underground tour tickets seattle

Seattle's Highest Rated Underground Attraction!

Beneath the Streets offers boutique tours dedicated to providing authentic and unique guided explorations through the historic underground passageways of Seattle’s original neighborhood, Pioneer Square.

Our ONE HOUR walking tours are led by fun, professional, and seasoned tour guides who live and breathe Seattle history. We never use scripts and enhance the guest experience with insider tips and local favorites!

     10:00am - 4:30pm

  Seven Days a Week

Tours are ONE HOUR in length departing multiple times daily

_________________________

--  After Hours: Red Light District Tour  

Adults only tour with a focus on the "underside" of underground history. Humorous  discussion about  prostitution, gambling, drinking and vice. 18 yrs +

 6:30pm  Select weekend evenings

 75 minutes in length

__________________________

* 15.35% tax added to all sales

Operating Hours

The Queer Underground History Tour

OUR NEWEST TOUR Every third Sunday at 1 pm.  Adults only. 75 minutes.

$28 pl us tax

A Cabaret Style Musical Celebrating Pioneer Square

8:00pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday beginning July 5th

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Review Highlights

“ Dean did an amazing job of giving us the history of Seattle while making poop and sewing *wink wink* jokes. ” in 126 reviews

“ Had an early morning Tour but Adam made it really interactive and funny even when our energy was kind of low. ” in 104 reviews

“ Our tour guide, Jacob , was amusing and informative and made the history of Seattle interesting to us. ” in 47 reviews

Show more review highlights

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

614 1st Ave

Seattle, WA 98104

Cherry St & Yesler Way

Pioneer Square

Serving Seattle Area

You Might Also Consider

Max Travels

Small group walking tours of Seattle, Snoqualmie Falls, and other nature areas. Contact us for a special offer! read more

in Walking Tours

Helicopters Northwest

5.5 miles away from Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Eduardo L. said "The helicopter ride was amazing. My wife and I went for our anniversary and she loves it. Very smooth and the pilot Cameron made even more pleasant because he was giving us a tour so we knew where we were. We are definitely coming…" read more

in Aerial Tours

Seattle Seaplanes

2.1 miles away from Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Book your next adventure with Seattle Seaplanes! Private flights and small group tours for groups of two to five people are available daily from Lake Union. Scenic flights start at just $136 per person. Want to get away from the… read more

in Flight Instruction, Tours

Amenities and More

About the business.

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour is a leisurely, guided walking tour beneath Seattle's sidewalks and streets. As you roam the subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, our guides regale you with the stories our pioneers didn't want you to hear. It's history with a twist! Following a short intro, we'll walk through historic Pioneer Square to three different sections of Underground--about three blocks in all. The tour ends in Rogues Gallery, the Underground Tour gift shop. Here you will find a mix of historic displays and an array of contemporary gifts showcasing Seattle's quirky character. You can get a memento of your Underground Tour experience at Rogues Gallery, a copy of Sons of the Profits, the book by Bill Speidel upon which the tour is based, or a Seattle souvenir or two. …

Ask the Community

Ask a question

Has the Underworld tour resumed? There do not seem to be tickets available no longer how far out I look on the calendar.

It has. We went in 6/27/23. I called and left a voice mail and they returned my call in a few hours and rebooted the system. Call the number in the website for more help but I think it was (206) 682-4646.

Has the Underworld Adults Only Night tour been discontinued?

No, not at all. We're gradually resuming all of our offerings as the pandemic abates. Stay tuned and we'll let you know when the Underworld Tour returns.

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

2181 reviews

It was a great tour learning about old Seattle. Wonderful engaging tour guide who was also really funny.

I heard there was an underground tour in Seattle, so I had to try. There are at least 2 tour companies that conduct the tour in Pioneer Square, the oldest part of Seattle, supposedly. This one was the one I did research into first and ended up being the least expensive option. They have a sign indicating a minimum of 4 people per tour, and I showed up with 2... they still let me book the next tour, which was at the top of the hour. I didn't know at the time, but there were several others in the tour even though the ticket counter was empty and looked like nobody was going on any tours. It ended up being around 35-40 in the group. At 11 a.m., my tour guide was Lisa. They have you staged in the back "bar area" 5 minutes before the hour to be present for the tour. However, the bar was not open. You could only play shuffleboard or games at each table like dominoes or cards. Once the tour starts, you are taken into the basement of this same building to do an introduction to the history of Seattle. This is about 15-20 minutes. The rest of the 75-minute tour is the tour guide taking you into 3 different underground areas. Each area you go down, then resurface....so there is some definite stair climbing. The first stop is at the building across the street, the 2nd stop is across the street from that building, then the 3rd stop right when you think the tour may be over is a quick plunge underground in the same building as the tour company itself. There, you have the museum and a small gift shop to buy souvenirs, and the opportunity to tip your guide before walking back up to street level to leave. The guide indicates that the tour company leases the space for use, but I can tell they must make a good amount of money doing these tours. Overall, this is a pretty interesting tour and a good way to learn about Seattle. It's not a ghost tour. It's really just a history tour. In fact, the word "ghost" was only brought up 1 time, and it had nothing to do with any of the spaces we entered on the tour itself.

Second time being on the tour (after 5 years); I am having a lovely lady as my tour guide this time, she is sooo funny and so knowledgeable; but her voice was very quiet so it was almost impossible to hear her if we r not super near her. The tour size was huge so it was impossible to hear her at all for about 30 % of the time. Thus taking one star off. If u see there r no spots online, don't be scared, call them! They always have some open spots and will reserve tix for u!! Sooo fun.

My second time checking out this tour and it felt like a totally different experience. It's family-friendly, full of jokes, and has a fascinating tale on the history of Seattle. The tour guide was funny, and though I'm sure he does this all the time, seemed to be enjoying giving us the tour. Also would crack jokes that were on a whim, so the cleverness was much appreciated which went beyond a script. It was the perfect length of a tour, and some areas were musty but that's to be expected if you're essentially going to an underground city. Would totally recommend this if you want a learning experience regarding Seattle, or just have some time to kill!

Go TJ, Go (applause)! This was a vacation favorite! We were so pleased with Bill Speidel's Underground Tour and I would say it's is a must do (local or tourist) when in Seattle. Such an amazing time and so happy we were able to get tickets on our last day. Tickets for two online plus taxes and fees were $48.96. This does not include the optional tour guide gratuities at the end and highly recommend a tip especially if they do an amazing job like TJ. The entrance is located at 614 1st Avenue (Howard Building), in the Pioneer Place Park at Pioneer Square. Our tour guide was TJ and he wears his signature all purple ensemble including a purple bath robe. Each tour guide customizes and highlights each tour so no two are exactly the same. He educated us all about the history of Seattle over the years, particularly focusing on those early year and the developments that lead to the city we know today. Especially loved hearing about Madam Lou Graham and her many contributions to the citizens, the city itself, and the public education system upon her death. You are lead through basements, walk above ground, and through the underground. It's fun to look and take everything in and imagine what it was like back in the day. We never left Pioneer's Square area which was fascinating when you think about it. Book in advance as they tend to sell out. Five stars and super thank you to TJ he really is the best with history, humor, and is an excellent guide. Go do it!

