4 Best Sights in Seattle, Washington

An outdoor branch of the Seattle Art Museum is a favorite destination for picnics, strolls, and quiet contemplation. Nestled at the edge of Belltown with views of Elliott Bay, the gently sloping green space features native plants, chairs overlooking the water, and walking paths that wind past larger-than-life public artwork. On sunny days, the park frames an astounding panorama of the Olympic Mountains, but even the grayest afternoon casts a favorable light on the site's sculptures. The grounds are home to works by such artists as Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, and Alexander Calder, whose bright-red steel Eagle sculpture is a local favorite (and a nod to the bald eagles that sometimes soar above). Echo, a 46-foot-tall elongated girl’s face by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, is a beautiful and bold presence on the waterfront.

Heading west on Cherry Street in the Central District, you'll see a 17-foot-tall mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the side of Fat's Chicken & Waffles restaurant. Pacific Northwest artist James Crespinel painted the mural on the eastern face of the building in 1995 and touched up his faded work two decades later while the community gathered to watch.

A menacing 18 feet tall, with only one eye and long, gnarly fingers clutching an actual old VW Beetle, as if recently plucked from the highway above, the Troll is a compelling and enticing piece of public art. Just a few blocks off each of the neighborhood's main drags, it makes a nice destination for a post-meal stroll and photo-op. Kids love to climb the stairs behind the statue and play on the beast itself, though parents should beware that the location means it is always covered in a mix of dry dust and highway soot. Built in 1991, it's one of the city's early and most prominent examples of art as hostile architecture, designed to prevent people experiencing houselessness from using the covered area as shelter.

Located in West Seattle's business district are 11 murals depicting local history. Some are trompe-l'œils, like the realistic 1918 street scene, The Junction, which appears to vanish into the horizon. Another mural is taken from a postcard of 1920s Alki. The most colorful is The Hi-Yu Parade, with its rendition of a Wizard of Oz–theme float reminding locals of a 1973 summer celebration. In 2019, a new Mural Alley off the 4700 block of California Ave SW added five new murals to the collection, and the original 11 underwent restoration between 2018 and 2020.