Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Charter Bus to Pioneer Square

Pioneer Square is where Seattle started — after the 1889 fire the city rebuilt in brick and simply raised the streets one level, leaving the original sidewalks below. Bill Speidel's Underground Tour walks those buried storefronts; above ground, Romanesque blocks frame Occidental Park's brick plaza and the 1914 Smith Tower's observatory rides a manual elevator to a Prohibition-era bar at the top.

Yesler Way & 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 Historic-district walking stop — Romanesque blocks, Smith Tower and the underground tour.

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Plan your visit

Suggested time

1.5–2.5 hours

Best time

Daytime for architecture; underground runs all day

Official website

www.pioneersquare.org ↗

Must-see spots

Underground Tour
Occidental Park plaza
Smith Tower observatory
1880s Romanesque blocks

Suggested itinerary · Old Seattle walk

Know before you go

The Underground Tour walks buried 1889 sidewalks — skylights in the modern street above still glow.
Occidental Park's totem poles and brick plaza sit between the galleries.
Smith Tower's observatory bar serves Prohibition-era cocktails at 35 floors up.

Tips for group trips

Underground Tour runs hourly — book group slots ahead; tours are ~75 minutes.
Coach drop on 1st Ave S near Yesler; the district core is 4 walkable blocks.
Smith Tower's open-cage manual elevator and 'Temperance' bar are worth the ~$22.