Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Seattle, USA
+3
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover Seattle’s original neighborhood, Pioneer Square, on this guided walking tour that is great for locals and tourists alike who want to learn more about this city. Explore the underground pathways that were built in the southwest corner of the Emerald City more than 120 years ago. Learn about Seattle’s history and the events that transformed this once-small Indigenous dwelling place into one of the most popular and thriving cities in the United States.
- Seea whole new side of Seattle that most tourists miss
- Leave the Seattle guidebook at home—your local guide has better stories
- Compare modern-day Pioneer Square with that of yesteryear
- Numerous tour times make it easy to fit in your schedule
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 102 Cherry St, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
Look for the black awning over the sidewalk; the stairs beneath will lead right to the check-in desk.
End point
- Union Trust Building, 119 South Main St, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
Itinerary
Get ready to discover the original Emerald City, the city of Seattle, Washington, from its inception in the 1890s. This entertaining and educational underground voyage travels beneath the streets to uncover three blocks of historic, old Pioneer Square. Explore not only the underground passageways that were built more than 120 years ago, but also the modern Pioneer Square that exists today.
Make your way to 102 Cherry Street near Pioneer Street to start your tour. Hear tales from the past, including the story of the stampede to the Yukon gold fields and Seattle's crucial role in what would become the Klondike Gold Rush. Find out about Skid Row, a dilapidated urban area that served as the main street in Pioneer Square. And get to know the history of a group of people called the Coast Salish, the ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples that first settled here.
The tour ends at Occidental Square.
Make your way to 102 Cherry Street near Pioneer Street to start your tour. Hear tales from the past, including the story of the stampede to the Yukon gold fields and Seattle's crucial role in what would become the Klondike Gold Rush. Find out about Skid Row, a dilapidated urban area that served as the main street in Pioneer Square. And get to know the history of a group of people called the Coast Salish, the ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples that first settled here.
The tour ends at Occidental Square.
1
Beneath the Streets
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Pioneer Square
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Operates rain or shine, please dress appropriately
- Tours need 2 or more people on the tour for the tour to run. Full refunds given in the event only one person signed up for the tour.
- Additional hours/tours added during busy times,check website or call for more info.
- There are 3 flights of stairs, up and down each flight, throughout the one hour tour. We travel 4 blocks ( apporx. half a mile, .8k) at a leisurley pace during the one hour tour.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 9,382 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Great tour with David, lots of interesting information, very walkable. Incorporated Seattle and Pioneer Square history. 10/10 recommend.
Learned a lot about Seattle and its history. Our guide was fun and made all of us feel welcome to the experience
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. Our guides do a great job of making the tour fun and engaging for everyone. We're glad you had good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
Informative and engaging. If you have any breathing issues, the mildew smell underground might bother you. You do travel up and down a flight of stairs multiple times, but the guide tells you that before you head out.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. We're glad you had a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
A Fascinating tour of the old Seattle. The guide was very knowledgeable about the history. I cannot tink of a better tour of Seattle.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you had such a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Historical fun! Thoroughly enjoyed the guide who made the most of bad weather, soggy clients. Loved the stories
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you had a fun time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Amazing historical tour! Learned a lot, and Patti was a fantastic guide with knowledge, humor, and a very welcoming demeanor. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you had a five star experience on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Super fun tour guide and he made it worth it! The actual underground is not quite as impressive as I hoped but it was interesting to learn the history!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. We're glad you had a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
I've always been fascinated with the thought of a city on top of a city and this tour satisfied my curiosity. Our guide, Jim, was very knowledgeable and witty with his stories of the days of the rebuild. Very interesting tales of the past. I would highly recommend this tour and Jim, as your guide.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Jim has a lot of experience leading underground tours, and that always shines through. We're glad to hear that you slaked your curiosity about Seattle history. Thank you for leaving a review.
Richard was great. He had so much knowledge. He mad the tour fun and funny. Would recommend to anyone coming to Seattle.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for giving Richard a shoutout; he is deeply knowledgeable about Seattle and its history. Thank you for the kind review of our underground tour.
Ask for Richard if you go...he was very knowledgeable, and hilarious! We found ourselves laughing so much, and he told us where we were Underground as we walked beneath the city streets. He also gave us good advice on places to visit and other places to find a good meal, and keep ourselves out of trouble!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Richard is one of our most experienced guides, and guests always have a great time with him. Thank you for taking the time to review our underground tour, and we hope to see you again.
Wow - This is an awesome tour. It is unbelievable that part of Seattle is built over the old town of Seattle - You have to do this tour to believe it. Very informative tour. Don't leave Seattle until you done this tour - 5 out of 5.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. We're glad you had a five star experience on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
Great experience, very informative. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice to see the tunnels. Definitely recommended.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for the review and kind words. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time with us learning about Seattle and the Underground. Thank you for the recommendation and enjoy the rest of your time here in Seattle.
Very interesting tour. I learned a lot of interesting facts about Seattle. Nick was very knowledgeable and a wonderful guide.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for the 5 stars and kind words for Nick. Nick is a generational talent - his father was an Underground tour guide before him - and Nick grew up exploring Pioneer Square and the Underground. It shows on tour with his breadth of knowledge and personal flair. Thank you for the review and enjoy Seattle!
This tour was really great. The guide gave a ton of historical context to what happened and why. The locations were interesting and the small group really is ideal. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour, especially for someone like my husband who had never visited Seattle before and knew nothing of its origins or history. 10/10 for sure
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for the 10/10 and five star review! We are so glad you enjoyed your time learning about the wacky history of Seattle and how the Underground came to be. We pride ourselves on making the history come to life and it sounds like we achieved our goal. Enjoy Seattle!
