MozCon 2023 is quick approaching (going down August 7 & 8), and we right here at Moz are so excited to see all of the IRL and digital attendees! Because the occasion attracts nearer, we expect it’s a good time to remind people of the whole lot you are able to do whereas visiting the Emerald Metropolis.
Nestled up within the nook of Washington state, surrounded by forests, mountains, and the Puget Sound, Seattle is the most important metropolis within the Pacific Northwest (PNW). It’s house to business giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Boeing and is the birthplace of Grunge music (suppose Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam — all from Seattle).
Whether or not you’re touring from close to or far, we’ve compiled an inventory of among the amazingly enjoyable, instructional, and generally bizarre actions across the metropolis. And should you haven’t purchased your tickets but, don’t fear! It’s not too late. Head on over to the MozCon hub to discover buy choices. Night time Owl financial savings can be found via June 30!
For the sightseers
If that is your first time visiting Seattle, or should you love extra conventional “vacationer” points of interest, these stops ought to undoubtedly be in your checklist.
The House Needle
Usually synonymous with Seattle, you possibly can’t discover a photograph or piece of video footage of the Seattle skyline with out this iconic landmark included. Initially constructed for the 1962 World’s Truthful (the inspiration for this 12 months’s MozCon theme), the Space Needle now operates each day for guests to absorb a 360º view of town. Additionally it is house to the world’s first rotating glass flooring.
Columbia Heart Tower
The Sky View Observatory of the Columbia Heart is positioned on the 73rd flooring of the “tallest public viewing space within the Pacific Northwest.” You possibly can absorb views of the whole lot from Mt. Rainier to Bellevue from the viewing space after which seize a snack on the café.
Pike Place Market
This market is quintessential Seattle. Positioned close to the downtown waterfront and based in 1907, Pike Place is a must-see cease. It options native companies of every kind, together with the notorious flying fish of the Pike Place Fish Market (featured within the opening credit of Actual World: Seattle) and the first Starbucks. And for these with extra time to discover, under the stalls of the road stage is a maze of brick-and-mortar shops like Golden Age Collectibles (the world’s oldest comedian e book store).
Kerry Park
Positioned within the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Kerry Park is the go-to place for majestic views of town and Mt. Rainier. Generally used for photographs in TV and movie that set up Seattle as the situation, it’s an amazing place to catch the dawn or sundown.
The Seattle Nice Wheel
At 60 meters tall, this ferris wheel is the most important of its type on the west coast. And should you’re fearful of heights (like me!), it’s nonetheless an amazing website to see. Particularly Friday via Saturday evening after they mild it up with a enjoyable mild present!
For the lovers of studying
Seattle is house to a plethora of locations to assist develop your data! Whether or not you’re into artwork, books, or historical past, there’s something for everybody.
SAM
The Seattle Art Museum options artwork from around the globe with each ongoing and featured reveals. The featured exhibit for August shall be Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks, which formally opens on July 13. In the event you’re planning a go to to SAM, you’ll want to remember that they’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Seattle Asian Artwork Museum
Positioned at Volunteer Park within the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, the Seattle Asian Art Museum is one other location of SAM. The upcoming Renegade Edo and Paris: Japanese Prints and Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit formally opens on July 21. This museum is open Friday via Sunday.
Northwest African American Museum
Self-described as “… an anti-racist, pro-equity, affirming gathering place of hope, assist, and therapeutic for your entire Northwest area that’s constructing intergenerational cultural wealth,” the Northwest African American Museum is open Thursday via Sunday. Make sure you take a look at the Freedom of Expression exhibit on show till September 3.
Museum of Flight
Seattle has a wealthy aerospace historical past, and you’ll study all about it on the Museum of Flight. This museum is bigger than life, that includes reveals about house and air journey which embody actual planes (and an area shuttle full fuselage coach!).
MoPop
Positioned under the House Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, aka MoPop, would be the location of this 12 months’s MozCon Closing Party. This museum is such a enjoyable expertise! It options reveals about music, science fiction, indie video games, and the world of fantasy. These reveals are crammed with relics, props, costumes, and extra out of your favourite movies and TV exhibits. It’s a must-see for any popular culture fan! You possibly can even make your individual music within the Sound Lab. And guess what? You’ll get to discover a few of these reveals on the after-party!