See all photos from Les R. for Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

After doing a bit of research about the underground tunnels, i read that this one was a little better than the other one. Boy was i glad i chose this. I've been on a lot of these tour thingies from all my travels and I've learned a few tricks to making your experience much better: show enthusiasm, light heckling, and stand close to the guide. Keon was an excellent guide. He was witty, charming, certainly knowledgeable, and we were also a pretty lively group. Someone even asked how long he has been a comedian because his delivery was on point. He had a lot of great puns, jokes, and was also able to work the crowd in a very family friendly way. It's about a 75 minute tour, but definitely doesn't feel like it. In total, we walked maybe 4 blocks? Popping in and out of different alleys when going up and down the stairs (yes, there are stairs, so if you're not very mobile, it might be challenging for you). I knocked a star off the review because the group was way too large. I think we had maybe 30-40 people in the group. There was no way everyone was getting the full experience when only one person can walk around the stairways at a time. I guess the price mitigates the experience. Worth the $22 for 75 minutes? Sure. It's a pretty fun thing to do.

Surprisingly, the verbal portion of the tour is far more interesting than being "underground" and what you will see while you are underground. I mean, sure, you'll see a toilet or two on the tour but I'm assuming--and hoping--you've seen toilets before. But being underground is obviously important to the tour. The Underground is really a lot of dusty rooms and corridors and storage space. But you're going to learn a lot about the history and development of Seattle and why the underground exists. You'll also learn about the Crapper. It's a family-friendly tour and fine for all ages but there were a number of very young kids (5ish or younger) on our tour who were bored out of their minds. That is no fault of our tour guide or the tour itself. Very small kids are just not into history. It's a fun, informative tour. Be prepared to do a little bit of walking as you tour one underground space, exit above ground, and then head to other underground spaces. And watch your step.

Because you need another photo of the Crapper.

The view from underground.

Such a fun experience !! I was super sad to see they had sold out for the day online, but we went in person and were able to get in for 10:30am. They said they keep the half hour slots open for walk-ins and post the hour tours (10am, 11am, ect..) online for people to purchase in advance. So even if they are sold out online, don't be shy to go in person and see if they have any walk up times available. They said during the summer months- the walks up sell out really quickly- so just be aware. Our tour guide was Andie and she was so cute, quirky and full of funny little jokes and witty comments. It was so fun getting to learn about Seattle and all the hot mess they get themselves into. Overall it's highly worth it and I cannot recommend them enough! It's a must-do while in Seattle !!!

See all photos from Kelley H. for Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

I'm not a huge guided tour person but I really enjoyed this tour. Our guide was Lisa and she was very funny and informative throughout the tour. I felt like I learned a lot about the history of Seattle in a short period of time in a funny and informative way. I will say that if you are not into walking up and down stairs and going through small passages - this is probably not the best tour for you. It wasn't super athletic but enough of a walking around and going up and down. Also the tour groups are pretty large, so there was a bit of squeezing past people if they stood in the way. The tour is family friendly though I did wonder if the parents had to answer some questions for the kids afterwards about what "seamstress" does.

View from the underground

Expected this to be a highlight of our trip but was disappointed. There were so many in the group that it was difficult to hear guide. Need to make groups smaller or a headset for all, that amplifies guide's voice Expected spooky stories but most of stories were about sewage and toilet issues. Felt every section of underground looked the same - wet, moldy, and old junk.

164 other reviews that are not currently recommended

NW Touring & Concierge

Monica S. said "We had an incredible first visit to Walla Walla thanks to NW Touring & Concierge! With over 200 wineries in the area, visiting for the first time can be overwhelming but Ryan put together a wonderful, thoughtful itinerary for us…" read more

in Wine Tours, Limos

Presidential Transpo & Party Bus

2.0 miles away from Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Presidential Transportation launching new single ticket buy on experiences on shuttle buses, party buses, Luxury Coach Buses, SUV's and limo buses providing special event ground transportation services in Seattle and surrounding… read more

in Transportation, Bus Tours, Party Bus Rentals

Collections Including Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Seattle Sights For Visitors

By Gustavo M.

Seattle Vacation List

By Arianna C.

Seattle Locals’ favorites

Seattle Guidebook by @thegreenroomseattle

By Alicia E.

My visit to the Emerald City

Three Days in Seattle 2014

By Jennifer S.

Tourism and What to Do

By Michael R.

Seattle, Washington //

Touristy stuff to do in Seattle and surounding area

By Natalie G.

Sleepless in Seattle...

By Florence H.

People Also Viewed

Beneath the Streets

Underground Tour

Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours

Seattle Free Walking Tours

Seattle Bites Food Tours

Seattle Food Tours

Argosy Cruises - Seattle

Street Savvy FREE Walking Tours - Seattle

Underground Donut Tour

Shutter Tours

Best of Seattle

Things to do in Seattle

People found Bill Speidel's Underground Tour by searching for…

Abandoned Buildings Seattle

Underground City Seattle

Best Factory Tours in Seattle

Best Haunted Tours in Seattle

Best Military Discount in Seattle

Best Seattle Underground Tour in Seattle

Best To Do in Seattle

Carriage Ride in Seattle

Shanghai Tunnel in Seattle

Tourist Attractions in Seattle

Underground Tunnel in Seattle

Underworld Tour in Seattle

Browse Nearby

Restaurants

Gold Panning

Arts & Entertainment

Other Places Nearby

Find more Historical Tours near Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Find more Walking Tours near Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Related Cost Guides

Town Car Service

A Comparison of Seattle Underground Tours

There’s another Seattle beneath your feet and it’s possible to explore it now on one of these fascinating underground tours.

(Photo: Getyourguide.com)

Seattle was given its first burst of life as a product of one of the many gold rushes that pulled prospectors and hopeful future millionaires west into the North American continent. A sleeping timber town before that, and previously Native American for 4,000 years before that, the city has undergone a rapid expansion in the last 120 years, with some elements of the older neighborhoods being covered over with newer developments. Tours exploring this oft-unseen side of the city are a great way to take a deeper dive into Seattle life.

Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

In 1889, the Great Seattle Fire turned the entire downtown business district to ash and ruin. Rather than destroy everything entirely and start again, the new city was rebuilt on top of the old, and some of the remains are open to exploration on this intriguing and entertaining 75-minute walking tour. Underground highlights include Doc Maynard’s Public House, plus a look at the tunnels beneath Pioneer Square. This tour is regular, starting on the hour between 10am and 6pm daily, with extra tours in summer. From $22 per person.

Book at Undergroundtour.com

Beneath the Streets Underground History Tour

Another portal to the paved-over past of Seattle is this history-focused, hour-long tour. The underground portion of the tour takes you to explore three tunnels and four blocks of the city that once was, and still is to a certain degree, buried away beneath the current Pioneer Square. Learn all about how Seattle came to be, how it came to burn, and how it came to be rebuilt. This tour runs around seven times a day throughout the year. From $30 per person.

