon.
Explore the Official Bad Art Museum
Located inside the Cafe Comic, this gallery celebrates art that went terribly wrong. The collection features paintings that are hilarious in their badness. Think dogs playing poker or bizarre portraits with wrong proportions.
The curators collect these pieces from thrift stores and garage sales. Each painting has a funny caption explaining why it is so bad.
You can grab a drink or a slice of pizza while you browse. The atmosphere is casual and does not take itself seriously.
If you appreciate campy humor, this spot is a winner. Hard to argue with free entertainment that makes you laugh.
To help plan your day of strange sights, review this quick budget checklist.
- Underground Tour: $25 to $35 per person.
- Fremont Troll: Free.
- Ye Olde Curiosity Shop: Free entry.
- Bad Art Museum: Free with a cafe purchase.
- Transit: $3 for a single light rail ride.
You can easily fit three of these stops into a single afternoon. Just use the light rail to beat the terrible downtown traffic.
Also read: what to do in west seattle a complete local guide
See the Giant Shoe Museum
Pike Place Market hides many secrets in its lower levels. Down on level three, you will find the Giant Shoe Museum. It is not a building, but rather a wall of coin-operated peep boxes.
You insert a quarter to see giant shoes worn by circus performers. The collection includes a shoe owned by the world’s tallest man.
It takes about five minutes to see the whole display. It is the definition of a roadside attraction shrunk down for an alley.
While you are down there, explore the rest of the lower market. The hallways are dim and smell of old paper and incense. You will find magic shops, map stores, and dusty bookstores.
Take a Hearse Ghost Tour
Most cities offer walking ghost tours. Seattle does it differently by driving you around in a real, retired funeral hearse.
The guide takes you to the most haunted spots in the city. You will visit old cemeteries and the sites of historic murders.
The ride is bumpy and the atmosphere is delightfully campy. The guides wear black and tell stories with plenty of dark humor.
Does a ghost tour sound too spooky? The historical facts they share are actually very educational. You learn about the gritty side of the city’s founding.
Visit the Seattle Metaphysical Library
This library has been open since 1961 and holds a massive collection of rare books. You will find texts on UFOs, magic, alternative history, and the occult.
It is run by volunteers and sits in a quiet basement space. The atmosphere is library-quiet but slightly mysterious.
You can browse the shelves for hours. Many of these books are out of print and cannot be found online.
It is a great place to escape the rain. The smell of old paper is comforting on a gray, wet afternoon.
Get Lost in the Georgetown Steam Plant
This massive brick building looks like a movie set. Built in 1906, it is a rare example of an early steam-power plant.
The interior remains largely untouched. You can walk among giant turbines, copper pipes, and old control panels.
The plant is only open to the public on specific days each month. You should check their website before you make the trip south.
Georgetown itself is a very gritty, industrial neighborhood. It has great breweries and a strong artistic community.
If you go, prepare for some noise. The building sits directly under the flight path for Boeing Field. Jet engines roar overhead every few minutes.
That industrial vibe is part of the appeal. It feels like stepping into a steam-punk fantasy world.
