While looking for things to do in Seattle, the Beneath the Streets Underground History Tour…read moreimmediately stood out as something unique and interesting--and it did not disappoint. I learned a lot about Seattle's rich history, including how the city got its name and the events that shaped it into what it is today. Our tour guide, David, was both knowledgeable and entertaining, making the history come alive with his humor and storytelling. One of the highlights was walking through the original city streets that were built at sea level and now lie beneath modern-day Seattle. It was fascinating to see a hidden part of the city that most people never get to experience. The 65-minute tour was engaging from start to finish and offered a great perspective of Seattle both above and below ground. If you're visiting Seattle or even if you're a local looking to learn more about the city's past, this tour is absolutely worth it. Definitely a must-do experience!

Our tour guide, Daniel, was fantastic! He was interesting, funny, knowledgeable and fun. He kept…read morethe group going and engaged. I would highly recommend trying to find out when he is working. One thing important (for me) is that the guide spoke loud enough for people to hear him, and he did just that. Very enjoyable tour!

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour? Delightfully strange. Humans built a whole city, hated it, and…read morethen just... built another one on top. Bold move. Questionable dam strategy. Tunnels are sturdy enough (I checked), stories are rich, and the damp ambiance feels like home--though severely lacking in chewable wood. Four tail slaps out of five. Would gnaw again.

First the good- The tour guide was nice and the underground areas are AMAZING!…read moreThe bad- In a group of (appx) 30+ people you are herded here and there to different parts of the underground. Everyone is herded into a small space, a story is told, and then it's onto the next area. Want time to enjoy the experience? To look around and take pictures? Nope- onto the next. Want to learn more about the original buildings that you are standing in front of? Barely covered. Or the amazing debris that scatters the areas? Nope. Take Pictures as you walk, because that is all the time you will get. Oh, and if you are hard of hearing? You won't be able to hear the tour guide well. There are just too many people. -Wish I could have asked for a refund- *IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO MOLD or DUST WEAR A MASK!!!*

We really enjoyed the tour with Emmett (a long time local). He was very entertaining with lots of…read morewit and wisdom, very easy to hear and an excellent communicator. A great mix of history, culture, and current activities. We highly recommend this tour

https://seattlefreetours.com/…read more We opted for two tours from Seattle Free Walking Tours, and both were entertaining, educational, and highly enjoyable! SEATTLE 101 Tour guide Joe provided an in-depth history of Seattle, with plenty of stops to showcase key points of interest. Joe was really personable, very funny, and offered a wealth of facts and info. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! THE MARKET EXPERIENCE TOUR Tour guide Curtis delivered a history and tour of Pike Place Market - and it is essential, because the place is huge. With so many twisty buildings, unexpected stairwells and hard-to-find areas this tour was as informative and helpful as it was entertaining. Next time you are in Seattle sign up for these tours!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

First of all, I want to start this review by stating that I did not get to attend this tour because…read moreI was late (which I will admit) but I am still giving one star due to the rude staff member who worked at the starting location of this tour. On Saturday, the 21st, four of us were scheduled to go and do this tour and we were extremely excited. After dealing with the atrocious Seattle traffic and terrible parking situations down by the pier I was already very frustrated. Our party arrived at the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop at 7:04 for our 7:00 pm tour and asked the worker where the tour meets to which the rude worker just replied under their breath, "they left" and returned to work.I explained that I understood we were late but were hoping we could catch up with them. I asked that same worker where the tour meets and they said, "In a big group outside" and continued to work. While we were on the pier in Seattle this information was not helpful. Trying to salvage the night, we went outside and tried to walk around and look for a "big group of people" on the crowded Seattle pier on a Saturday night. After a few minutes I went back inside he shop frustrated and asked the worker if they could find someone that was actually helpful that could answer some questions. With some reluctancy this person called their accommodating manager who explained that the tour heads to the right and described exactly what the tour guide was wearing. Ultimately we were unable to catch up with our tour guide because of how much time was wasted with this worker who was unwilling to help us at all. Again I understand we were late, but stuff happens. This place needs to hire people who have customer service skills.

