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Like other big cities, Seattle is known for its largest landmark, the Space Needle, and other famous spots such as Pike Place Market, the endless waterfront, and the Smith Tower, but did you know that Seattle has a buried past? After moving to Seattle last Fall, I heard about the Seattle Underground Tour and became fascinated. I was hesitant at first and thought that we would just walk down into some old basement, but the more I researched the history of Seattle, the more I wanted to see what this tour was all about. Seattle has a bit of an odd history that I’ll touch on later in this post, but essentially, Seattle is a city built on top of a city which is how the underground tour came to be!

Seattle Underground Tour

Bill Speidel founded the underground tour in 1965 and it has been a hit ever since. Currently there are two companies running the underground tour; you can either go on Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour which is the one I went on, or Beneath the Streets Underground Tour. Both tours start in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and actually are in the same two block radius and very similar. Bill Speidel’s tour takes place every day on the hour and the underground tour tickets are $22 for adults. You’ll start the tour in their building where you’ll meet your tour guide and hear a brief overview of how the tour was started and the wonky history of Seattle. Our tour guide was Jim and he was amazing! After the overview, you’ll head down the street with your tour guide and down the stairs to your first underground section! Throughout the tour you’ll see three to four different sections of the underground and learn more history along the way. The underground is broken up into sections because it was sealed off for decades and all of the passages haven’t been cleared out or deemed safe enough to walk through. I admit, it would be very cool to be able to walk through the winding tunnels that are spread throughout all of downtown Seattle, but it’s not viable so we have to take what we can get and what you get with this tour will not disappoint! Within the underground, you’ll see old passageways that were once ground level windows and doors, old oddities such as toilets and sewing machines, and you’ll learn about my favorite, the glass skylights. These skylights were installed into sections of the new, higher street level so that the underground wouldn’t be so dark. The tiles that make up the skylights when you’re underground, are small, square tiles that you see all over downtown Seattle on the sidewalks. I won’t spoil all of the things you’ll learn or see on the underground tour, but it might just be the most interesting thing you can do while visiting Seattle. Aside from the regular underground tour that runs throughout the day, Bill Speidel’s company offers an adults-only nighttime tour that sheds a different light on Seattle’s past and is focused on telling the history of what used to be Seattle’s Red Light District. I haven’t been on this tour yet, but plan to do so soon!

History of Seattle’s Underground

After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, Seattle made some major building code changes and outlawed the use of wood as structural material (for obvious reasons) and also decided to raise the street level to be an entire story higher than before. This new plan had a long timeline until completion and businesses were eager to be back in business so most in the downtown area didn’t wait for these new streets and sidewalks to be built. Overtime, as the city continued its new plan, new roads at the higher level were built in between existing buildings and created 10-35’ drop-offs which in turn, created maze-like passageways all throughout downtown. As time went on, sidewalks were added and Seattle’s past was soon forgotten and sealed up until 1965. Before the underground was completely sealed up and abandoned, it had become Seattle’s Red Light District and there were lots of black market deals and risqué activities happening down there. Eventually, it was so overrun with filth and rodents, that the city condemned it and it was completely sealed off for over 75 years.

I absolutely loved this tour and really enjoyed learning about the history of Seattle and its’ quirkiness! If you’re looking for something unique to do in Seattle then give this tour a try; it makes for a great activity on an infamous rainy Seattle day.

Happy travels!

-Tess

Tess Arnold

Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip!  If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!