Smith Tower Observation Deck

This place is awesome, I went here for a date and was definitely not dissapointed. In the summer its such an amazing view, way better than the space needle, the restaurant is very nice also. Be careful because they have closures during summer and through out the year for several fundraisers and other things.

Hard to find entrance on weekends — would be 4 stars if there was a proper or cozy bar to enjoy beautiful Seattle.

You must visit Seattle’s first skyscraper. It’s just beautiful. You’ll go up the elevator and arrive on the 35^th floor where you’ll be greeted: this the the Chinese Room. Step outside into the observation deck and you’ll see, as you walk around it, a most complete view of Seattle.
Really, it’s a must.
There’s a two-​floor penthouse above it, a private residence with a very neat story. See it see:

You can do research on your own but it is incredibly neat.

This is the local, in the know place to go for an excellent view. I much prefer the view here to the one at the Space Needle. The dose of history you get in the lobby, elevator, Chinese Room, and history of the sole renter is nice, too. I’ve been to a catered event here which was also memorable.
On the downside, my 10 yo is afraid of heights, and had a hard time visiting here. We couldn’t get her to go on the outside walkway. She felt safe inside, though, and enjoyed the views through the windows.
I’ve been coming here for well over 15 years — long enough to remember getting a free ride up because the elevator operator took a shine to me and my girlfriends. :) I’d much rather spend about $ 10/​person versus the crazy prices at the Needle.
Bonus: Take a photo of yourself with a green view of Seattle in the background _​including_​the Space Needle.

Hmm… I’m skeptical about my rating for this place and wish I could give it a 3.5 instead. There’s no denying the historical (and cultural) significance of Smith Tower — it was once one of the tallest buildings on the West Coast and it gives you a different view of Seattle. You won’t get the same gorgeous view as the Space Needle or Columbia Tower, and the bars on the outside of the window make it difficult to take good selfies (lol). You do, however, get a good view of Century Link… ;)
The real highlight of visiting this place is the elevator — it’s the old fashioned elevators that have operators to brake the elevator on different floors. the doors open and close accordion-​style and each stop on a floor makes a defining brake sound. Pretty charming but also a tad nerve racking if you’re not used to it.
Some visitors may get frustrated if there’s a line to go UP the elevator — they limit how many people get on board and if you try visiting on the weekdays, the wait is longer because people who work there have priorities in riding up (fun fact: the Seattle Lyft office is on one floor).
Groupon often has 50% ticket deals to this place, so check it out if you’re a local! I wouldn’t recommend this site for the tourists, but if you live in the area and want another perspective of Seattle, check out the Smith Tower for its historical significance.
I totally envy the lady and her 2 kids who live in the penthouse apartment at the very top of this tower… they definitely have the best view of Seattle.

This is probably the best observation deck I’ve been to in terms of quality of scenery and value.
This building has been around over a century. You learn this coming into this building and you can see the ornate lobby while waiting or the elevator to return to the ground floor.
The entrance to the tower is on 2^nd Avenue closer to Yesler way than it is to James St right beside the Irish Pub.
You have to pay when you arrive at the 35^th floor and the prices are no higher than 7.50 per adult and less for seniors and children. Now while this observation deck is not very large (circumference of the skinny part of the tower) it’s still 360 degrees all the way around and if anything, it’s more convenient being that the skinny part of the tower is less walking all the way around.
The 35^th floor is sort of a mini museum with a lot of Chinese related art. There are some wall hangings and other furniture some that are very old which you can actually use.
The observation deck is through a sliding door and outdoors but you don’t have to outside if you don’t want to. It’s open but closed off by bars so you can’t really get a good look unless you go outside.
You can easily take photos between the bars to get the shots of the city. If you take a photo between the bars up 2^nd Avenue you can see the Space Needle between the buildings on the street.
Seriously the view from the Smith Tower is better than the Space Needle. I’ve only been to the Space Needle almost 15 years ago but the view from Smith Tower is better because you are closer to more buildings, you can see the water and the stadiums so it’s a more complete view not to mention it’s much more affordable and there a lot less people to have to deal with.

