History

KeyArena's Iconic Roof Isn't Going Anywhere

KeyArena’s Iconic Roof Isn’t Going Anywhere

Granting the arena landmark status could mean millions for developers.

KeyArena’s sloped roof will remain part of Seattle’s skyline.

Knute Berger

Seattle Center’s Space Age Ground Zero is Worth Remembering, if Not Saving

Seattle Center’s Space Age Ground Zero is Worth Remembering, if Not Saving

The city is considering granting the piece of Seattle history landmark status.

A World’s Fair crowd lined up outside the NASA Pavilion in 1962.

Knute Berger

How the Ballard Locks Changed Seattle Forever

How the Ballard Locks Changed Seattle Forever

As we celebrate 100 years since the construction of the Ballard locks and ship canal, we look back on how carving out Seattle’s waterways forever reshaped our landscape and economy.

The site where the Ballard locks were to be built needed to be kept dry, so a cofferdam was erected around the construction area, seen in this photo taken in 1915.

Niki Stojnic, In partnership with Jennifer Ott, David Williams and the staff of HistoryLink

KeyArena's Iconic Roof Isn't Going Anywhere

KeyArena’s Iconic Roof Isn’t Going Anywhere

Granting the arena landmark status could mean millions for developers.

KeyArena’s sloped roof will remain part of Seattle’s skyline.

Knute Berger

Seattle Center’s Space Age Ground Zero is Worth Remembering, if Not Saving

Seattle Center’s Space Age Ground Zero is Worth Remembering, if Not Saving

The city is considering granting the piece of Seattle history landmark status.

A World’s Fair crowd lined up outside the NASA Pavilion in 1962.

Knute Berger

How the Ballard Locks Changed Seattle Forever

How the Ballard Locks Changed Seattle Forever

As we celebrate 100 years since the construction of the Ballard locks and ship canal, we look back on how carving out Seattle’s waterways forever reshaped our landscape and economy.

The site where the Ballard locks were to be built needed to be kept dry, so a cofferdam was erected around the construction area, seen in this photo taken in 1915.

Niki Stojnic, In partnership with Jennifer Ott, David Williams and the staff of HistoryLink

Tumultuous Capitol Hill Neighborhood is a Beacon of Change

Tumultuous Capitol Hill Neighborhood is a Beacon of Change

Walking through one of Seattle's oldest 'hoods, Steve Scher discovers that while the future looms in every direction, each step takes you through the past.

The Rainier Chapter House of the Daughters was modeled after Mount Vernon.

Steve Scher

Space Needle Renovation Plans Embrace Future and Past

Space Needle Renovation Plans Embrace Future and Past

In some ways, what's old is new with the Needle's $100 million makeover.

The Space Needle architect’s model featured a tall glass barrier on the observation deck that was never built. Until now.

Knute Berger

Remembering the Carousel Room: Seattle's First Hotel Cocktail Lounge

Remembering the Carousel Room: Seattle’s First Hotel Cocktail Lounge

The "martini store," as regulars call it, is still cranking out cocktails.

In 1952, locals enjoyed 80-cent Calliope Cocktails in the Carousel Room of the Mayflower Park Hotel, a space now occupied by Oliver’s

Tim Appelo

Henry Art Gallery Welcomes an Account of Transgender History

Henry Art Gallery Welcomes an Account of Transgender History

'Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects' explores the presence of local gender non-conforming communities

The Henry Art Gallery will host the second iteration of Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects beginning Saturday, August 13. (The first exhibit took place at the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries in the spring of 2015.) The upcoming show, which explores the challenges of discovering and researching an under-historicized culture, is part of an…

Carley Schmidt

How Elephant Car Wash Became an Unforgettable Icon

How Elephant Car Wash Became an Unforgettable Icon

The rotating pink neon sign is said to be one of the most photographed landmarks in Seattle

You know what they say: Washing your car is the surest way to bring on rain. If that’s the case, many of Seattle’s drizzly days must be caused by Elephant Car Wash. The business traces its roots back to the 1940s, when Richmond Beach native Eldon Anderson and his business partners opened the Five Minute…

Lara Hale and Lyra Fontaine

Knute Berger Reads from His New History of the Space Needle

Knute Berger Reads from His New History of the Space Needle

The Space Needle’s writer in residence, and our own editor at large Knute Berger, has just published Space Needle: The Spirit of Seattle. The 50th-anniversary history follows the Needle from a cocktail-napkin sketch to a Life magazine cover story, exploring both weird trivia (the builders who worked atop the Needle never wore harnesses!) and all…

Seattle Mag

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