While walking through the streets of downtown Seattle, Washington, you may not realize that you’re actually treading above a hidden city. Beneath your feet lies a secret network of forgotten storefronts – the remnants of old Seattle – now closed off to the public except through private tours or special access. Allegedly haunted, the dark, damp, basement-like tunnels of the Seattle Underground offer a one-of-a-kind experience, rich with history that seems to seep from the very walls and floors. If there’s one thing a visitor to Seattle should experience, it’s the Seattle Underground. ☝🏼
While many cities have unique histories, Seattle’s is quite the story. Built initially upon marshland, the city faced immense challenges in becoming the bustling metropolis it is today. Founded in 1851, the early settlement was constructed at ground level, along the swamps, which led to constant flooding. In an attempt to fix the problem, residents filled the streets with sawdust. This effort proved useless and only created muddy, unstable roads. Then came the notorious Great Seattle Fire of 1889, which destroyed much of the city. When it came time to rebuild, engineers and architects, tired of the weekly floods, made a bold decision: to raise the city one story higher.
So, they brought in tons of dirt from the nearby hills and mountains, raising the streets anywhere from 12 to 30 feet. The remaining buildings were modified by sealing off their original ground-level doors and windows and converting the second story into the new first floor. While this solution successfully prevented future flooding, the engineers and architects overlooked one minor, important detail… they forgot to build sidewalks to connect the elevated streets to the newly elevated entrances.
As a result, significant gaps remained between the streets and buildings for several years, forcing residents to climb up and down ladders to reach the different levels. This was during the late 1880s and early 1900s, when women wore long, layered dresses with corsets and high heels, and men donned full suits and tuxedos. To make matters worse, many bars opened up directly into these gaps. It’s alleged that as many as 17 men fell to their deaths after drunkenly stumbling out the doors, contributing to the Underground’s haunted reputation. As our tour guide boldly joked, “Back then, there was no AA… just Ahh Ahhhhhhh!”
Eventually, the dimwits of Seattle’s city planning wised up. They built sidewalks connecting the newly raised streets to the second, or rather, the new “first” floors of the buildings, effectively sealing off the Seattle Underground. For a time, some shop owners continued to use the underground portions of their businesses for shopping purposes, and pedestrians would still walk along the underground sidewalks lit by vault lights. However, this didn’t last long. By 1907, the city officially condemned the Underground due to fears of a bubonic plague outbreak ahead of the 1909 World’s Fair, which was to be held in Seattle. As a result, the once-bustling lower level was abandoned and left to decay or be used for storage. Many were turned into flophouses for the homeless, gambling halls, speakeasies during Prohibition, and opium dens.
As a result, although the Seattle Underground comprises miles of tunnels, much of it remains lost to history. While no longer used for illegal purposes, only a small portion has been restored and deemed safe for public access. In 1965, Seattle resident Bill Speidel set out to preserve and share what remained of this hidden world, founding Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour. This was the very tour we took.
Located at 614 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, within the historic Pioneer Building, Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour operates daily, with hours varying throughout the year. From April to September, tours run from 9am to 7pm, except during June through August, when hours are 9:30am to 4:30pm (during summer, additional tours may be added every half hour). From October to March, tours operate from 10am to 6pm. They are closed on Christmas Day, but open on Christmas Eve from 10am to 1pm and from December 26 to 31, between 9am and 6pm.
The tours start on the hour and last approximately 75 minutes. According to the official website, tours are offered year-round; however, no hours are listed for November. If you’re planning a visit during that month, it’s best to contact them directly to confirm availability.
Tickets can be purchased in advance through the official website (https://undergroundtour.com/), by phone, or at the ticket counter located inside the Pioneer Building. Prices are $30 for adults, $27 for active military members, seniors, and students, $20 for youth ages 7+, and $10 for children 5 and under. I recommend booking your tickets in advance to secure your preferred time slot, as tours often fill up quickly. We booked a 2pm tour on Thursday, and there were at least 30 people in our group.
While our tour was full, we booked for the same day while sitting on the plane in Phoenix, waiting to taxi out. We knew we’d have some extra time in Seattle before heading to our Airbnb near Mount Rainier and I remembered hearing about the Seattle Underground. I saw Bill Speidel’s tour listed among the top “things to do” when doing a quick Google search. It was an easy choice, and we were able to snag tickets for the 2pm tour that day. Finding the Pioneer Building and the tour office was straightforward, with plenty of signage clearly indicating the way. There’s even a reasonably priced parking garage just down the street.
The tour started promptly, led by our eccentric guide dressed entirely in purple, complete with a fuzzy purple bathrobe. He ushered us into the underground portion of the Pioneer Building, where he launched into a lively 15-minute “pregame” history lesson about Seattle and the Underground. This is where we learned about the settlement of Seattle and the questionable decisions that followed, including the use of sawdust streets, massive gaps between newly raised roadways, and the infamous “geyser toilets” (you’ll have to take the tour to learn more about those!).
Once his mix of comedy show and history lesson wrapped up, we exited the building. We walked a short distance down the above-ground sidewalk before arriving at our first doorway, which led us into the Underground. According to our guide, each building owner owns the underground space directly beneath their property. As a result, the tour company must obtain permission from each owner to access those sections.
Our guide led us through several sections of the Underground, pausing each time to give us a comical history lesson, then having us exit at various points to walk along the “normal” sidewalk before entering a new underground portion. This is because many building owners do not allow public access to the Underground beneath their properties, so the sections open to the public are disconnected. Fortunately, all entry and exit points are relatively close together, so the extra walking is minimal.
Overall, while there are countless things to do in the city of Seattle, the Seattle Underground is a must for history buffs. It’s filled to the brim with history, literally and figuratively, and offers a truly unique and cool experience. If you think about it, how many cities in the United States are built atop their former ground levels? My guess is not many. For those who enjoy slightly spooky experiences, the Underground also delivers on that. While it’s not the cheapest activity, especially in today’s economy, it’s still far more affordable than visiting the tall, pointy sky room, where all you get is a 360-degree view of the city. However, for those who want to do both, fear not, it’s entirely possible to experience both in a single day.
Come visit and explore this one-of-a-kind 19th-century hidden treasure!
