Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market stands on the western edge of downtown Seattle, overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront on Puget Sound. It is named after its central street, Pike Place, which runs from Pike Street to Virginia Street. It is Seattle's most visited attraction, with millions of visitors each year.

The market opened on 17 August 1907, when the city set up a place where farmers could sell directly to shoppers. It is one of the oldest continuously operating public farmers' markets in the United States. In the 1960s plans to demolish it led to a public campaign, and in 1971 voters approved a historic district that protects it.

The main arcade under the Public Market Center sign and clock holds fish, produce and flower stalls. At Pike Place Fish Market workers throw fish to each other over the counter. Lower levels contain small shops, and the MarketFront extension, opened in 2017, adds a plaza with views over the water. The store at 1912 Pike Place is often called the original Starbucks, and nearby Post Alley has the Gum Wall.

Entry is free. Most stalls open in the morning and close in the early evening, and the market is quieter on weekday mornings. Westlake station on the Link light rail is a short walk away.

What is inside the market today? Pike Place Market covers a nine-acre historic district between First Avenue and Western Avenue, from Virginia Street to just past Pike Street. The market counts more than 220 independently owned shops and restaurants, more than 180 craftspeople, more than 70 farmers and over 60 permitted buskers. More than 450 people live in affordable housing inside the district.

Produce and seafood stalls open at 7 am, and most of the market is busy from 10 am to 5 pm. The Crafts Market runs from 11 am to 4 pm and the farm tables from 9 am to 4 pm. Some restaurants stay open until midnight or later. The market opens every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Driving and parking. Vehicle access on Pike Place itself is limited from 10 am daily under a city pilot scheme, and outside those hours cars may stop for only 30 minutes. The market runs its own parking garage on Western Avenue, but most visitors arrive on foot from downtown hotels or by light rail to Westlake.

The market is managed by the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority, set up by the city in 1973. Its nonprofit foundation funds a free clinic, a senior centre, a childcare centre and low-income housing inside the market.