My dear husband agreed to take my 8 year old grandson on a 276 mile trek to Seattle, even though we had already driven about 1400 or so miles within the past 7 days. Now it was HIS time for a little fun. He had heard about Bill Speidel's Underground Tour and was prepared to explore it.

We arrived at 10:00 when they opened on Sunday morning. We had plans to get back to Spokane later in the day. Rather than wait around for their first show at 11:00 am, we decided to move our car and see the Seattle Aquarium instead. BIG MISTAKE! (moving our car) Our space under the bridge was free on a Sunday. The next space would cost us $5.00 on a Sunday and be all the way by the Pike Place Market, quite a walk! (There is also a parking garage to the east that charges about the same amount and is a lot closer. The locals call it the "Sinking Ship" since it is shaped like one.)

We returned for the 1:30 tour. We were escorted into an adjoining room until it was time for the tour to start, about another 20 minutes or so. Beverages and perhaps food was available before we went into this little room. I'm cheap, so I have no idea how much the food cost.

While waiting in the adjoining room, we were told that there would be no restroom breaks after the tour began, so be prepared. There were a couple of restrooms available, one on this level and another in the basement at the gift shop. The commodes were nicely decorated with enameled blue flowers. There was also a note stating that the plumbing was over 100 years old, so don't use too much paper. There was also something humorous to read on the back of the door, but I didn't have my glasses on. Also, the lock to my stall was broken, and they probably could have used a few more stalls.

The tour began and we sat there for about 30 minutes. There were about 160 people in this room, that would later be broken down into about 4 intimate groups of 40 people. The talk was VERY interesting and humorous. The narrator spoke of the crime and corruption behind the city of Seattle. They spoke of how the City of Seattle is at sea level, and that makes it hard to get waste to flush properly. In an effort to raise the level of the city, they tried filling it with sawdust from a nearby sawmill. Potholes abounded! A fire ensued, burning down the city, built mostly with wood. The 30 minute talk seemed to be the best part of the tour.

We then left the seating area and proceeded to break into groups of 40 people. One group followed the preceding group. At times the tour guide seemed a bit rushed, since the next group was virtually on his heels. The second part of the tour would take about an hour and we would be walking, standing or climbing about 3 sets of stairs.

The area we toured was underground. There was a metal gate across the various entrances; making sure unauthorized people couldn't gain access. The Underground Tour rents these underground spaces from the businesses that own them, the businesses about 10 feet above. You will be going down stairways and across cobblestone and broken concrete. If you have mobility problems, this tour may not be for you. I have "newly acquired 80 year old flat feet", and made sure I was the last one in line, so I wouldn't hold anyone else up. I had already done a lot of walking that day and my dogs were barking loud and clear that day.

I believe there are 20-30 blocks of Underground that exist, but we only toured about 3 of those blocks. One area had purple opaque glass blocks to let the light in to the "shopping areas" of nearly a century ago. I was a bit miffed to find Boston fern type plants growing freely near this glass block area, a plant that hates me with a passion.

Much of the area is used for storage, while some has been restored by the shop owners who own this property. The restored part was not part of the tour. There is some natural light that lights up this area; it is not pitch dark. There are light bulbs in other areas. The area is perhaps 10-20' wide from front to back, circling the block. The area itself isn't very attractive. We exited into a gift shop, surprise, surprise, and was able to ask the tour guide questions afterwards. There was also a little museum with Thomas Crapper's invention, the toilet; a device that aided Seattle and the rest of the world, immeasurably.

The 6.8 earthquake back in 2001 closed the tour for about 3 weeks, while the Underground Tour company spent $80,000 to ensure the supports were stable.

My 8 year old grandson tolerated the tour, but wasn't terribly impressed. Neither was my husband. He expected to see a much larger area that more closely resembled an actual city and shopping center. He was disappointed. I went along for the ride.

Recommended? If you are impressed with history and how a city came to be, yes, go. If you think you will be seeing an old underground shopping mall, you will be disappointed. My husband and grandson were a tour of three, who joined 157 other people.

Quoting from their website:
PRICES

CASH & TRAVELER'S CHECKS. NO CREDIT CARDS. $9.00 adults, $7.00 seniors (60+) and $7.00 students (13-17 or with valid college ID), $5.00 children (7-12).Under 6 may find the lengh of the tour challenging. The tours operate on a first come first serve basis. We recommend arriving about half an hour prior to a tour. We got $1 off with a AAA discount.

Located in the Historic District at 608 First Avenue (between Yesler Way and Cherry Street) Take the James St. exit off I5. We are at the foot of James Street; just 9 blocks south of the Market; 2 blocks in from the ferry terminal on the waterfront. Call (206) 682-4646 for more information.



Recommended: No

Best Suited For: Students
Tour format: Walking
Tour length: One Hour
Tour type: Group