Seattle’s Original Observation Deck: Come here for a 360° bird’s eye view of Pioneer Square, Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, & Seattle Ferry Terminal. This is the cheapest observation deck of the three main ones in town, but the view is just as amazing.

Nice alternative to other observation decks in the city. It’s a quiet, small space. Good to go after spending some time in Pioneer Square, and as other Unilocalers and I have done, we’ve gone after going on an underground tour, which saves ya a dollar to go up in Smith Tower. I also had my old college student ID on me, so I only spent $ 5. Considering I could spend that on a coffee, I thought it was money well-​spent to see the breadth of downtown as well as flip through old newspaper articles that highlighted the building.

Pretty incredible view of SoDo and worth seeing once. Doesn’t compare to the Space Needle or Columbia Tower, but a very cool slice of history.

$ 7.50? really, well it might be steep for some, but I think it’s worth it. It helps keep their very helpful and nice staff employed and the place maintained. The ride from the elevator is like a time warp. So much history. Make sure to chat with the technician because they have a lot of insights about the history of this building. The view from above is fantastic. This is a great alternative to the Space Needle if you only have time to see one. Great 360 degree view of downtown Seattle.

This is a great place to visit while in Seattle. I was staying at the Marriott 1 block away, and the ticket was $ 7.50, so it was an easy decision to give it a try. What a great idea! I went on a Friday at 5p. It was a clear day, so there were nice views all around — of the city and the water. It’s not the Space Needle, but it’s very nice and far less expensive and less touristy.
There was only a dozen people there at any time, so I could move around and get all the views and pictures I wanted. I took a seat in the Chinese Room and watched the water view for about 45 minutes. A few families joined and moved on, it was very relaxing. This would be great to see during sunset, but they close at 7p well before sunset during the summer. You can step out on a platform that goes all around the building. Your view is obstructed by bars. However, it’s perfect for picture taking because it’s not glass.
It’s located in the business district of Seattle, so there’s not much nearby — it’s ½ miles from Pikes Market and a couple miles from the Space Needle. If you are staying in the area, give it a try.
At the gift shop (a little desk), there is a $ 5 coupon for the Irish pub downstairs. Take it! The pub is fantastic! Good drinks and good food.
I would go again next time I am in Seattle. It’s easier to get to then the Space Needle. It’s not crowded, and you get your money back if you use the coupon for the Irish Bar! :)

A beautiful 360 view of Seattle!
It was actually sunny in Seattle and saw a sign for the Smith Tower. Perfect! It was a heck of a lot cheaper to go up the tower instead of the space needle. And no lines! The observation deck opens at 10am so this worked out great for us.
You walk into the lobby and see the old elevator doors with elevator operators who still have to close the door for it to move. It’s a glass door so you can see each floor as you go up to the 35^th floor. The doors open to the Chinese Room where you pay and go out onto the 360 deck. We had such a beautiful day which magnified the gorgeous landscape around us. It also gave you a straight view of the space needle between the skyscrapers. I loved it!
A neat little tidbit about the Smith Tower is the 35^th floor isn’t the top. There is actually a private residence above which was leased 15 years ago. She still has 5 more years on this lease wondering if the new owners of the tower will let her lease again. Very interesting!
If you go on the underground tour, just show your wristband for $ 1 off. Great views and would really recommend it!

Purchased a deal for $ 7.50÷2 people on Groupon and it was so worth it! I’m not sure I would pay the full $ 7.50 per person, but the Groupon was a steal. For those who don’t want to shell out $ 40/​person to go up the Seattle Space Needle, there are a few other notable vista points throughout downtown Seattle, and the Smith Observatory Deck is one of them.
You take a vintage elevator up the building. There is no door, just a cage enclosing, so as you pass each floor, you see everything which made me pretty dizzy. The indoor observatory is nothing special, just an empty floor with a few Asian inspired furniture pieces. I didn’t really bother to read the history of the building, but the odd décor might’ve been explained.
We went on a cloudy, foggy day so our view wasn’t at max potential. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be on a sunny, glorious day! I loved that the deck scaled all sides of the building so we could get a 360 of the Seattle skyline.

