Secrets About Washington: The Underground City!

Tucked away beneath the hustle and bustle streets of Seattle, a hidden world testifies to the ingenuity of the city's early infrastructure adaptations.

A Glimpse into Seattle's Past 

In the mid-19th century, Seattle's original street level, particularly around Pioneer Square, was prone to frequent flooding. The Great Seattle Fire of 1889 destroyed much of the city, prompting a rebuild with better infrastructure. To address these issues, the city raised its streets one to two stories above the original ground level, creating a subterranean city beneath the new street grade. 

This regrading effort left the original sidewalks and storefronts underground, accessible via brick archways and vault lights—glass skylights embedded in the sidewalks above. 

Touring the Underground

Nowadays, Seattle Underground is the city's exclusive attraction for the visitors who would like to learn more about its rich history. Among popular guided tours there is a "Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, which began its operation in 1965.". Visitors walk upstairs through underground passages and get pieces of information concerning how Seattle looked before the Great Seattle Fire and the way the city was rebuilt after that catastrophe.

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From Neglect to Attraction 

It was not always an area of interest original sidewalks and storefronts were mostly abandoned once the streets were raised, and as years passed, often fell into disrepair to house illicit activities including gambling and opium dens. It wasn't until the mid-20th century that these underground areas were rediscovered and transformed into the historical attractions they are today. 

Visiting the Underground 

For those who are interested in this hidden side of Seattle, a number of guided tour companies offer tours down into the underground city.  You'll be traveling back in time and finding out how the city was born, how architecture developed, and what the initial settlers had to put up with.