Seattle’s New Waterfront 2025 🌊 | Full Walking Tour of the Transformed Seattle Waterfront

Seattle’s New Waterfront 2025 🌊 | Full Walking Tour of the Transformed Seattle Waterfront

Welcome to the NEW Seattle Waterfront! The transformation project began with the construction of the State Route 99 tunnel starting in 2013. The tunnel boring machine was nicknamed “Bertha.” The tunnel boring was completed in 2017, and the tunnel opened to traffic on February 4th, 2019. Once the tunnel was complete, the next phase of the waterfront transformation project could begin, the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. This view used to be of a Alaskan Way Viaduct and there were six lanes of traffic here. Down below you can see the Overlook Walk which extends down to Pier 62 and the Seattle Aquarium. Looks like a cruise ship is in port. Time for everyone to get off and get a Starbucks coffee! This is one of the entrances to Pike Place Market. We will explore it later in the tour. These are some of the outdoor stalls of the market. This is the view of the back side of Pike Place Market. The street below is Western Ave. Western Ave was the original waterfront road before another waterfront project back in the 1930s. Sgwihgwihideq is a Lushootseed word (the Indigenous language of the Coast Salish people of the Puget Sound), meaning “seagull.” Pike Place Market grew for the first time with the construction of this new area, known as the MarketFront, built in 2017. To our left is the Old Stove Brewing Co. Up head on our left are the Western Avenue Apartments. Those look pretty nice! Those are two red ventilation stacks for the underground tunnel below. They are painted to fit in with the Waterfront Park design. I filmed a Seattle Walking Tour back in 2023. This area was still under construction at that time. Here you can see the new Overlook Walk, a pedestrian bridge that finally connects Pike Place Market to the waterfront below. If you go on Google Maps and drop the little man on this area, you will be right on old Alaskan Way Viaduct. This multi-billion dollar Waterfront Park transformation is the largest civic project in Seattle since the 1962 World’s Fair. This new Overlook Walk is meant to become another iconic Seattle landmark like the Space Needle. Overlook Walk adds approximately 60,000 square feet of new elevated park space to Seattle’s waterfront. With 360-degree views of downtown Seattle, Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, Elliott Bay, the Olympic mountains, and Mount Rainier, ample seating options provide an opportunity to rest and enjoy the views. The Seattle skyline has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Follow me on social media to keep up with me while I travel. We are currently looking southeast directly at Mt. Rainier…behind the clouds. 🙂 See the sidewalk directly in front of the pier that is a different color? That used to be “the Seattle Waterfront walk.” The new area used to be street parking next to the Alaskan Way Viaduct. You can take these steps, or the elevator, to get down to the waterfront level…but we’ll go down the scenic way. Directly below us is the new Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion. I don’t think you realize just how different things look here in Seattle! Inside the new Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion is The Reef, a massive tropical habitat with sharks, rays, and living coral. Here you can see the original Seattle Aquarium. Seattle is a very beautiful city. This is the top of the Salish Steps, an event space with amphitheater seating. Eventually, large-scale artwork will be installed on Overlook Walk’s Salish Steps to honor the Native history of the waterfront. These cascading stairs, aren’t just a path—they’re a gathering place overlooking Elliott Bay. The steps bring visitors right down to Pier 62. There was another pier right next to this one, Pier 63, which was completely removed in 2022. This Pier, Pier 62, was completely rebuilt in June of 2020.; The last Pier along the Seattle waterfront is Pier 48. Nirvana played there back in 1992. It was their Live and Loud concert! From here, we can look across Elliot Bay over to Bainbridge Island..where Nirvana’s first drummer, Chad Channing, is from. 🙂 I’m surprised to see so many of these sunbeds are empty! Hmm, I hope she sanitizes that sun bed before she leaves. 🙂 This is where the larger Pier 63 used to be. I grew up coming to Seattle a couple times a month to see family. We came down here to the waterfront quite often. I am still amazed at how much it’s changed and how much better it looks! I wonder who is allowed to moor up along side this floating pier. So again the new round structure directly ahead is the Ocean Pavilion. This was all road and street parking just a few years ago. The Waterfront was just the sidewalk to our right. A didgeridoo-man! This is the entrance to the Ocean Pavilion. Tickets are $51 per adult! Yikes…I like fish and all, but… This is a shark ray, also known as a bowmouth guitarfish. Maybe they should have installed two elevators. 🐟 The Seattle Aquarium opened in 1977 on Pier 59, showcasing the rich marine life of Puget Sound. 