Pioneer Square Seattle

Situated on the southern edge of downtown Seattle, you will find all the northwest charm and local history within the neighborhood of Pioneer Square. Since it was first settled in 1852, Pioneer Square has been a center of commerce and civic life in Seattle. Here you will find the oldest bricks buildings and courthouses that used to be the setting for some of the most dramatic events in Seattle history, as well as plenty of bars and restaurants to stop by en route to a game at Qwest Field.

Even though the devastating Great Fire of June 6, 1889, destroyed 29 downtown blocks within a matter of hours, some of the older buildings in Pioneer Square have managed to be preserved. The original state that many of them are in today is due mostly to the thoughtful developers who privately owned many of the buildings in Pioneer Square Seattle.

Getting to and from Pioneer Square is easy. The metro bus system has free bus rides within the downtown area, so all you have to do is just go stand north of the Pergola in the main square, and any of the buses you ride are free as long as you are going to other parts of downtown.

Seattle Map

The waterfront streetcar has been transporting passengers all the way from Pier 70 in the north of the waterfront to Pioneer Square. This was the first Downtown of Seattle's old days, but its still am important part of the city, with the courthouses and police stations that are nearby.

The neighborhood used to have issues with water drainage, and the solution was to raise the street level a full story. This is what you learn about on an educational Seattle underground tour. The shops on the original street level laid closed and forgotten until the 60"s where they were opened and converted into nifty underground bookstores and shops. A local journalist led the first Seattle underground tour in 1964 of the long-abandoned catacombs. Today, the Seattle underground tour takes you to some of these places with interesting and amusing commentary from the tour guides.

You can easily get to Pioneer Square from downtown. Just walk south on 1st Ave. away from the Space Needle. You will know you're in Pioneer Square when you see a totem pole and the Pergola. The Pergola is a large metal and glass awning on the corner of 1st and Yesler. In 2001, a truck hit the beloved Pergola landmark. It has since been restored and put back in its place, and continues to be a monument to the historic treasures of the Pioneer Square Seattle.

Since 1977 this area has been home to Mardi Gras celebrations. People who live and visit here known that places like Cowgirls Inc and the Fado Irish pub have the best nightlife any bar Seattle has. On nights like New Years, the streets are filled with students and young people going to every bar Seattle has in the area. Pioneer Square has something for everyone, young and old.

Seattle exists under a persistent grey sky that somehow makes its emerald hills and Puget Sound waters more dramatic. It is the city that gave the world Starbucks, Amazon, Nirvana, and the most beautiful ferry commute in America.