Book at Getyourguide.com

Seattle Underground Donut Tour

A very different underground to the above two tours is the Underground Donut Tour of Seattle, which is literally above ground and figuratively alternative, in that nobody else is running tours to sample delicious treats like this in Seattle. You’ll stop by four different, top-quality donut purveyors, with tasting samples at each stop. This two-hour tour also acts as a good exploration of Seattle’s best dining spots, including Pike Place Market. From $40 per person.

Latest Articles

• 5 of the Best Scuba Diving Resorts in Cozumel & Playa del Carmen May 1, 2024
• Belize: 5 of the Best Mayan Ruins Tours May 1, 2024
• 5 Unique NYC Party Boat Experiences May 1, 2024
• A Comparison of Patagonia Nano Puff Jackets and Hoodies April 30, 2024
• Editor Picks: 5 Star and Luxury Hotels in Brussels April 30, 2024

The Underground Tour, Seattle – Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

Home | Travel | North America | United States | Washington | Seattle | The Underground Tour, Seattle – Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

When traveling abroad, get a policy from one of the  best travel insurance companies . Y ou can get a  5% discount   on Heymondo , the only insurance that pays medical bills upfront for you, HERE!

Seattle is known for rainy weather and the Space Needle, but there is a lot more to this city than meets the eye. As a hub for Pacific-Northwest nature, urbanization, and counterculture, Seattle isn’t without its weird side. One of the best ways to experience the city is by taking  Bill Speidel underground tour .

The underground tour in Seattle  is one of the most popular activities today, but the history behind it goes back to 1889 when a great fire ravaged the city. After the destruction, the city had to undergo complete reconstruction, and, as a result, the former streets now sit beneath the modern downtown district.

When I first came to Seattle, I wanted to see the vast landscape and majestic mountains nearby. Yet, when I learned that there is a whole other side to this city, I was intrigued.

This  Seattle underground ghost tour  isn’t a typical haunted attraction. Lighthearted guides walk you through the  tour  of Pioneer Square’s subterranean depths, including old sidewalks, warehouses, and storefronts.

You’ll start at an 1890s saloon before embarking on a journey through the decrepit tunnels and passageways. Along the way, you’ll learn about the previous glory of old Seattle and visit the sites of former shops, houses, and pubs. The tour is equal parts eerie and entertaining, and something you don’t want to miss!

I’m glad I experienced this part of the city, and to help you plan your trip, I’ve this guide with everything you need to know about exploring  underground Seattle .

The history of the Underground Tour in Seattle, WA

The passageways you’ll traverse during  the Seattle underground tour  were once at ground level back in the mid-1800s.

On June 6, 1889, a young man tripped over a glue pot in a carpentry shop, igniting the Great Seattle Fire, which burned through the entire central downtown district. In less than a day, the blaze destroyed 25 city blocks.

However, the Seattle residents were steadfast in their commitment to rebuild. Work began almost immediately to reconstruct the city center, right on top of the burnt remains. Today, the buildings in Pioneer Square sit 20 feet above the 1880s  underground city of Seattle .

Of course, the former streets and alleyways fell into disuse and remained underground, nearly forgotten. In the 1960s, a  Seattle Times  columnist named Bill Speidel reignited interest in this area. After receiving a reader question about the underground ruins of Pioneer Square, Speidel began guiding people through the tunnels. From there, the tour grew and became one of the most unique attractions in Seattle. Now, anyone can take an  underground tour of Seattle ‘s old ruins!

What will you see on Bill Speidel’s Underground City Tour?

The underground tour of Seattle  starts in Pioneer Square. While today, the neighborhood makes up the southwest section of downtown Seattle, in the mid-1800s, it was the city center.

There are now several  Seattle underground city tours , including the  Bill Speidel underground tour , which begins on 1st Avenue, near Cherry Street.

Throughout the  tour , you’ll travel beneath Doc Maynard’s Public House and wind through the eerie passageways under Pioneer Square. The tour covers several ruinous blocks full of abandoned storefronts and remnants from the past, like old furniture and cutlery.

The guide will take you above-ground a couple of times, stopping at some historic structures before descending back underground. For example, you’ll stop at the Howard Building, which was one of the first major buildings in Pioneer Square.

You’ll also learn about the Klondike Gold Rush, the indigenous Coast Salish population, and Skid Row, where the city’s working-class lived and congregated. While some people consider this to be a  haunted Seattle underground tour , the ambiance is quite lighthearted and humorous.

As you continue your journey, you’ll see the ladders that residents used to traverse the underground and the new, elevated city streets, as well as the purple-glass pavement lights. You can also see restored artifacts that were salvaged from the 1889 wreckage, such as old machinery and public baths.

Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour times

The  Seattle underground history tour  lasts anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.

The Bill Speidel  Seattle WA underground city tours begin every hour, on the half. From April -September, the company operates from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. From October – March, the hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Also,  the underground tour in Seattle  will go on rain or shine, so dress accordingly!

Seattle Underground Tour Tickets

The  Seattle underground tour tickets  are affordable, yet the costs can add up for families. Kids under 6 are free, although they might not enjoy this type of tour.

I think the price is worth it, especially if you want to know more about  Seattle’s underground tunnels . I really enjoy the tour we took, and our guide was super helpful and willing to share with us so many interesting facts about the underground Seattle.

Please consider that this is a very popular tour, so I recommend purchasing your  Seattle underground history tour tickets in advance since your preferred time might sell out.

Who is Bill Speidel?

While you’re researching the  best Seattle underground tours , you’re sure to come across the name Bill Speidel. So, I think it’s a good idea to give you some background history of this influential man.

Bill Speidel was a columnist for the  Seattle Times . While he joined the paper in the late 1930s, his most notable work didn’t appear until the 1960s. In addition to his newspaper columns, he also wrote two books in 1967 and 1978. Most of his work focused on the history of Seattle’s early settlers.

Speidel was passionate about preserving the city’s history, especially Pioneer Square, which was quite rundown in his days. When a Seattle Times reader asked about the underground remnants of the square, it piqued Speidel’s interest. He investigated the area and then invited the reader to come and see what he found.

Well, that reader ended up bringing along 500 friends. Word spread about this unique  walking tour of Seattle’s underground , and more residents followed Speidel into these previously unexplored depths of the city. He began collecting a $1 fee from each visitor, and the rest is history.

Today, the  Bill Speidel Underground Tour  is one of the weirdest and most popular ways to learn about Seattle’s history.

FAQS about the Seattle underground tunnels tour

Still not sure about exploring the  underground in Seattle, WA ? Here is some more information to help you decide and plan your trip.

Is the Seattle Underground tour worth it?

Yes! This is a very different  tour of Seattle  that you won’t be able to experience anywhere else. Not only do you get to learn about the  Seattle underground tunnels , but you can walk through some of the remains.