🌊 For nearly 50 years, the Aquarium has connected Seattle to the sea — from sea otters and harbor seals to the famous giant Pacific octopus. 🔬 Since its opening, the Aquarium has been a hub for marine conservation and education, teaching generations about the waters of the Pacific Northwest. This area has changed a lot as well. This is the new Waterfront Park at Pier 58. This is the playground with a jellyfish shaped big-toy! Stretching 25 feet high, the visually striking jellyfish sculpture has swooping tentacles into large climbable nets, hand holds, slide bars, and flexform seats. This pier was originally built in 1890 after the great fire. Seattle’s Great Wheel is a 175 ft (53 m) tall Ferris wheel that opened here in June of 2012. The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898 made Seattle “The Gateway to Alaska” and this pier was the main stop along the way. The Seattle Great Wheel has 42 climate-controlled gondolas, each able to carry up to eight passengers (except the luxury VIP gondola, which had red leather seats and a glass floor, and seats four), giving a maximum capacity of 332. The 12-minute, three-revolution ride extends 40 feet (12.2 m) out over Elliott Bay The Klondike Gold Rush financed more waterfront development and a thriving “Mosquito Fleet” of local steamships and ferries. With completion of the Great Northern Railway in 1893 and additional transcontinental rail links, the city also became a major port for trade with China, Japan, and the Philippines. In the early 1900s, there was a massive regrading of Seattle where the hills were completely leveled. As a result of the nearly 60 regrades, the 50,000,000 short tons of landfill were used to create an entirely new Seattle waterfront as well as an artificial island. The new island, called Harbor Island, at the time was the largest man-made island in the world. After the creation of the new waterfront, Alaskan Way, (the waterfront street we are walking down), became Railroad Avenue. The railroad and shipping companies occupied the entire waterfront which did not sit well with residents. This lead King County voters to create the Port of Seattle in 1911 in order to guide harbor development for the public interest. Seattle in its early decades relied on the timber industry, shipping logs (and later, milled timber) to San Francisco. A forest of trees up to 1,000–2,000 years old and towering as high as nearly 400 ft (122 m) covered much of what is now Seattle. When Seattle became officially incorporated as a town in 1869, the population was around 1000. The State and City constructed the Alaskan Way Viaduct in the early 1950s to divert Highway 99 traffic from downtown streets, but it also walled the harbor off from the city. This entire waterfront improvement project has been about removing the viaduct and making the waterfront area more community friendly. Here at Pier 55 is the Argosy Cruise line port which offers tours around Puget Sound. When I was a senior in high school, we took our senior trip here on an Argosy cruise. A 1-hour cruise costs $39 for adults (13+), Seniors (65+) are $32 and a youth ticket costs $20. In the 1960s, the Port of Seattle made a commitment to one day handle containerized cargo. As a result, Seattle today ranks as the West Coast’s second busiest port, and the fifth most active in the nation. Recreational development of the waterfront began in the 1970s with conversion of older pier sheds to house shops and restaurants. It was around that time that Seattle rehabilitated many old areas around the city like Pioneer Square, Pike Place Market and Myrtle Edwards Park. One of the original stores here on the Seattle waterfront is Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, founded in 1899! I’ve been going here ever since I can remember, although the shop has changed locations from when I was a kid. In 1933, the Seattle Star named Ye Olde Curiosity Shop one of the “Seven Wonders of Seattle”, the only shop on the list. The other six Wonders were the harbor, the Ballard Locks, the Boeing airplane factory, the Seattle Art Museum, the Pike Place Market and the University District’s Edmond Meany Hotel. The shop was founded in 1899 by J. E. “Daddy” Standley (born February 24, 1854, in Steubenville, Ohio). This is the Fiji Mermaid which has been in the shop for over 100 years. When Standley moved to Seattle in 1899, he encountered a boom town supplying and benefitting from the Klondike Gold Rush. He opened the shop in 1899 on Second Ave at Pike Street. He called it Sandley’s Free Museum and Curio. In 1904, he moved his shop to the waterfront and renamed it after Charles Dickens’s novel The Old Curiosity Shop. He adopted the motto “Beats the Dickens.” This is Sylvester the mummy. He was acquired in 1955 and acts as the informal symbol of the shop. Yes, he is real. The body is one of the best-preserved mummies known. These are actual shrunken heads from the Amazon. In addition to the shop, Standley built a home he called “Totem Place” on an estate in West Seattle. This also became a tourist attraction. In 1937 Standley, at the age of 83, was hit by a car along the Seattle waterfront, and his leg was broken. He never fully recovered, although he remained active in the business to within 4 days of his death on October 25, 