Seattle is an amazing place. Great food, amazing scenery (depending on the weather), and some of the best tourist attractions in the country make it a city that everyone should visit at least once. But there are a few spots that overpromise and underdeliver. If you don’t know what those are, you may end up leaving with a sour taste in your mouth.
If you ask anyone who has been to Seattle more than once what places to avoid, the same names will come up in the conversation. Tourists often describe the same issues after visiting some of these spots: High expectations that were not met, long lines that bore you to oblivion, and that unpleasant feeling of having paid for something that you didn’t really get.
Below are eight Seattle tourist attractions that repeat visitors tend to caution against as being the most overrated in the city.
The Space Needle
©"space needle seattle" by GoodNCrazy is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
If you’re visiting Seattle, there’s a good chance the Space Needle is in your itinerary. There’s no nice way to put it, so we’ll just say it: The Space Needle is one of the most overpriced observation decks in the country, considering what you’ll actually get.
It’s an iconic attraction, but paying the $49 adult ticket price is a gamble. Seattle is notorious for being cloudy and grey for a large portion of the year. You may end up paying to look at an overcast sky along with a few building tops.
Space Needle (continued)
©"Space Needle Day" by JWolff-STL is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
The Space Needle is one of the most recognizable buildings to ever grace the North American skyline, there’s no question about it. But the observation deck experience does not match. Repeat visitors describe it as being “ultra expensive, overrated, and small,” while others said they “would not come back.”
If you’re looking for an alternative, consider the Columbia Center Sky View Observatory. It’s on the 73rd floor of Seattle’s tallest building, so you’ll be 380 feet higher than the Space Needle observation deck. It’s also cheaper. If you don’t mind a short walk, you may also want to consider Kerry Park in Queen Anne, which is completely free.
The best thing about these alternatives is that you actually get to see the Needle. The Seattle skyline just isn’t complete without it.
The “Original” Starbucks at Pike Place Market
©"Pike Place Starbucks" by Aranami is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Seattle is home to the original Starbucks, and while the current location at Pike Place Market may seem like a fun place to visit at first, it may end up being more trouble than it’s worth.
The menu is identical to every other Starbucks, so coffee lovers may be disappointed to find that there is actually nothing special about this place when it comes to the offering itself. People report having to wait upward of an hour for a coffee that they could have gotten in a few minutes at another Starbucks. Visitors have described it as being “overcrowded” and “just one of the tourist traps around the market.”
When it comes to the historical factor, you should be aware that this is not where Starbucks was founded. The original store opened in 1971, a block away, at 2000 Western Avenue. The building was torn down in 1976, and the business moved to the current spot at 1912 Pike Place. It’s the oldest Starbucks in the world, yes, but it’s not the original.
If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee with its own piece of history, the Victrola Coffee Roasters on Capitol Hill may be a safer alternative. It’s one of the most respected spots in town and has been going strong since 2000. Other options that will also not leave you waiting in line for an hour include Storyville Coffee and Ghost Alley Espresso.
The Seattle Great Wheel
©"Seattle Great Wheel" by Jitabebe is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
The Seattle Great Wheel on Pier 57 seems like a must until you actually do the math. It’s a giant Ferris wheel on the waterfront, and it has a great view of Elliott Bay. But paying $25 for a short ten-minute ride that repeatedly stops to load and unload passengers after a few rotations is not for everyone.
“Was it an ok experience? Sure. Would I recommend it to my close friends and family? Absolutely not,” wrote one visitor. “If it was $10 a ticket, maybe. But roughly $25 to go around a couple of times was a total rip-off.”
The Great Wheel (continued)
©"Seattle Great Wheel & Fog" by avhell is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
To be fair, the wheel has a great view on a clear day with the bay glittering and the Olympics behind it. The problem is that the same view is accessible from several points along the waterfront for free.
If you’re looking for a great view, just walk the waterfront north toward the Olympic Sculpture Park. You’ll be met with some interesting artwork, you’ll get the cool water breeze, and the view is identical. You can also take the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island, which may end up being a better way to take in the view for roughly half the price.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
©"I wanna run through your wicked garden, Can you feel pain inside? Can you love? Can you cry? Burn. Dale Chihuly's Glass and Garden, Seattle Center, Washington, USA" by Wonderlane is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
If you love glass art, the Chihuly Garden and Glass is probably a good choice. However, it’s a bit niche for the average visitor, and that’s why it earns its spot on the list.