MOHAI
The Museum of History and Industry is positioned on the sting of Lake Union, and options reveals all about Seattle’s historical past.
College of Washington
Seattle is house to the College of Washington, which has a ravishing campus able to discover. Try Drumheller Fountain, the quad, and Suzzallo Library earlier than heading over to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture or Frye Art Museum.
Seattle Central Library
The gorgeous Seattle Central Library is positioned in the course of downtown Seattle. The glass constructing was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and options artwork all through – a must-see for any e book lover!
For the foodies
Seattle and its surrounding areas are chock full of fantastic eating places, cafés, breweries, wineries, and extra.
Meals
It doesn’t matter what you’re craving, there’s a restaurant for you someplace in Seattle. In the event you’re searching for a spot to begin, take a look at Seattle Met’s 100 Best Restaurants list. Some private suggestions:Rocco’s Pizza, Cactus (Southwest), and Barrio (Mexican), Mighty O Donuts (Vegan & scrumptious!), and Dick’s Drive-In (a Seattle staple). In the event you’re searching for concepts of the place to eat whereas on the convention, you’ll want to ask a Mozzer!
Espresso
Though Seattle is house to Starbucks headquarters, there are tons of unbiased and regionally owned espresso spots to take a look at. Some embody Fuel Coffee, Caffe Ladro, Cherry Street Coffee House, and Herkimer Coffee. In search of extra solutions? Try Eater’s list of Essential Coffee Shops.
In the event you’re excited about studying concerning the science and historical past of espresso and brewing, Seattle has you coated! Try the Coffee Chemistry occasion on the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Capitol Hill. Additionally they provide varied tasting occasions should you’re trying to strive one thing new.
Breweries
Breweries are ample on this space. And whether or not you’re trying to do a tasting flight or simply seize a pint, the possibilities are endless. Proper downtown, you may have the Pike Brewing Company, and simply up on Capitol Hill you may have Optimism Brewing Company. In the event you’re in a position to enterprise past downtown, you may have choices like Reuben’s Brews and Fremont Brewing. Extra into cider? Seattle Cider Company and The Woods Tasting Room has you coated.
For the out of doors adventurers
When individuals consider the PNW, they usually consider the nice outside. And for many who get pleasure from spending time exterior, we certain do have a variety of alternatives to absorb the solar! There are many hiking and walking trails round Seattle, together with the Washington Park Arboretum (which additionally incorporates a Japanese backyard!).
In the event you want the water, you possibly can lease paddle boards and kayaks to discover Lake Union and Lake Washington. Or, should you’re planning on attending MozCon in a bigger group, you might need to take into consideration renting a small electric boat to software round in.
Have a picnic overlooking the water at Gas Works Park – featured within the iconic paintball scene from the movie 10 Issues I Hate About You.
In the event you’re searching for locations to discover that provide an out of doors expertise, you’ll want to take a look at the Chihuly Garden and Glass on the Seattle Heart or the Olympic Sculpture Park. Or take a stroll close to the Ballard Locks to see one of many busiest lock methods within the nation. You may also spend a while at their botanical backyard and see the fish ladder. Professional tip! Questioning how the locks work? You possibly can study all about it at MOHAI!
For the sports activities followers
Need to catch a recreation in a distinct metropolis? Seattle is house to loads of skilled sports activities groups!
Baseball
T-Cellular Park is house to the Seattle Mariners. They’ll be on the town taking part in the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles.
Soccer
OL Reign (Seattle’s Girls’s Soccer crew) shall be taking part in Portland Thorns FC the Sunday earlier than MozCon should you’d wish to catch a match. They are going to be taking part in at Lumen Discipline, which is the place Seattle Sounders FC (males’s soccer) and the Seattle Seahawks (soccer) additionally play.
Basketball
The Seattle Storm shall be house at Local weather Pledge Area to play the Atlanta Dream on August 10 in case you need to take a look at the four-time WNBA Champions.
Soccer
Preseason could have began simply in time for MozCon! The Seattle Seahawks shall be taking part in the Minnesota Vikings on August 10 should you’re trying to root your coronary heart out.