1940. Standley’s son worked in the shop from 1907 until his death in 1945. Standley’s grandson, Jo James, worked in the shop for over 50 years, into the 1990s. From the beginning, Standley kept a guest book for famous individuals to sign. The book includes the names of presidents Harding and Roosevelt, boxer Jack Dempsey, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and actors Charlie Chaplin and Jean Harlow. Collectors and museum directors from around the world were also regular visitors to the shop, who relied on Standley to help build their own collections. Once in 1936, L. Robert Ripley, of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, spent $1,000 at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, a huge amount of money for that era. At one point, Ripley bought a 37-foot totem pole, a giant 200-pound clamshell, and the elaborately carved wooden Potlatch Man to decorate his upstate New York mansion and its manicured grounds. Standley’s great grandson, Andy, along with his with Tammy, are the current owners of the shop. Just a few years ago, you could not see the buildings because of the double decker highway that ran along the waterfront. In 1982, these historical and waterfront attractions were linked together by service on the Waterfront Streetcar. This stretch of waterfront between the aquarium and Pioneer Square is known as the Park Promenade. Here we are at the famous Ivar’s, which has been selling fish ‘n chips on the waterfront since 1938. Inside ever Ivar’s is a sign that reads, “Our Flounder, Ivan Haglund.” If you are eating here, do you really care about how many calories are in piece of battered fish? Not me. They do have great fish ‘n chips though and I highly recommend Ivar’s Another addition to the Park Promenade are new 1.2 miles of dedicated bike lanes. Wow, they have put in swings! We have now reached the Seattle Ferry Terminal. From here you can catch a ferry to Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, West Seattle, Kingston, and Southworth. This is the Marion Street Bridge which has also been remodeled. During certain times of the year, (summer is best) it is common to see orcas swimming in Puget Sound. Here on our left is the Seattle Fire Station #5. This entire waterfront is man-made, consisting of pilings covered in landfill. The Great Fire of 1889 was a marked a major turning point for Seattle as it resulted in the construction of new city on top of the old. On the afternoon of June 6, 1889, a man name John Back was heating glue over a gasoline fire. The glue boiled over and caught fire, spreading to the floor which was covered in wood chips and turpentine. The fire department arrived within 30 minutes, but by that time the fire was out of control. There was not enough water to fight the fire. Fireman tried to pump water from Elliot Bay, but the tide was out. At the same time the water was dwindling, the winds were increasing….isn’t that just how it always goes. Less than 2 hours later, residents realized that the downtown was doomed so they gathered up their belongings and left. The fire burned until 3:00 am. When it was done, the damage was enormous. 120 acres (25 city blocks) had been destroyed, as was every wharf and Mill from Union to Jackson Streets. Loss of life was low, but there were no numbers reported on the actual number of deaths. Instead of leaving, businesses decided to rebuild, this time out of brick. At the same time, streets were raised up to 22 feet in places, helping to level the hilly city. In fact, you can take an underground tour of Seattle and see the old city streets before the fire. Here you can see the new bike path along the waterfront. We are now going to walk up to Post Alley which is where we will find the now famous Gum Wall. Post Alley was originally named Post Street or Post Avenue for the first U.S. post office in Seattle located nearby. On Post Alley, just below the market, is the Market Theater, the cornerstone of Seattle’s improv scene. People waiting for shows at the Market Theater began sticking gum here… and it stuck around. In 2015, crews removed 2,350 pounds of gum — but visitors quickly rebuilt it. Today, the Gum Wall is layered with colorful art, names, and hearts made entirely of chewing gum. The theater is up ahead on the corner, which is right under the famous Pike Place Fish Market. treet musicians and performers often add to the lively, quirky atmosphere. We are now going to tour Pike Place Market, starting with a walk Park Plaza. Notice the sign above the building to the right. It says “Meet the Producer.” It has been there since the market first opened. It meant that visitors could come to the market and meet the farmers who produced all the goods. Let’s go see if the fishmongers are throwing fish yet. The market is open every day from 10am to 5pm. It is closed only on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day. Many of the restaurants in the market are open until later of course. If you are enjoying the walk so far, please leave a like on the video and share it with a friend. This is an easy way to support the channel. Grazie! Okay, we will have to come back and see them throw later. I don’t have all day. This street, which runs along side the market, is