Dale Chihuly is a gifted artist, and his glasswork is impressive, but with ticket prices ranging from $26 to $35 per adult, the experience can feel a bit underwhelming. Most people walk through the museum in under an hour. Many end up feeling like the experience is overrated and was not really worth the ticket price.
Chihuly Garden and Glass (continued)
©"CHIHULY GARDEN AND GLASS - Seattle 2013" by Kyla Duhamel is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
One visitor described it as “expensive, narcissistic,” and “highly overrated versus the many other tourist site options.” Again, glass art is sort of an acquired taste, so saying that the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum is a terrible experience for everyone would be unfair. Glass art lovers will probably enjoy it.
If you want to look at some artwork that isn’t so specific, the Seattle Art Museum downtown has a permanent collection that covers centuries of art across cultures. The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is also a good option if you’re looking for something more contemporary.
The Seattle Center Monorail (As a Destination)
©"Seattle Monorail" by Mark Fischer is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
The Seattle Center Monorail found its way to this list for a particular reason. People keep thinking it’s a fun thing to do on its own. It’s not. It’s just a decent way to get from Westlake Center to Seattle Center.
It runs on a single route through less than a mile in total, and the trip takes around two minutes to complete. If you’re actually taking the time to visit the Monorail as its own plan, then you may want to reconsider. A lot of people actually show up expecting something like that one Simpsons episode, where the city monorail is depicted as a futuristic experience full of wonders. The reality is far less glamorous.
“I thought it would be goofy and fun,” wrote one visitor. “Man, was I sad when I realized it was over in three minutes. I’m still laughing at how comically short the ride is.”
If you were planning to take a ride on the Seattle Center Monorail to cover the distance, then why not walk it? It takes around 15 minutes on foot, and you’ll get to experience the city for yourself. If you’re looking for a vintage experience in transportation, then the Washington State Ferry is a much better ride that will last longer and take you somewhere worth going.
Seattle Aquarium
©"Salmon at the underwater dome at The Seattle Aquarium" by Merelymel13 is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
The Seattle Aquarium sits right by the waterfront at Pier 59, and it’s one of the main go-to spots for anyone visiting the city. The location is great and the experience itself is not bad. However, it pales in comparison to other aquariums in the country, especially when considering the price tag.
At $23 to $51 per adult, the visit tends to underwhelm. It does have some strong points, including a tide pool touching area where visitors can reach in and handle live marine creatures. Overall, though, it has been consistently described as small and basic.
“Pricey and disappointing,” wrote one visitor who had been to world-class aquariums before. “Tired, poorly labelled, and didn’t seem to have any flow or logic to the walking layout.” Another was more direct: “I’ve been to several aquariums. This one for the ticket price of over $40 per person is not worth the price. The crowds made it nearly impossible to see the exhibits. Maybe there for an hour and fifteen minutes. $80 for basically an hour.”
If you’re looking for a better aquarium experience in the Pacific Northwest and don’t mind driving south for a few hours, then the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is a strong alternative. It easily outranks the Seattle Aquarium in terms of visitor satisfaction.
Pioneer Square’s Bar Strip
©"Pioneer Square - Seattle, Washington" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Pioneer Square is Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, which makes it a popular tourist attraction. People come for the historic architecture, art galleries, the nightlife experience, and the famous Underground Tour. On paper, it seems like a great place to visit, but the reality is more complicated.
The history is real, and the Bill Speidel Underground Tour is one of the better paid attractions in the city. The First Thursday Art Walk draws a legitimate crowd. But if you’re looking for an authentic Seattle bar experience, then you may be disappointed. The bar strip skews heavily toward sports fans rather than locals due to the stadium traffic from Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.
“It’s a game day neighborhood. On nights without a game, half of it is empty,” is how one Seattle resident puts it. If you’re looking for where Seattle actually goes at night, Capitol Hill and Ballard are your best bet. Pioneer Square may still merit a visit, just not for the bar crawl.