How much is the Underground Tour in Seattle?

While the cost depends on the tour company, most  Seattle Washington underground city tours  are $30. The  Bill Speidel Underground Tour  is about $30, but that doesn’t include tips.

Is it necessary to book the Underground Tour in Seattle?

You can have a great time here without doing a  Seattle Underground City Tour . However, if you want to learn more about  Seattle’s underground history , this tour is a must-do.

Where can I book the Underground Tour in Seattle?

You can book the  Bill Speidel Underground Tour   here.

Is there parking for people who are going to do the Bill Speidel Underground Tour?

There isn’t a designated parking lot for the  Seattle underground tour . Instead, visitors should take public transportation since the bus and light rail stops at Pioneer Square LINK station.

Can you eat or drink during the Underground Tour in Seattle?

You can bring a covered drink with you, but food isn’t permitted during the  Seattle underground history tour . The tours start near Doc Maynard’s Public House, and many visitors stop there before or after their tour.

How long is Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour?

The  Speidel Underground Tour  lasts 1 hour.

That’s everything you need to know about exploring the  underground city in Seattle . If you have any other concerns, or you want to share your experience, leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you!

Don't miss a 5% discount on your HeyMondo travel insurance  

and the only one that pays all your medical bills upfront for you!

Ascen Aynat

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

5 Reasons To Go Underground For Seattle’s Most Unusual Tour

• Activities and Interests
• Destinations
• Guided Tours
• Sightseeing
• United States

Visitors with a curiosity about the other side of Seattle’s story need look no farther than a few feet below them, into the city’s notorious Underground.

Thanks to fascinating guided tours in the city’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, venturing beneath the streets is a fairly easy feat. For decades, Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour has been giving tourists a glimpse into Seattle’s colorful past — complete with stories of muddy streets, sinking buildings, non-existent sewage disposal, and ultimately, the devastating Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

As a frequent visitor to the Emerald City over the years, I was familiar with modern Seattle’s top attractions like the Space Needle , Pike Place Market , and Chihuly Garden and Glass . But as I was planning a recent return visit, I realized I had barely scratched the surface of Seattle’s early history as a logging town.

The Underground tour certainly helped to fill in the blanks, from Seattle’s start as a town built on a muddy tide flat, to the destruction wreaked by the Great Fire, and the development of the Underground as a fix for many of the early problems.

Here are 7 reasons to go underground for Seattle’s most unique tour.

1. Quirky History Of Seattle

Bill Speidel’s Seattle Underground Tour lasts about 75 minutes, and an enormous amount of information is packed into that time, all in an entertaining format. My tour guide threw in plenty of humorous stories about Seattle’s early history, including how the first steam-powered sawmill of the Pacific Northwest came to be located in Seattle, as well as the difficulties the pioneer city had disposing of its sewage.

Starting in a theater beneath Doc Maynard’s Public House in Pioneer Square , the tour also features a montage of early-Seattle personalities, including town founders David “Doc” Maynard, Arthur Denny, and Henry Yesler. Cardboard cutouts of the three men are arranged around the room, helping to bring their stories to life.

Tale Of The Great Seattle Fire

The Great Seattle Fire of 1889 was the impetus for the Underground, and the tour focuses considerable time on that devastating event. As relayed by my tour guide, at 2 p.m. on June 6, 1889, a 19-year-old carpenter-in-training burned the city down when he was melting glue in a pot. Halfway through the melting process, the young carpenter left the glue unattended for about 10–12 minutes. By the time he returned, the glue had come to a boil and began splattering onto the kindling that was lying all around.

Hours later, Seattle’s business district, which consisted mostly of wood buildings, was burned to the ground. Seattle opted to start over with stone and brick buildings, and the Underground was born.

Book Now on GetYourGuide

2. Walking Tour Through Historic Pioneer Square

Starting at Doc Maynard’s, the tour heads into Pioneer Square and under the neighborhood’s famous pergola archway. Known as the birthplace of Seattle, Pioneer Square offers a frozen-in-time look at the brick and stone buildings of downtown Seattle in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The cast iron and glass Pioneer Square Pergola was originally built in 1909 and served as a shelter for cable car passengers on the James Street and Yesler Way lines.

3. Underground Passageways And Storefronts

The Bill Speidel tour is billed as a “stroll through intriguing subterranean storefronts and sidewalks entombed when the city rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889.”

The tour delivers on that claim, taking the participants (there were about 20 of us in my tour group) down a series of stairs and into an area of narrow wooden walkways bordered by brick walls bearing vintage signs that read, “South End Steam Baths” and “Northern Hotel.”

Along the way, my tour guide explained the origin of the Underground. He told the group that after fire wiped out about 33 blocks of Seattle’s main business district in 1889, the city came up with the idea of building high-stone-retaining walls around the city blocks and then dumping dirt between them.

The tour’s website adds that the plan involved building walls on either side of the old streets, filling in the spaces between the walls, and then paving over the fill “to effectively raise the streets, making them one story higher than the old sidewalks that still ran alongside them.” Eventually, hollow tunnels were left between the old and new sidewalks, “creating the passageways of today’s Underground.”  

Book Now on GetYourGuide

4. Seattle Street Views

The Underground Tour includes several separate underground areas, as well as walks in between and along the above-ground city streets and alleys.

One of the highlights for me was walking amidst the vintage Seattle buildings, soaking in the history. I learned, for instance, that tour founder Bill Speidel spearheaded the preservation of the buildings of Pioneer Square , many of which had fallen into disrepair by the mid-1950s. Through letter-writing and petition campaigns, Speidel succeeded by 1970 in getting 25 blocks of brick and stone buildings in Seattle’s birthplace listed on the National Historic Register . Along the way, he founded tours to tell the story of Seattle’s Underground.

Pro Tip: One of the standout buildings in the area is the 38-story Smith Tower , an early Seattle skyscraper. Today, it offers tours and an elevator ride to its observation deck with sweeping views of the region.

5. Underground Museum

The tour concludes in the Underground Tour’s Rogues Gallery, which features photos of characters featured in the tour narrative, as well as Northwest memorabilia from Seattle’s early days.

The Underground Gift Shop offers souvenirs and books, including the Sons of the Profits , a book written by tour founder Bill Speidel, who died in 1988.

• Located on 1st Avenue in Pioneer Square, the Bill Speidel Underground Tour is just a few city blocks from the Seattle Light Rail Pioneer Square Station and is an easy 5-minute walk.
• As another option for underground guided tours in Pioneer Square, Beneath the Streets tours offers a choice of a family-friendly exploration of Seattle’s Underground; an adults-only exploration of the debauchery and vice of early Seattle; and a Queer History Tour.

