As a multitude of entertainment options and community activities draw visitors to Seattle Center during the busy holiday season, we urge you to plan ahead, arrive early and beat the rush. Several tools can help you determine the quickest routes, current road construction and closest parking; and wayfinding signs throughout the grounds can help direct you to your destination.
Please consider the following as you arrange your travels to and from Seattle Center:
Driving to Seattle Center: Completion of the Mercer Corridor project finally opens two-way traffic on Mercer and Roy streets. Road construction along SR-99 and Dexter St. is ongoing, and current driving conditions are listed at: Viaduct Project. Updates on route conditions pertinent to accessing Seattle Center may be found at: Seattle Center Transportation.
Parking at Seattle Center: Seattle Center provides three convenient parking garages: 5th Ave. N. Garage, with entries and exits on Harrison and Republican streets; 1st Ave. N. Garage between John and Thomas streets, with entry on 1st Ave. N.; and Mercer Street Garage, with entries/exits on 3rd Ave. Travelers who access Mercer Garage driving eastbound and westbound along Mercer St. should remain alert to new routing, traffic signals and directional signage.
A new video, Genie in a Bottleneck, offers entertaining advice on avoiding post-event traffic snarls. Four amusing vignettes provide valuable guidance as the Seattle Center Genie offers helpful tips on getting to various parts of town from Mercer Street Garage. Parking rates and other information, along with the video, are available at: Seattle Center Transportation.
Disabled parking: All Seattle Center garages have designated disabled parking spots. There are also designated spots on 2nd Ave. N. just south of Thomas St. and on Warren Ave. N. just south of Mercer St.
King Country Metro: Holiday visitors may save money and experience a more enjoyable trip to and from Seattle Center when they ride on King County Metro. Fifteen bus routes take riders to the Uptown/Seattle Center area. Learn more at: King County Metro.
Seattle Center Monorail: Seattle Center Monorail departs every ten minutes, running between its Seattle Center station adjacent to the Space Needle and Westlake Center Mall station, at 5th Ave. and Pine St., where travelers can transfer to Link light rail and King County Metro. Learn more at: Seattle Center Monorail.
Arrival by bike: The Seattle Department of Transportation’s Bicycling Guide Map, available online at Seattle Bike Map, includes bike routes to Seattle Center. Visitors may also use a Google Interactive Directions Map to plan a custom route by bike. Several outdoor bicycle racks are well located on the grounds, and Pronto Cycle Share presented by Alaska Airlines offers two bike stations convenient to Seattle Center, at 3rd Ave. and Broad St., and on the KeyArena West Plaza: Pronto Bike Share.
For more information on the holiday season at Seattle Center, visit Seattle Center or call 206-684-7200.
