The strange, unique sites of Seattle
May we recommend a troll, a gum wall and a horror booth
So you think you know Seattle?
If you’ve made even one trip there, you have probably been to the Pike Place Market, the Space Needle and the Seattle Art Museum. Those are good choices, but a bit mainstream — you’ll find all three in any travel guidebook or online top-10 list of what to see in the Emerald City.
If you’re looking for something just a bit different, consider checking out these unexpected, offbeat or downright quirky attractions on your next visit to Seattle.
The Fremont Troll
Lurking under the Aurora bridge in Seattle’s Fremont neighbourhood is the Fremont Troll, created in 1990 after a public competition to fill the massive, dreary space with something artsy and awesome. The troll certainly fits the bill.
The massive concrete sculpture — so big it holds a real Volkswagen Beetle in one bony hand and has a hubcap eye — is a hit with locals and visitors. Adults and kids love to clamber on his outstretched arms and pose for photos, which is encouraged. The troll has shown up in music videos and movies, and even had a limited edition Chia Pet.
On nearby North 36th Street, don’t miss the somewhat incongruous statue of Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin.
Archie McPhee
The online motto of this funky novelty shop in the Wallingford district is “we make weird,” and it certainly fits. Want a Bigfoot lunch box, a coffee cup for a squirrel, a Russian gas mask or bacon air freshener? They’re all here, along with a horsehead squirrel feeder (wildly popular on YouTube) and tiny plastic hands you can wear on the ends of your fingers, if you’re so inclined.
The Post Alley gum wall
Some people consider it Seattle’s grossest tourist attraction, but the wall of chewed gum in Post Alley below Pike Place Market has been going strong for more than 20 years. The tradition of people sticking their used gum on the brick walls of the alley was allegedly started by patrons at a nearby theatre who didn’t want to leave it on the bottoms of their seats.
Despite a thorough steam-cleaning that removed more than 1,000 kilograms of gum in 2015, the gum wall was back in short order, thanks to Seattle residents who regard it as a form of guerrilla art. It even has a Facebook page.
Love it or loathe it, the city seems stuck with it.
The Scream Booth
With more than 850,000 visitors a year, the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly known as the Experience Music Project) is one of Seattle’s most popular attractions. Aside from the undulating stainless-steel and aluminum shell of the building, designed by Frank Gehry, its bestknown feature is a 12-metre-high conical sculpture made of more than 500 musical instruments.
But it’s easy to miss one of the most entertaining and unusual features of the museum, best known by the acronym MoPop. Tucked away against a back wall of a second-floor gallery is the Scream Booth, where you’re encouraged to let go and shriek for the camera.
The photo booth is part of an exhibition called Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film, which runs until July 30. Before your close-up, get some inspiration from its displays of film props and memorabilia from classic scary movies like Alien, Night of the Living Dead and The Shining. The booth has already snapped thousands of people doing their best Janet Leigh impersonations.
The writer was a guest of Tourism Seattle. No one from that organization read or approved of this article.