Related Reading:

• 9 Amazing Things To Do In Seattle When It’s Raining
• My 6 Favorite Attractions To Visit With The Seattle CityPASS
• 14 Ways To Spend A Long Weekend In Washington’s Emerald City: Seattle

Cindy Barks is an Arizona-based newspaper reporter, freelance travel writer, and travel blogger. Her blog, NearandFarAZ gives readers an insider's view of the wonders of the U.S. Southwest, and a traveler's take on far-off locales from Panama to Hong Kong to the Czech Republic. Regardless of the destination, her goal is to find the perfect scenic hike, city walk, beach stroll, or road-trip jaunt, and bring it to life in her blog. Cindy's articles about outdoor adventures have appeared in numerous regional and national publications.

Underground Seattle: Visit The Subterranean City Hidden Under Pioneer Square

Explore the underground pathways that were built in Seattle more than 120 years ago.

A hidden gem for tourists that enjoy paranormal and unique experiences. Certainly one of the most unusual tourist attractions in Seattle is the Bill Spiedel underground tour, which visits a subterranean city built under the Pioneer Square neighborhood after the Great Fire of 1889.

A historic walk through these interconnecting tunnels will change your perception of Emerald City forever.

View this post on Instagram

The story behind underground Seattle

The city’s first neighborhood hides the remnants of a fascinating underground world. Under restaurants and shops, you will find an entire network of subterranean hallways, corridors and basements. Buried for decades, these abandoned spaces have become a popular tourist attraction and a real-life history museum of Seattle’s past.

The structures were constructed after the Great Seattle Fire on June 6th, 1889, a fire that destroyed more than 25 blocks of stores, homes and workshops. Soon after, city leaders decided that all new structures had to be built of stone and brick instead of wood and it was ruled that the streets would be raised 22 feet higher. New buildings made the ground level a basement and others simply left their businesses on the underground floors.

A historian and columnist for the Seattle Times, Bill Spiedel, took notice of the subterranean ruins. He mounted a citizen campaign that restored some of the tunnels to their authentic state. Finally, in 1965, he began doing an Underground Tour for any tourists and locals that would like to time-travel to the 1900s.

Where: 614 1st Avenue, in Pioneer Place Park, Pioneer Square, between Cherry and James Street.

Tour info: The tour is 75 minutes long, the underground can be rugged, so don’t hesitate on using comfortable shoes.

You can buy tickets online from Bill Spiedel’s official website and also by phone or on-site.

Featured image from Shutterstock.

TYPE IN YOUR SEARCH AND PRESS ENTER

• Getting Here
• Map & Guide
• The Neighborhood
• Experiences

• Points Of Interest
• Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

600 1st Ave

(206) 682-4646

9:00am-7:00pm

A Little More About Us

BILL SPEIDEL'S UNDERGROUND TOUR is a leisurely, guided walking tour beneath Seattle’s sidewalks and streets. As you roam the subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, our guides regale you with the stories our pioneers didn’t want you to hear. It’s history with a twist!

The tour begins inside Doc Maynard’s Public House, a restored 1890s saloon. Following a short intro, we’ll walk through historic Pioneer Square to three different sections of Underground—about three blocks in all.

The tour ends in Rogues Gallery, the Underground Tour gift shop. Here you will find a mix of historic displays and an array of contemporary gifts showcasing Seattle’s quirky character.

You can get a memento of your Underground Tour experience at Rogues Gallery; a copy of Sons of the Profits, the book by Bill Speidel upon which the tour is based, or a Seattle souvenir or two.

After hearing the history of the invention of the flush toilet in England on the tour, you can check out our beautiful, original Crapper toilet imported from England.

Underground Tour

Reviews & Schedule

608 First Avenue • Seattle, WA 98104

206.682.4646

TICKET PRICES AS OF November 2010 (Cash Only)

$15.00 Adults (18-59 yrs)

$12.00 Seniors (60+ yrs)

$12.00 Students (13-17 yrs or w/valid college ID)

$7.00 Children (7-12 yrs)

UNDERGROUND TOUR SCHEDULE (updated November 2010)

January 2 – 31: Daily, hourly, 11am – 4pm

February: Mon-Th, hourly, 11am – 4pm / Fri-Sun hourly 11am – 5pm

March: Daily, hourly, 11am – 5pm

April: Daily, hourly, 11am – 6pm

May – September: Daily, hourly 10am – 7pm

October – November: Daily, hourly 11am – 5pm (Closed Thanksgiving)

December 1-23: Daily, hourly 11am – 4pm

December 26 – 31: Daily, hourly 11am – 5pm

Seattle Underground Tour Review

The tour begins at Doc Maynard’s, a restored 1890s public house, then goes underground to visit the abandoned, sunken storefronts of what was once ground-level Pioneer Square. Their well-informed guides recount the role of the modern toilet in Seattle history, the origin of the term Skid Road, and take you to some places where ghosts are said to hang out, all the while telling hilarious stories and recanting Seattle history.

In the olden days, downtown Seattle was chaotic– built on a tidal plain– with very poor drainage.

After the Great Fire in1889, city planners wanted to raise the streets to solve the city’s growing sewage problems, but the downtown building owners, who didn’t want to wait for the city to get to work, rebuilt their buildings at the original level.

Many years later, the city of Seattle raised the streets, leaving sidewalks and entrances as much as 36 feet below street level. For several years, pedestrians clambered up and down between street level and building entrance on ladders, but eventually the building entrances were raised, and the old sidewalks covered over, creating the area called the Seattle Underground.

The preceding content is an editorial review of the Seattle Underground Tour based on editorial information collected by our organization. The tour operator can change prices and schedules, so make sure to call to confirm the most current tour info.

• Neighborhoods
• Best of the Northwest
• Restaurants
• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 SeattleTravel.com

• Seattle Underground Tour

About this activity

Smartphone tickets accepted

• Your booking is confirmed instantly
• This activity is in your language
• This option has FREE cancellation: book it without any risk!

Experience Highlights

Explore the old city of Seattle on this underground tour . A local guide will explain the history of the first established neighbourhood of the Emerald City during the walking tour, which lasts about an hour and is for groups of about 20 people .

You will walk along the underground paths, as they were made at the end of the 19th century and have remained unchanged to this day. Also, you will take a tour of what is the same neighbourhood, but now on the surface to see the significant changes and evolution.

• Learn about Seattle 's history on this underground tour , an underground walkway that existed in the 1890s.
• Learn more about the origins and evolution of this city from a local guide on this walking tour that lasts about an hour .
• Discover what it was like underground and what it's like today in the Emerald City .

What’s included

• Local guide

Select participants and date

Step by step.

Discover what Seattle used to be like on this underground tour . With a local guide , you'll learn about the origins and evolution of this city known as the Emerald City on a walking tour . This activity is designed for small groups of approximately 20 people and takes about an hour to complete.

After the great Seattle fire of 1889, the city's inhabitants had the opportunity to rebuild and rise from the ashes. Known as the birthplace of Seattle and claimed as the city' s "first neighbourhood" , Pioneer Square is a place rich in history, both underground and above ground.

Along the tour, you'll learn about stories that have happened over the decades in this underground location: from the Yukon Goldfield Stampede to Seattle's role in the Klondike Gold Rush . You will also discover the Salish, an indigenous people who settled in Seattle.