The Smith Tower is a great bargain for some honestly beautiful views. The history of the building is impressive in its own right, but coupled with the views, the beauty of the room (and the teak ceilings!), the Smith Tower is definitely worth prioritizing over the Space Needle.
The gorgeous hand-​cranked elevator is an experience in itself.
For only $ 7.50/person this place is definitely worth the visit.
Fun Facts: Smith is of Smith & Wesson and Smith Typewriters, the building was the tallest building in the West for awhile, the elevators are the last hand-​cranked elevators in the world, the ceilings are completely made out of teak, the painted guard doors are authentic and have inspired a superstitious Chinese tradition, the Wishing Chair is unlabeled, the ornaments around the room are all authentic imports, and everyone that works there is super informative and nice — especially the woman that greets you when you land on the 35^th floor.
Whenever I have visitors again I will definitely bring them to The Smith Tower.

Wanting to check out the view and skylines of Seattle, we headed to the Smith Tower Observation Deck to get a good look of the city. What breathtaking views we had… all for $ 7 – 8. From that high up, we could see the stadium, all the buildings, and even the water. The only downfall was that it was caged up — so getting a nice picture was hard. I get that it’s probably for safety measures, but it was just a bit hard to snap nice pictures.
On the inside, there was a Wishing Chair and other cool things to look at. It’s kind of small so don’t assume you’ll be spending a lot of time here. To get to the top of the building, we had to take this Titanic-​like elevator. Of course, we kept making Titanic references! The guy in the elevator was telling us how he was from Virginia. We asked him what brought him to Seattle, and he proceeded to tell us how he came to visit a lady friend… and after 42 years, he’s still here. So sweet!

«…Built in boast as the tallest on the coast
He was once the city’s only toast
In old postcards, was positioned as a star
He was looked up to with fond regard
But in 1962, the Needle made its big debut
And everybody forgot what it outgrew…»
— «Teardrop Windows» by Ben Gibbard
(
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The Smith Tower is Ben Gibbard’s favorite building in his favorite city; he loves it so much that he even wrote a song based on the tower, as seen above. I may sound a bit biased, but the Smith Tower also happens to be my favorite building in Seattle as well… and I promise that it has nothing to do with Ben Gibbard ;)
A regular adult ticket to the Smith Tower observation deck costs $ 7.50. If you pretend that you’re still a student like I do (I always carry my college ID with me in case of emergencies like these), it’ll cost you $ 6. Also, I had gone to the Underground Tour right before coming here, so I received a $ 1 discount for showing my wristband, which means I ended up paying only $ 5! WOWZA, WHAT A STEAL! ^_​_​^
The view from the observation deck is gorgeous – way better than the view from the Space Needle observation deck, in my opinion. Probably because from the Smith Tower, you can see the entire city, as well as the Space Needle peeking through the narrow trenches between all the tall buildings. It’s pretty neat to be able to see the Needle at or near eye level. Also, it happened to be a clear and sunny day, so we got an amazing view of Mt. Rainier. I especially loved how the atmosphere felt so peaceful and not chaotic at all (unlike the Space Needle)!
The adorable Chinese Room, which you walk through enroute to the observation deck, is furnished with a bunch of gifts from Empress Cixi. One of those gifts is the famous Wishing Chair. Rumor has it that a single woman who sits in the chair will marry within a year. Sooo…
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES
NOW PUT YOUR HANDS UP
If you like him and you want him to put a ring on it, apparently all you gotta do is sit in that chair and wishwishwish oh so very very very hard, and soon enough, you shall be walking down the aisle… «GUARANTEED». Needless to say, I dared not go anywhere near that stupid chair and avoided it like a plague; I wouldn’t even touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Also, cheers to the beautiful vintage elevator, and our charming and entertaining elevator conductor. You go, Alfredo (or Alberto or whatever your name is)!! :)