Richard was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Pioneer Square and the Underground are a worthy visit. We highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for the recommendation and 5 stars! We are so glad you had a great time exploring the history of the Underground and Pioneer Square with Richard. Richard is a character and a great guide. Enjoy Seattle!
It was historically informative, while also allowing for some chuckles now and again. The guide was terrific!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for the kind words and five stars! We are thrilled you enjoyed your time with us learning about the Underground and Pioneer Square. We love our guides and are glad you did too! THANKS :)
Dave/David was a very knowledgeable, fun tour guide. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun on this tour. Well worth the time and money.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're glad to hear you enjoyed our Underground History Tour! Dave is one of our best, he knows this city and its history like the back of his hand. Have a great day, we hope to see you again one day!
This was a good your and Max was very knowledgeable. I wish there was a lot more exploring the city underground. I was quite fascinated with that fact.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you had a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Max does a great job of making sure the tour is fun and engaging for everyone. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Eowyn was our guide, and she did a fantastic job of explaining the history of Seattle and the areas we viewed, in a very entertaining way! She is passionate about the love for her city and the tour was awesome. We only had one full day in Seattle to explore, and starting our day with Eowyn was a great choice!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you had a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Eowyn does a great job of making sure the tour is engaging and informative for everyone. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
I had never heard about the history of Seattle’s “underground.” This was truly fascinating, and Imogen was an amazing tour guide! If you like learning about the eccentric start of historical cities, I’d highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Imogen is quite passionate about Seattle history and always brings that to her tour. Glad to hear that you enjoyed our underground tour, and thank you for leaving a nice review.
The tour guide, Richard, was amazing. He made the entire experience worth it with lots of knowledge of the history of Seattle in a fun way. The sites themselves are meh at best. A few musty basements filled with random yard sale items. Very odd. But worth it for his history lessons.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are glad you enjoyed your time with Richard, but sad you did not find the Underground itself interesting.
The Seattle underground is a series of disused first stories of buildings and sidewalks - it looks like a basement and sometimes smells like a basement, but it is not a basement. It is the unoccupied first stories buried over time. We understand it isn't the Paris Catacombs, but still think it is worth a look.
Most of the items that you see on tour have been found in the Underground of Pioneer Square. We often receive calls to go visit different Undergrounds and take items. We try to keep the tour spaces interactive, but rely on our guides to bring the spaces to life.
We are glad you learned a little something and hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Seattle! Thanks!
Was one of the best tours I have ever had. Imogen was amazing, fun, knowledgeable and energetic. Not one dull moment! I learned so much!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you had such a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Imogen does a great job of making sure the tour is engaging and informative. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Imogen was fantastic, she took a relatively dry subject and gave it life. She made that tour. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're glad you and a great time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Imogen does a great job of making sure the tour is fun and engaging for everyone. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Our Beneath the Streets Tour was a lot of fun. Our tour guide, Richard, was a natural who brought the underground history of Seattle to life. He really kept everyone's interest throughout the tour. He took a few minutes to get to know his group and was able to weave some of that into his presentations on the tour. The tour was well paced, very informative, and very interesting. We enjoyed learning about the early history of the Seattle waterfront area. I would recommend this tour highly. A great time!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Richard has been giving tours for a long time, and there isn't much about the history of this area he doesn't know about. We're glad you had a five star experience on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
Pretty sure the guy who was giving the tour was loaded and most of what he said was half truths about Seattle
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Hello, Thank you for taking our underground history tour and for the feedback. If you would like to provide more details about what the tour guide got wrong, we are happy to use this as a learning opportunity, so please email us at Admin@beneath-the-streets.com
As far as the tour guide being loaded, that is highly unlikely. There are reasons beyond alcohol or drug impairment wherein a person may exhibit physical actions like tremors or stilted speech.
We take pride in our tour and our staff. We are $5 cheaper than the other underground tour in Seattle with smaller groups and experienced guides. It doesn't mean our experienced guide didn't make an error, so again, please let us know what seemed wrong and we can research it further. May all of your travels be lovely.
We had a fantastic time on the Beneath the Streets Underground Tour! It was such a fascinating and unique experience, giving us a completely different perspective on the city and its history.
Our guide was brilliant — really knowledgeable, engaging and entertaining, and brought the stories of the underground to life. There were plenty of interesting facts and some great stories along the way, which made the tour both informative and fun.
It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip and something we’re really glad we did. I would highly recommend the Beneath the Streets Underground Tour to anyone visiting the city. A brilliant experience from start to finish!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. We're glad you and a five star experience on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
Our tour guide was awesome and knowledgable about the history of Seattle. She was entertaining in her presentation and made it a fun experience.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. We're glad you had a five star experience on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
Tremendous history of Seattle and our guide was fantastic. Learned a great deal about the origin of Seattle and the Indigenous people who made Seattle happen.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review. We're glad you had a five star experience on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle.
The tour was interesting enough and just the right amount of time: 1 hour. But 1 hour with our arrogant and pompous tour guide “Uncle Mike” was too much. He was insensitive to the special needs child that was with her parents in our group and told her to “shush and to keep quiet”. I would skip the tour if I knew he was going to be the tour guide for it.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Hello, We are sorry our tour guide did not meet your expectations. This an atypical review for Mike and we are taking your feedback seriously. If you would please email our management at Admin@beneath-the-streets.com with the reservation name, date, and time, we can give you a refund. If you would like to share any more details, please do so.
Great history lesson on Seattle fire and reconstruction w/ first hand look at the original city which is now one story below ground.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We're glad you had a good time on the underground history tour with us here in Seattle. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a kind review.
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