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Seattle The urban buzz is palpable, yet lush greenery, towering mountains and Puget Sound make for a peaceful easy stopover
SEPTEMBER 2020
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Space Needle
The best deal if you plan a quick visit to multiple sites is a CityPASS ticket (priced $99 for adults), which can shave nearly half the cost off admission plus offers expedited access to many attractions including the Space Needle, the Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Pacific Science Center or the Woodland Park Zoo. The passes are valid for nine consecutive days if you plan to stay for a little longer. CityPASS in hand, your first stop probably should be the iconic Space Needle. Visible from all corners of the city, the landmark was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Fresh from a $100 million renovation, the Space Needle has unveiled a new revolving glass floor
and glass walls giving visitors a jaw-dropping peak at the city below their feet. Open daily 10am – 8pm, admission $32.50 until 6pm; $37.50 6pm to 8pm. 400 Broad St. spaceneedle.com
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The Museum of Pop Culture
Museum lovers can decide between the Museum of Pop Culture close to the Space Needle or the Seattle Art Museum with its Olympic Sculpture Park near Pike Place Market. But if time permits, why not choose to visit both? Inside its undulating, steel-skinned Frank Gehry-designed building, the Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP, is filled with carefully-curated, hands-on exhibits from science fiction and rock music; among them, Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction, an entire exhibition
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on Minecraft, and the most extensive collection of Nirvana memorabilia anywhere. Open daily 10am – 5pm, admission $34. 325 5th Avenue N. Tel 206-770-2700. mopop.org
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Chihuly Garden & Glass
Only steps away is Chihuly Garden & Glass, which showcases many of Dale Chihuly’s colourful blown glass masterpieces as well as other works of art along with the story of his career. Tacoma native Chihuly has seen his works featured in museums in the US and around the world, and he opened the Garden and Glass exhibition in 2012. You can easily spend an hour strolling through the galleries and gardens, but if you can, plan your visit for dusk when the lighted art is even more spectacular. Open Mon – Thurs 11am – 6pm, Fri
