One of the pillars upon which Seattle built its early fortunes, the old Great Northern Railroad depot, was given a much-needed face-lift in the early 2010s after decades of neglect. Serving as the western terminus of the famous Empire Builder train that runs cross-country between Seattle and Chicago, the station building was designed to imitate St Mark's bell tower in Venice.

It was constructed in 1906 by Reed & Stem, who also designed New York City’s Grand Central Station, and is notable for many features, not least a fabulous Italianate plasterwork ceiling in the waiting room that is rich in period detail. The waiting room was covered up by a horrible suspended ceiling in the 1960s but, as part of a $26 million revamp, the entire interior and exterior of the station was returned to its Gilded Age high watermark in 2012.

Transportation

  • train: International District/Chinatown

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Union Station

0.07 MILES

A landmark that has benefited from restoration fever is Union Station, the old Union Pacific Railroad depot (1911) that sat unoccupied between 1971 and…

3. Foster/White Gallery

0.13 MILES

The polished Foster/White Gallery, which opened in 1968, features glassworks, paintings and sculpture by mainstream Northwest artists in a beautifully…

4. Waterfall Park

0.15 MILES

This unusual park is an urban oasis commemorating workers of the United Parcel Service (UPS), which grew out of a messenger service that began in a…

5. Occidental Park

0.21 MILES

Once a rather rough-and-tumble place, Occidental Park has undergone a recent renaissance thanks largely to a partnership between the City of Seattle and a…

6. Hing Hay Park

0.21 MILES

If you need a tranquil spot to rest while wandering the ID, Hing Hay Park lends a little breathing space to this otherwise austere district. The…

7. Grand Central Arcade

0.23 MILES

Once an opera house and hotel, this stately brick building now contains two floors of commercial businesses, including the excellent Grand Central Baking…

8. Seattle Pinball Museum

0.24 MILES

Got kids? Got kid-like tendencies? Love the buzzers and bells of good old-fashioned analog machines? Lay aside your iPad apps and become a pinball wizard…

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