All of this will take place underground, although not all of the tour will be underground. In order to compare the old with the new, you'll go above ground to learn about the history of the new Pioneer Square .

You'll see how the square is lined with turn-of-the-century lampposts, or how a Tlingit totem pole stands next to a fountain with a bust of Chief Seattle. As an added bonus, this neighbourhood has also become a great choice for art and food lovers in the city.

• M Matilde 5 (0 Reviews) This is our first time in Seattle and we took this tour for fun, but we were impressed with how much the guide knew. He was very informative and we ended up learning a lot as well.
• J Josefina 5 (0 Reviews) It's a little obvious that not all of the city will be underground, but what it is, it was great!
• E Emilio 5 (0 Reviews) Small group and excellent guide
• G Gaston 5 (0 Reviews) My two young children are suspense lovers, I chose this tour to surprise them and it couldn't have been better! they were amazed, they didn't stop talking about the tour until days later.

Other Things You Should Know

• This tour will allow for about 20 people in the group.
• It is recommended to wear appropriate clothing as this tour will take place despite adverse weather conditions.
• Assistance animals are allowed
• This experience is not recommended for travellers with back problems.
• This activity is not adapted for wheelchair users.

Cancellation Policy

Other activities in seattle.

Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass Tickets

Seattle Food Tour

Seattle Harbor Cruise

Mount Rainier Day Trip from Seattle

Olympic National Park Day Trip from Seattle

Seattle Hop-On Hop-Off City Sightseeing Bus Tour

Snoqualmie Falls and Woodinville Day Trip from Seattle

Seattle Scavenger Hunt Game

Seattle Chocolate Tour

Mount St. Helens Day Trip from Seattle

Select your language

Argentina (USD)

Brasil (USD)

Canada (CAD)

Colombia (USD)

Denmark (DKK)

Deutschland (EUR)

España (EUR)

Finland (EUR)

France (EUR)

India (INR)

Italia (EUR)

Japan (JPY)

Malaysia (MYR)

México (USD)

Nederland (EUR)

Norway (NOK)

Portugal (EUR)

Sweden (SEK)

United Arab Emirates (AED)

United Kingdom (GBP)

United States (USD)

CS Ginger Travel

A Complete Guide to the 2 Best Seattle Underground Tours in 2024

LOOKING FOR THE BEST SEATTLE UNDERGROUND TOURS?

You’ve landed on the right article! We’ve been traveling together since 2010 and have spent months exploring the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is one of our family’s favorite spots to visit in this region of the United States.

Did you know there’s more than the Space Needle and Pike Place Market when it comes to landmarks in Seattle? A Seattle underground tour opens up a whole new hidden part of The Emerald City!

We had a great time as we explored the underground city of Seattle. We had no idea Seattle had such an interesting history, and we were walking on top of it during all of our other trips to Seattle.

🏆 Best Seattle Underground Tour

Don’t have time to read the whole article? The hands-down best Seattle Underground Tour is Beneath the Streets Seattle Underground Tour .

Tag along as we share the most exciting and interesting parts of venturing beneath the streets in Seattle. As well as offer pointers on which tour to take and why! 

Quick Guide: Seattle Underground Tour

Beneath the Streets Seattle Underground Tour ✔️ Unique and Memorable Underground City Tour in Seattle ✔️ Explore Historic Pioneer Square with Expert Guide 

Seattle Underground Donut Tour  ✔️ Includes Delicious Pastries ✔️ Local Guides Provide Fun and Historical Facts 

Beneath the Streets Seattle Underground Tour  

⭐️ RATING : 4.5 out of 5 Stars | 🕑 TOUR LENGTH : 1 hour | Check Rates & Availability

Beneath the Streets Underground History Tour is an amazing tour. We’ve visited Seattle a lot in the past, and this tour definitely stands out as a highlight. It was so fun to explore a new part of the city that we felt we already knew so well. 

The tour begins when you purchase your Underground tour tickets and meet your tour guide at a predetermined spot in the city. The guides for this tour know so much about Seattle’s history and the many cultures that have influenced the place it is today. 

After a short intro, the guide leads you into the underground portion of the tour. Throughout your walk of many city blocks in the Seattle Underground City, you will learn so much about Seattle Underground history. From Seattle’s birthplace and architecture to side stories about how the city was influenced by the Klondike Gold Rush and Skid Row. 

The tour guide was very passionate and entertaining, made the whole experience wonderful. The tour itself was very cool, they did a great job at preserving the history that was left. – Frank (Read More Reviews )

This definitely isn’t a Seattle Underground haunted tour or a ghost tour in Seattle Underground, but walking through Pioneer Square and the attached passageways can feel a little eerie. It’s fascinating to see history right before your eyes while also seeing and hearing current-day happenings above your head through the skylights.

This tour’s underground landscape also makes for the best Instagram-worthy underground tour photos! If you’re interested in taking a journey back in time on a beneath-the-street underground history tour, you will love this tour.

▶️ BOOK Beneath the Streets Seattle Underground Tour

Seattle Underground Donut Tour  

⭐️ RATING : 5 out of 5 Stars | 🕑 TOUR LENGTH : 2 hours | Check Rates & Availability

Seattle Underground Donut Tour isn’t a standard underground city tour in Seattle. This tour takes place along the city’s main roadways but is underground in a playful and hidden sense. Sort of like the pastries you will devour on this tour are so special and exclusive that they are hidden from the common traveler’s eye! 

Unlike the underground tour discussed earlier, this tour is a bit more lighthearted and fun. There is a limited number of participants, so you don’t have to worry about a large group. Local guides will still offer some great insights about the city and fun facts along your journey, but this presentation has a far less historical tone than the underground walking tour in Seattle.

The tour begins at Top Pot Doughnuts, one of the city’s best donut shops. The tour admission covers donut tastings at each stop, but if you’re interested in choosing your own pastry, this spot offers all your favorite old-fashioned classic donuts, as well as a selection of fancier options. 

The tour was great. It was a nice break and easy way to see the city, eat donuts and get a history lesson. The donuts were amazing. – Krista (Read More Reviews )

Depending on the time of year you visit, they may even have some of their seasonal creations on display. The Apple Cider Cake pairs so well with the crisp fall Seattle weather! 

From there, you’ll wander over to Dahlia Bakery, where they boast made-to-order and oh-mochi donuts. As well as breakfast sandwiches, pies, tarts and more. Finally, you’ll reach Pike Place Market and end your donut journey at Daily Dozen Doughnuts, where mini-doughnuts are the name of the game. 

We recommend this tour for first-time visitors to Seattle who would love a guided tour of the city’s highlights while enjoying a fun outdoor atmosphere. Also, families traveling with kids would really enjoy this environment. The walking aspect of it all allows everyone to feel free and able to move, and who doesn’t love a sugar rush? It’s the best thing about the whole tour!

▶️ BOOK Seattle Underground Donut Tour

Things to See and Learn During Your Seattle Underground Tour 

History of seattle .