Found a Groupon and thought we'd give it a whirl. I've been on the Underground Tour before and…read morethought this might be a different perspective. First off, the Groupon was a nice deal, however the reservation process was a bit challenging. You must reserve a minimum of 48 hours in advance. And they are closed Tuesday& Wednesday in slower months. I followed the directions and emailed my request in for a Thursday 6 pm walk. (Friday and Saturday were unavailable for Groupon) Apparently I put the incorrect Groupon code so received an email requesting correct code. After another email, I was confirmed. The emails are a bit overwhelming and require you to read all rules and stipulations regarding cancellation policy..and I imagine they were created because of multiple problems with third party discounts, but I suggest perhaps toning down the big print and bold highlights to a more tourist friendly approach as it was a tad off putting for a first impression. So, all Groupon issues aside, we arrived at the address provided a half hour early (always better to be early than late!). There are multiple parking lots available throughout the address, as well as metered street parking. As a disabled person, I was able to find a spot right in front with a placard for free. We walked down a steep stairway into a very fitting dungeon like storefront. We were greeted by a friendly lady who found our reservation and said we could walk about the DEATH MUSEUM until 6 when our tour would meet just to the right of the counter. There is a small gift shop with mostly local products. The museum has some interesting information and displays that reflect all aspects of death, from embalming utensils, death masks, photos of deceased, mourning attire, coffins, hair embellishments and more. Nice touch. At 6 we met in the pews, and were greeted by our tour guide, Graham.. A "portly" (lol) gentleman with a charismatic presence. He spoke with enthusiasm and provided recordings, pictures and videos throughout the tour. The walk itself is easy. The tour is 90 minutes and only covers a few blocks of Pioneer Square. There are several sets of steep stairways that are part of this tour. It is not wheelchair or stroller accessible. At the end of the tour we were aka to walk through their own "underground" in the dark with flashlights they provided. This was pretty cool. I really am intrigued by the whole underground here in Seattle. I did enjoy the tour, and our guide was great.. However I felt like there wasn't a lot of substance. I have done the UNDERGROUND TOUR below, so I am a little familiar with Seattle's history and I would have liked to hear a little more area history and visited more buildings. This is not a HAUNTED TOUR. There is no-one jumping out at you or spooky sound effects. This is a tour based on evidence and local stories and lore of paranormal experiences. You can be a believer, a skeptic or a non believer.. You are given the facts, the stories, the lore and evidence and you can form your own opinion. All in all it was a good PG intro to the world of yesteryear in Seattle. I hear there is a pub tour for adults only and think this may have been a better option, however it was not available through the Groupon. Overall..skip the Groupon and book an adult only tour. Till our next visit to Seattle... :)

Interesting tour in Seattle should not miss. We have a very good tour guide. He is funny and makes…read morethe tour PG joke. A lot of kid in our group and make them enjoyable too. The tour is about 1 hours. Three underground tunnels and one orientation tour. The underground told a lot of history. This includes the big fire in 18th century. The tour is educational and fun. It is highly recommended after the Columbia tower observatory. The underground tour takes us below the city in the pass.

Check out the Underground tour and thought it was very informative and interesting. Our tour guide…read moreAndie was super friendly, funny, and knowledgeable about the history of Seattle. If you have a the time while in Seattle, I highly recommend this tour!

A must-visit on Asian history in America. What might have been not written and also not known if…read morethis museum didn't save much of the simple artifacts that were from the time when Asians were discriminated against. It is a part of history and this place really tells the story. I didn't know much about Wing Luke, but I got to know him after joining a walking tour led by a museum employee. Sign up at the front, and they will also take you to restricted areas. You can see how small some of the rooms are. A supermarket that many people have been in. They also have a Bruce Lee exhibit. I hope this museum gets to last long into the years.

I totally respect the fact that this museum exists for the Asian community of Seattle. It is an…read moreattempt to document the history of this community. If you are an Asian kid who lives in the area this is definitely a must see. As for everyone else there is simply not enough here to justify a recommendation at this time. Hopefully in 20 years they can expand on this and make it into a real museum.

We came here on a Saturday night and it was nearly empty. It's $40 per ticket, which is absolutely…read morenot worth it. Fun to swing by after dinner, but too short for it to be a single event. Pros: -helpful staff around to help take photos or answer questions -parking garage close by -plenty of tickets available -kid friendly with step stools to stand on Cons: -very expensive -mostly illusions using mirrors, so it's the same type of exhibit every time (looks like there's five of you in a room, looks like four of you sitting down, looks like a lot of you down a hallway) -doesn't last long

Was in Downtown Seattle and didn't necessarily have enough time to see some other sights, so I…read morefound Museum of Illusions highly rated on Yelp and decided to book for four people plus infant. Luckily they had tickets available for purchase online on a Valentine's Day Saturday! Initially I thought we can go through b/c we had bought tickets already, but there was a crazy line to enter, even for people who already bought tickets. The lines didn't stop there though, there were also lines to see the exhibits and take photos. I think typically I would have been fine waiting, but with a little one and stroller, it was tough navigating crowds and having to wait and experience an exhibit for a minute. I will say that I did appreciate that there were some Valentine's Day themed exhibits/merch, as well as some cool photo ops that gave off different illusions, but it was all up pretty quickly... Overall, I'm not sure it was worth the $35-40/pp charge, but probably my fault for wanting to visit on a Valentine's Day night with a toddler...