called Pike Place. The market is located on both sides of the street. Pike Place Market first opened on August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the United States. Within three months, the market had grown to 76 stalls, and by 1922, had expanded to 11 buildings along nine acres near the Seattle waterfront. The market is Seattle’s most popular tourist destination and the 33rd most visited tourist attraction in the world, with more than 10 million annual visitors. The market, along with the Space Needle, has become one of Seattle’s most well-known landmarks, drawing thousands of visitors a day during peak summer months. The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill and consists of several lower levels located below the main level. This street, originally called Post Street in 1870, was named after Seattle’s first post office located nearby. As you can see, Seattle is not always cloudy, grey and raining…just most of the time. 🙂 Seattle experiences more “rainy days” (days with at least 0.01 inches of precipitation) than most U.S. cities, with about 150 rainy days per year. The average annual rainfall is about 39 inches, which is similar to the U.S. average, though it occurs over more days. December is typically the coldest month, with average lows around 36°F. This Pike Place Market busker is Jonny Hahn, and he has been playing piano here on the corner for 30 years. At the end of the day, he keeps his piano in one of the storage areas under the market. He does a handful of covers, but most of his music is original and inspired by his political beliefs. He is able to make a living as a Pike Place Market Busker. Buskers have been an integral part of the vibrant culture at Pike Place Market for decades, creating small moments of joy for passersby to stop and take in the local talent. Many of the vendors here actually live in the buildings surrounding the market. The Pike Place Market has been a defining Seattle icon for more than a century. Pike Place Market is operated by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA). In 1971, Seattle citizens voted to create a Pike Place Market Historic District and the Market Historical Commission to preserve the Market’s physical and unique social character. As a result of the public vote, in 1973 the City of Seattle created by charter the Pike Place Market PDA, a not-for-profit organization, to own and manage the day-to-day operations of the Market. The Pike Place Market PDA is overseen by a twelve-member council alongside the Historical Commission. Just up ahead on the right, is the Original Starbucks, first established here at the market in 1971. It was here where Starbucks opened its first store, offering fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea and spices from around the world for its customers to take home. Their name was inspired by the classic tale Moby-Dick, evoking the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. I’ve never been inside. The line is always too long. Starbucks headquarters is located downtown Seattle in the old Sears, Roebuck and Co. building. The Starbucks headquarters is the largest multi-tenant building by floor space in Seattle, with over 1.8 million square feet (170,000 m2). Before Starbucks opened shop, Pike Place Market was the location of the the first coffee bar in Seattle opened in 1908, called Manning’s Coffee. Here at the end of the market is Victor Steinbrueck Park. It was closed when I filmed my last Seattle walk in 2023. She says water and Gatorade for $2. Not bad. I bought some! We are now back to where we started the walk, but we will continue to explore Pike Place Market for a while longer. We are now listening to the music talents of Emery Carl, another regular at the market. Emery Carl has been a busker here at Pike Place Market for 20 years! We’re the same age! 🙂 Thanks for the great music Emery! If you want to see pictures and video of what this looked like before, be sure to check out my Prowalk Tours Facebook page. The market can get pretty crowded! So, we are going to exit and walk down the other end of Post Alley. This is Pike Place Chowder. There is often a long line! Now, we are going to walk through the market towards the Fish Market. It can be difficult to find public restrooms here in Seattle. There is one here at the market just down this ramp. Now, we are going to walk through shops below the main market. Growing up, I spent a lot of time and money in this comic book shop. Believe it or not, this is the oldest comic book shop in the world! Founded in 1961, and then purchased by current owner Rod Dyke in 1971, they sell new and vintage comics, manga, collectibles, figurines, Funko toys, board games, movie scripts, vintage Star Wars toys, posters, and so much more. This magic shop, which was founded in 1973, is the longest-running magic shop in the Pacific Northwest and 3rd oldest in the USA! We are now going up the ramp where the restrooms are located. This is a bit too much! I need space! Okay, now we are going back out to the Market Plaza to see one final view of the new Seattle Waterfront. Thanks for joining me on this tour! If you enjoyed the walk, please leave a like on the video or share it with a friend! Thanks!

