Avg 4* in total 2178 reviews.
Claiming - $ - Historical Tours, Walking Tours
Phone: (206) 682-4646
About the Business
Specialties
Bill Speidel's Underground Tour is a leisurely, guided walking tour beneath Seattle's sidewalks and streets. As you roam the subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, our guides regale you with the stories our pioneers didn't want you to hear. It's history with a twist! Following a short intro, we'll walk through historic Pioneer Square to three different sections of Underground--about three blocks in all. The tour ends in Rogues Gallery, the Underground Tour gift shop. Here you will find a mix of historic displays and an array of contemporary gifts showcasing Seattle's quirky character. You can get a memento of your Underground Tour experience at Rogues Gallery, a copy of Sons of the Profits, the book by Bill Speidel upon which the tour is based, or a Seattle souvenir or two.
History
Established in 1965.
The story of Bill Speidel's Underground Tour really is the story of how Pioneer Square was saved from demolition, because the tour was the unanticipated product of that effort. Bill Speidel, encouraged by his wife Shirley, was fighting to protect Seattle's oldest neighborhood. During his research, he discovered a local legend was true: the original Seattle streets still existed 7 or more feet below. Locals began begging to see these hidden streets. In May, 1965, the Junior Chamber of Commerce held its "Know Your Seattle Day," and asked Bill to conduct tours. Five hundred people showed up that day to see the buried city -- and the Underground Tour was born. Seeing the birthplace of their city, many residents realized this district deserved protection. Bill was able to collect and present to the Mayor 100,000 signatures, all supporting the preservation of Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square became the city's first neighborhood to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places
614 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
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