Ive been on a lot of high-​up observations decks but this one is superior to most. It completely circumnavigates the top of the building, it is out in the wide open and has absolutely perfect views of the entirety of Seattle. You can see the market, the shore, the docks, downtown, the needle, the arenas.
The top room is the «Chinese Room» and it was quite well-​received for the wedding we were at. All the guests really loved it and really enjoyed the inside and out of this place that is packed with history and is essentially timeless.

This is actually better than the Space Needle since you can see the Space Needle from Smith Tower. It was the tallest building in Seattle prior to the Space Needle. It has the original gated elevator with an elevator operator. The best thing is, no crowd & only $ 7.50 for the view versus $ 18.00 for the Space Needle.

I loved my visit to the Smith Tower! Even more than all the times I’ve been to the Space Needle. It’s cheaper at $ 7.50/adult and you can see the city better since you’re on the 35^th floor and closer to the surrounding buildings and streets. Nothing beats the unobstructive views 360 degrees around on a sunny day!
The elevator takes you straight to the Chinese Room, which has many artifacts, including the wood carvings on the ceilings. I had fun seeking out all the informational blurbs on the various artifacts in the room. And posing for all the photos we took. Did not know that the central chair was a Wishing Chair that supposedly helps the single ladies get married. What about «in a committed relationship» ladies? Hmm.
There’s tidbits on the tenants above (from 36^th to 42^nd floor). There’s tidbits on the Otis elevators. There’s newspaper clippings from when L. C. Smith filed for a permit to the completion of the Tower’s completion. Lots to look at if you take the time and seek things out!

This is a great experience.
If you’ve lived in Seattle for 4 or 5 years like I have and have never been up the Smith Tower– it’s a great weekend excursion on a sunny day. Grab lunch in Pioneer Square, check out Smith Tower– it’s a great way to kill a few hours.
Beautiful views of Seattle and the Puget Sound, hardly anyone there, and it costs a fraction of what the Space Needle charges. I feel like this is the Seattle observation deck for Seattlites– while the Space Needle is for the tourists.
The scary elevator ride is worth the $ 7.50 alone. You’ll see what I mean…

I bought a Groupon for 2 tickets to the observation deck for $ 7.50 and this was a steal. It was a cheap and unique way to see the city. Smith Tower used to be the tallest building in Downtown Seattle and it’s history makes it very special.
We came in on a Tuesday morning and we were the only two on the observation deck. Great 360 view of Downtown Seattle. Easy to take pics and just a great place for us to reflect on how we had such a great trip.
Check the hours on their website beforehand because sometimes they close for private events. The Chinese Room is decorated with some antiques if you like that sort of thing. I enjoyed going up the old elevator and it is very accessible to the metro station.
Oh, and go to Salumi a few blocks away. You won’t regret it!

The bf and I got speical treatment during our visit to the Smith Tower. One of the elevator attendants gave us a mini tour of the other floors during our visit, probably because we were the last guests. But it was super cool to see the vacant offices, a little eerie, because the building is so old and vacant, but still very neat.
The observation deck was very neat. I’ve never been up to the Needle before but I imagine this is cooler because it’s taller and in Pioneer Square. We snapped photos from basically every corner of the building, it was a clear day so it was perfect.
I also thought it was amazing that there was a lady that lives in the Smith Tower… I read all the articles about her place and just thought it was cool but a little lonely not having neighbors in the building.
The Chinese room was very interesting too… we sat in the fertility chair, lol. I’m superstitious so I love those kinds of historical folklore/​stories, so I had to. We’ll see in a few years if the chair is really magical.