Underground tours offer visitors a specific look into Seattle’s history. From its tragedies like the 1889 Great Seattle fire to its triumphs in the beautiful city it is today. We find we always appreciate a city more when we know something about the city’s history and the journey it has taken to get to where it is today. 

Historic Pioneer Square 

There’s nothing quite like walking through actual history. The Seattle underground tours offer travelers the opportunity to witness the still intact world of the Historic Pioneer Square over 130 years after it was covered. It’s like taking in a time-capsule view of the buried city.

Underground Passageways 

Pioneer Square isn’t the only highlight of an underground journey in Seattle. Exploring the connected subterranean passages and old sidewalks and visualizing the people who used to forge through them along the uneven terrain over a century ago is just as thrilling 

Above-Ground Street Views 

As you make your way through the underground neighborhood, you will sometimes notice grids above you. These are referred to as skylights. They offer a blurred peek of Seattle’s sidewalks at ground level from the underground neighborhood.

It’s a strange meeting of past and present time. Noticing the light or hearing a sound from the skylights can jolt you from your walk through the past in the historic subterranean neighborhood.

History: Why Is There An Underground City in Seattle? 

Pioneer Square neighborhood, where everything takes place, is below ground today, but in the late 1800s, it was at street level. The historic great fire ravaged the city on June 6, 1889.

As the city put itself back together, city planners and city leaders decided to raise the city streets 1 to 2 stories to a higher level to eliminate flooding issues that plagued the neighborhood often. This left Pioneer Square beneath the present-day streets. 

FAQ: Seattle Underground Tour 

What is the Best Underground Tour in Seattle?

Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour is our top pick for best Underground tour in Seattle. It’s one of the best Pioneer Square underground tours and is such a unique and fun way to experience the city in a new light. 

We also love that it’s an activity you can enjoy year-round. Whether you’re visiting Seattle in December or in the heat of the summer, an Underground Tour is always a great choice!

Can You Visit the Underground City in Seattle? 

Visitors to the Emerald City are more than welcome to explore the Underground City, but a tour is required. Once you purchase tour tickets, the specific tour company will grant you access to the underground world. 

Can You Walk Seattle Underground Without a Tour? 

Tourists cannot walk through Seattle’s underground without a tour. A tour is the only way to gain access to the underground areas.

How Long is the Underground Tour in Seattle? 

Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour is a relatively short tour, about 1 hour long. This includes a fascinating tour of Seattle beneath the streets of the city.

Is Seattle Underground Free? 

Seattle underground tour tickets typically are not free. Ticket prices vary depending on which tour you choose. In some cases, kids six and under can be admitted for free. 

Conclusion: Seattle Underground Tour 

Seattle is a captivating city. It’s beautiful, and there’s so many fun things to do with kids in Seattle . But no matter how many times you visit Pike Place Market, gaze at the gum wall, enjoy a boat tour , or sit in the stands for a Mariners game, you’ll never really know Seattle’s full story.

Still not sure about the best Seattle Underground Tour? We recommend the Beneath the Streets Seattle Underground Tour .

Take the leap and enjoy the underground wonders and history of Seattle’s most unusual attraction. Don’t miss a fun and educational tour on your next visit to the Pacific Northwest. We had a great time on our tour and learned so much about the history of Seattle.

More Washington Adventures

Planning the Perfect Road Trip from Seattle to San Diego 12 Best Places for Orca Whale Watching in Washington 16 Best Things to Do in Forks, Washington 27 Fun Things to Do in Ocean Shores, Washington 23 Adventurous Things to Do in North Cascades National Park

Candice Steele is the owner of CS Ginger, a blog that helps travelers explore the United States in their RVs. Since 2017, she and her family have been providing valuable insider tips about travel experiences suitable for families. They love exploring the country in their RV and offer helpful insights to make RVing easy and family-friendly.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

The Underground Tour in Seattle

Seattle Travel Guide › Underground Tours Updated: October 15, 2023 By Santorini Dave

• Where to Stay in Seattle
• Best Hotels in Seattle
• Best Seattle Tours & Things To Do

The Seattle Underground Tour

The Underground Tour is pretty much what it sounds like – a tour of the former city streets, alleys, signs, and storefronts now buried a level below the existing city.

Tours of Seattle’s “underground” take visitors down beneath Pioneer Square, and through the maze of buried alleys and storefronts that were once Seattle’s surface streets. They’re a great crash course (or refresher) on Seattle history, and kids and adults both find them fascinating. Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour is the original and most famous. Groups are large, and guides are friendly and knowledgeable – but lean heavily on the “schtick.” (You may find this super fun or supremely irritating, depending on your personality.) This popular daytime tour touches briefly on the city’s seedier side, in coded language so that the kids in the crowd are none the wiser. All bets are off, however, for the company’s after-hours Underworld Tour , which positively revels in this town’s bad and bawdy history of drugs, crime, and prostitution. All the same locations are visited as during the day, but the stories are raunchier at night and guests receive a free cocktail upon completion of the tour (Age 21+). You’ll want to buy your tickets in advance, as both tours routinely sell out.

Seattle Underground Tour Hours & Information The Underground Tour descending to the old city below. Tour Length : 75 minutes Schedule : Tours start hourly every day; 9am-7pm April to September, 10am-6pm October to March. Additional tours on the half hour June to August (box office only), limited hours December 24, and December 26-31. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Location : Tours depart from Doc Maynard’s Public House in Pioneer Square, 614 First Avenue . Website : undergroundtour.com Telephone : (206) 682-4646 Ticket Prices : $22 Adult (18-59 yrs); $20 Senior (60+ yrs) and Student (13-17 yrs or with valid college ID); $10 Youth (7-12 yrs); Kids 6 and under are admitted free, but may find the tour challenging. Parking : There are 3 parking garages within a block of the tour ( interactive parking map ). Limited street parking is also available, but hard to come by. Getting There : 3-minute walk from Pioneer Square light rail station, 7-minute walk from King Street Amtrak Station, and a 7-minute walk from the downtown ferry dock. Pioneer Square is served by Metro bus routes 120, 132, 18, 268, 303, 311, 40, 43, 550, and 62 ( route planning tool ). Nearby Restaurants : The surrounding area is one of Seattle’s best for dining and drinking. The best restaurants near the Underground Tour are Halal Guys (falafel & gyros takeaway, 1-minute walk ), Damn the Weather (cocktail bar/pub, 2-minute walk ), The London Plane (cafe and dining room, 4-minute walk ), Salumi (Italian deli, 6-minute walk ), and Taylor Shellfish (seafood, 6-minute walk ). Recommended Seattle Tours The Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour is our favorite tour in downtown Seattle. Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour – Awesome tour of the specialty shops and top restaurants in Pike Place Market and a few surrounding streets.

About Santorini Dave

• Pacific NW Magazine

Seattle artist’s 1988 underground mural remains very much in fashion

WHEN LEGENDARY COMIC Red Skelton played the Puyallup Fair in September 1987, he opened with a timeless joke that works for any big burg: “Good to be back in Seattle. Great city — when they get it done.”