Seattle’s Waterfront Has Been Completely Transformed 🌆 | 2025 Full Walking Tour

Seattle’s waterfront has undergone one of the most dramatic urban transformations in the United States. For decades, the Alaskan Way Viaduct cut the city off from Elliott Bay. Today, the elevated highway is gone, replaced by a beautiful pedestrian-friendly waterfront filled with parks, piers, and stunning views.

Join me on this immersive 2-hour walking tour of the new Seattle Waterfront. Experience the city’s most iconic attractions as well as the brand-new additions that make this one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the world.

📅 *Filmed on* Saturday, August 23rd, 2025
🌞 *Weather* 29°C | 85°F 🌡
🗺️ *Map of the Walk* https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1nfGjeO7wd1ZGjRNA7gCrm4g5Fx08NGs&usp=sharing 🗺️

⏱️ *Video Timeline*
0:00 Intro
0:30 Victor Steinbrueck Park
*10:18 Overlook Walk*
*20:02 Pier 62*
30:55 Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59
*31:58 Pier 58 – Waterfront Park*
35:58 Pier 57 – Miner’s Landing
51:45 Pier 56
55:19 Pier 55
56:43 Pier 54
57:32 Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
1:09:22 Seattle Ferry Terminal
1:10:13 The Park Promenade
1:21:53 Post Alley – Gum Wall
*1:26:22 Pike Place Market (Outside)*
1:39:49 Jonny Hahn Street Busker
1:46:06 The First Starbucks Coffee Shop
1:51:54 Victor Steinbrueck Park
1:53:05 Emery Carl Street Busker
1:55:55 New Waterfront View
1:58:53 Post Alley Shops
2:04:17 Pike Place Market (Inside)
2:09:03 Fisher Throwers (Fish Market)
2:10:53 Pike Place Market (Underground)
2:16:56 New Waterfront View

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📽 *MORE WALKING TOURS*
🎄Christmas Markets Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCd2nqHyPaDtgxkf_BsAuQCt&si=0YU1zhv0tLbwm8u6)
🍕 Italy Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCc6k7EuMhr764qCNeXDrxpj&si=aYfLAtNw1eGc560w)
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🚴 Biking Tours Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCe4SaQXMk9IMfpkl1w473Zz&si=1rFBHTnZtCMmykPA)
🐪 Egypt Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCc_y7TUiJufW_N_QZod0M8d&si=XgIlOOZb0DLiPt9z)
🍣 Japan Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCc69vi-SFMODDGKQf_7D-IK&si=hxZIpoG9x1Ypszyq)
🥁 Brazil Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCcefbIXpStQK7fPRJBBiBAH&si=Zlji0Mfbp3sJlyjs)
🦘 Australia Playlist: (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSOO4vYXpMCcuh1sGTbEtCldxhCA6grbV&si=tQ56vSTmsQKUNWjN)
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