For the popular culture aficionados
In the event you’re into popular culture and are searching for some attention-grabbing stops so as to add to your Seattle tour checklist, we’ve received just a few concepts for you.
Jimi Hendrix Statue
Though its actual title is The Electric Lady Studio Guitar, it’s fondly known as the Jimi Hendrix Statue, and you’ll test it out within the Capitol Hill neighborhood on the nook of Pine and Broadway.
Fremont Troll
This infamous statue is positioned beneath the George Washington Memorial Bridge within the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. It’s been featured in movies like 10 Issues I Hate About You and the TV present As soon as Upon a Time.
Bruce Lee’s resting place
In the event you’re a martial arts fan (or a fan of The Crow), you possibly can pay tribute to Bruce Lee and his son Brandon in Volunteer Park.
Kurt Cobain’s bench
Are you a Nirvana fan? Then you’ll want to add Viretta Park to your checklist of locations to go to. This park is close to the house of Kurt Cobain, and though you possibly can’t see his home, there’s a bench there that has change into a memorial to the musician and is roofed in fan messages.
KEXP Gathering House
KEXP is a beloved non-profit radio station right here in Seattle. You possibly can stream them anyplace on this planet via their app (and I extremely suggest you examine them out – they’ve superb themed exhibits every evening of the week). They’ve a public gathering space in Seattle Heart which incorporates a café, file store, and a window into their studio. It’s an amazing place to calm down and have a cup of espresso.
SIFF Cinema
Film buff? Seattle is house to one of many largest movie festivals on this planet – Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant (SIFF). Though the competition gained’t be concurrently MozCon, they provide year-round showings of flicks from around the globe. In the event you’re wanting to take a look at a novel movie that you could be not get to see on the massive display elsewhere, check out the showtimes of the SIFF Cinema Uptown Theater or SIFF Cinema Egyptian Theater.
For the eccentric explorers
We are able to’t wrap up this checklist with out together with among the outside-the-box actions and locales. So right here are some things to take a look at should you’re searching for one thing exterior the usual fare.
Gum Wall
Though technically a part of Pike Place Market, this attraction deserves its personal entry on our checklist. The Seattle Gum Wall is precisely what it feels like – a wall of gum. Individuals come from throughout to stay their gum to this brick wall hidden down an alley of the market. Enjoyable (or possibly gross?) reality: the wall has only been cleaned off twice in its history – in 2015 and 2018. The cleansing occurred to assist protect the wall itself.
Fremont neighborhood
We’ve talked about just a few locations in Fremont already (the Fremont Troll and Fremont Brewing Firm) however when you’ve got time to discover this neighborhood extra totally, it’s a enjoyable and quirky space that doesn’t disappoint. Not solely is it house to numerous enjoyable retailers and eating places, but additionally a statue of Lenin, the Center of the Universe signal, a rocket, and dinosaur topiaries. Make sure you take a stroll by the Waiting for the Interurban statue, too. It’s custom to decorate up the figures for various events and holidays.
Underground Seattle Tour
Again in 1889, a fire destroyed a large section of Seattle’s downtown. The residents of town opted to rebuild – on prime of the present metropolis! Now there’s a community of buildings and tunnels under present-day Seattle from the unique metropolis. You possibly can take tours of Underground Seattle in Pioneer Sq..
Seattle Pinball Museum
Like pinball? Feeling nostalgic? Try the Seattle Pinball Museum — and produce some quarters!
Hat n’ Boots
Hat n’ Boots is a set of statues in Oxbow Park that embody a 44-foot huge cowboy hat and a pair of 22-foot tall cowboy boots.
Picture by Meghan Pahinui
Closing Ideas
Whether or not you’re from the Seattle space otherwise you’re coming in from out of city (or nation!) we hope you found some enjoyable concepts to bookend your MozCon journey. In the event you haven’t bought your tickets simply but, you’ll want to check out soon so that you don’t miss out. And should you’re having hassle convincing your boss (or your self) to ship you to the gorgeous Pacific Northwest, take a look at our Convince Your Boss blog post and initial agenda to study much more concerning the occasion. Hope to see you in August!
We hope you’re as excited as we’re for August seventh and eighth to rush up and get right here. And once more, should you haven’t grabbed your ticket but and need assistance making a case now we have a helpful template to convince your boss!