His shtick stung because just six months earlier, construction had begun downtown on the Metro Bus Tunnel, disrupting traffic and shopping until its completion in 1990. Buses running in the completed tunnels were replaced later by Sound Transit light-rail trains. But lingering underground today from the late 1980s are eye-popping, publicly funded works by two dozen artists , including Seattle painter Gene Gentry McMahon.

Related More Now & Then

With “relish and bounce,” McMahon has spent decades poking gentle fun at “stiletto, high-heeled romances in which women on the make mate with underworld thugs,” as one critic opined. That theme was writ large in McMahon’s 35-by-10-foot transit-tunnel mural installed in 1988 at Westlake Station beneath what was the city’s most elegant department store, Frederick & Nelson.

Today, with Nordstrom above, the mural’s chic characters sparkle in brash juxtaposition as if the piece were brand new. “It’s social commentary about fashion and grooming and how we choose to present ourselves,” McMahon says. “It’s what people wear and bring when they travel, with the mannequins, models and products. I’m playing a little bit on vanity.”

The universal subtext fits a public setting and tweaks an era that is no more, says Greg Kucera, former Frederick’s employee and longtime McMahon champion who, after 38 years of operating a Seattle art gallery, moved two years ago to France.

“Gene’s art is both literal and very incisive,” he says. “Her mural is an homage to a time of consumerism pre-internet, with the old-fashioned sense of relationship to a salesperson and with products you touch and smell before you buy. The idea of shop-by-mail was quaint. Now everything is delivered to your house.”

These days, McMahon, 81, maintains a studio on Elliott Avenue West, near the Post-Intelligencer globe. There she conjures lively, provocative art pieces while documenting and cataloging her countless works. An impish gleam in her eye conveys edgy enthusiasm.

“I saw the weirdest ad for Nordstrom yesterday,” she says. “It made me want to do [the Westlake mural] all over again. It showed regular white tennis shoes, like Keds. It said they were the most comfortable shoes for the season. Then it showed really high platform heels. Both pairs had gobbledygook flowers. The tennis shoes were $1,200. The platforms were $3,000. I was so revolted. I’m going to use those shoes for something!”

Obviously, neither Seattle nor McMahon is “done.”

Most Read Stories

• REI reports another year of losses, pledges efficiency and new stores
• Russell Wilson’s $24.9 million Bellevue mansion has a potential buyer
• Seattle weather: Showers with a chance of graupel, but sun on the way
• A peek inside the brains of ‘super-agers’
• Runaway zebra spotted in North Bend

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

• Popular artists in Seattle
• Trending artists worldwide

• Tourbox for artists

Search for events or artists

• Sign up Log in

• Get the app
• Seattle concerts
• Change location
• Popular Artists
• Live streams
• Deutsch Português
• Popular artists

Sunday 10 November 2024

Freakout Fest 2024

Seattle, WA, US

Line-up: The Black Angels and Jjuujjuu

Don’t miss out.

Save this event to your plans and we'll remind you when it's coming up!

We don’t know about tickets yet.

• The Black Angels

Share this festival

Biographies.

Hailing from Austin, Texas, US, The Black Angels are a psychedelic rock band, finding influence from the likes of Velvet Underground, along with a swirling shoegaze sound with the raw energy of garage rock.

Live reviews

The Black Angels. What can I say? Well, they are from the great state of Texas, which already makes them better than the rest of the bands out there. And then, there's the funky rock style that they have going on. …

Report as inappropriate

Related upcoming events

• Tuesday May 07, 2024 Metz Neumos, Seattle
• Thursday August 15, 2024 Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
• Tuesday October 01, 2024 The War on Drugs and The National Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
• Friday October 04, 2024 Weezer Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
• Thursday November 07, 2024 Black Lips, The Black Angels, Shabazz Palaces, and A Place To Bury Strangers Freakout Festival XII 2024, Seattle

11 people interested

• Most popular charts
• API information
• Brand guidelines
• Community guidelines
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Cookies settings
• Cookies policy

Get your tour dates seen everywhere.

• But we really hope you love us.

Underground Tour, Bill Speidel’s

Seattle’s most unusual attraction is a humorous tour of subterranean storefronts and sidewalks entombed when the city rebuilt atop itself after the Great Fire of 1889. It’s history with punch lines!

• Address 614 First Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
• Phone (206) 682-4646

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SEATTLE LOCALIST

Seattle’s best every month in your inbox.

• OPT-IN: By clicking the "Subscribe" button, I agree to receive emails from Visit Seattle and that I have read and agree to the Visit Seattle Privacy Policy .
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Book Your Trip

Partner Advertisements

• Manage Account

Billie Eilish Announces Dates for Hit Me Hard and Soft 2024-2025 World Tour

The 10-month outing is slated to kick off in Quebec on Sept. 29.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Email
• Print this article
• Share this article on Comment
• Share this article on Tumblr

Billie Eilish announced the dates the world tour in support of her third album on Monday (April 29). The Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is slated to kick off on Sept. 29 at the Centre Videotron in Quebec, Canada, and take the singer across North America through late December, with stops in Toronto, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, Newark, Boston and Pittsburgh before a three night-stint at Madison Square Garden (Oct. 16-18) and two nights at State Farm Arena in Atlanta (Nov. 2-3).

Why Billie Eilish Insists on Sustainability In Her Career: ‘It’s a Never-Ending F–king Fight…

Trending on billboard.

The tour will feature a number of sustainability efforts, including the continuation of Eilish’s long-running partnership with environmental nonprofit Reverb, which has so far resulted in $1 million in donations to environmental, greenhouse-gas reduction and climate-justice projects, according to a release announcing the dates. On the upcoming tour, sustainability efforts will include reducing greenhouse-gas pollution, decreasing single-use plastic waste, supporting climate action and updating concession offerings to promote plant-based food options.

Billie Eilish Explains the ‘Huge Responsibility’ to Make New Album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ Her Most…

Support + Feed will also continue its previous collaboration with Eilish and offer an expanded version of the Support+Feed Pledge aimed at inspiring fans to eat one plant-based meal a day for 30 days. Eilish’s fans are also encouraged to take public transportation and/or carpool to shows to reduce their carbon footprint, and to bring an empty reusable water bottle or donate to receive a custom RockNRefill Nalgene bottle they can fill up for free at water-refill stations at every venue. Eilish is also encouraging fans to fight the tremendous waste caused by fast fashion by dressing up for the gigs in thrifted, upcycled or borrowed clothes instead of buying new ones.

In an effort to keep tickets out of the hands of scalpers, the tour is using Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange, which will allow fans who purchase tickets for the North American tour they can’t attend to resell them to other fans at the original price; click here to find out more about this program.

Check out the dates for Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour 2024-2025:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BILLIE EILISH (@billieeilish)

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Culture Expand culture menu

Media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Honda Music Expand honda-music menu