Lynn was amazing. Reopening after a long forced hiatus from Covid, Bill and I felt as though Lynn,…read morethe owner operator of Under The Radar Tours had so much to share and we were the benefactors of her enthusiasm and information. My back is always an issue so a long walking tour was out of the question but Lynn took us through beautiful historical districts, Capitol Hill, the site of the riots, Volunteer Park, a local gayberhood and a terrific shop called Retail Therapy and it was. We felt like Lynn could have been a long lost cousin who wanted to share her love for her city with us. We will be back to catch the rest of the Seattle story. Thank you Lynn a hundred times over.

REVIEW OF OUR SEATTLE LOCKS, GASWORKS PARK & HOUSEBOATS TOUR--ONE OF THE SEATTLE UNDER THE RADAR…read moreTOURS My wife and I visited Seattle for the first time in April 2022. As part of our visit, we booked a tour titled "The Locks, Gasworks Park and Houseboats Tour." The tour is one of "The Seattle Under the Radar Tours" and was billed as a chance to see Seattle "through the eyes of a local." For us, that "local" was Tour Guide Lynn Curtis, who (if I remember correctly) said she had lived in Seattle for 11 years. Our tour with Lynn took place on the afternoon of Friday, April 22nd. It was a beautiful, sunny day and perfect for a tour of Seattle. Twenty-four hours before the tour, Lynn emailed us to confirm we knew where to meet, what to expect on the day of the tour and to answer any pre-tour questions. That was much appreciated and helped assure us we we're working with a professional. The tour rendezvous point was in front of a bakery within walking distance from the Seattle waterfront and marketplace district where we parked our car. Lynn arrived a little early and after introducing herself, invited us to accompany her into the bakery for a complimentary pastry and beverage. Afterwards, Lynn directed us to her personal vehicle--a spacious and clean SUV parked just outside the bakery. To our pleasant surprise, we learned we were her only guests for this tour. Our more than three-hour private tour began with a drive to the Seattle Ballard Locks to see and learn how the locks work to permit the movement of small and large boats. The locks are located at the west end of Salmon Bay, in Seattle Washington's Lake Washington Ship Canal, between the neighborhoods of Ballard to the north and Magnolia to the south. On the drive to the locks, Lynn pointed out various points of interest and once there, shared her wealth of knowledge about the locks. A highlight of this stop was seeing the salmon swimming up the salmon ladders and watching the boats enter and leave the locks. Next, it was on to "Gas Works Park." The park sits on the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. What makes the park so appealing and a must see for tourists like us, is its location: the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. It offers breathtaking views of Lake Union and the Seattle skyline. A highlight of this part of the tour, was getting there. On the drive over, Lynn once again shared interesting facts and stories about the neighborhoods we passed through, as only a local could do. Another highlight of the tour was a surprise stop at Ivar's Salmon House restaurant. The restaurant specializes in American and Seafood cuisine and is located on the north shore of Lake Union. Lynn said she personally recommends it to her tour guests who love American and Seafood cuisine, but we learned the food is not the only reason it's a tour stop: its stunning Northwest native art, décor and historical photographs, including a full cedar replica of a Northwest Native American longhouse, are the other reasons. We were so impressed with Ivar's, that we came back that evening for dinner. With the exception of a challenge finding nearby parking, it was a wonderful experience. Our final destination was a visit to a secluded Seattle neighborhood where many residents live in beautiful multilevel houseboats--some valued in excess of $1 million--with their own private docks. This neighborhood is not on your typical Seattle tourist's itinerary and would be difficult to find and traverse without a local like Lynn. If you're looking for a Seattle tour that's well worth your money, this is it. We highly recommend it and highly recommend Lynn. She was great. Thank you Lynn! Tim Roberts Vella Black-Roberts Hayward, California

Terrible! they take your money and do not answer the phone, the email listed does not work. We…read morenever got contacted about the tour but was charged 70+ dollars

Not a bad ride, but it was very underwhelming. We expected the nitty gritty dirty underbelly of…read moreSeattle, and in the first two minutes, it really sounded like it was going to be that way... And then it just fizzled. Our driver was clearly a history buff, which is great, but we still felt very light on content when it came to the "Sub" part of the Sub-Seattle tour. If you are looking for the dirtier side of Seattle History, just do the Seattle Underground tour, and save your money by skipping the Sub tour.

This tour was a lot of fun. I learned so much about the dark history of Seattle. The tour guide…read moreAden is very knowledgeable and passionate. There were definitely spooky experiences. Seattle is truly a haunted city. I highly recommend this tour.

Aten was terrific - so much information about Seattle, I learned a bunch of history about the area…read more The ghost stories were fun, but he tells them in a way that you come out better informed than you start. Make sure to wear comfy shoes .