Seattle / 10 photo spots
10 Instagram spots around Seattle
From the waterfront to hilltop parks, Seattle pairs views of Elliott Bay with distinctive architecture and public art. These ten places offer different ways to frame the city.
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Photo spots on the map
9 of 10 photo ideas have sourced location coordinates. The initial view is for orientation. An area marker does not indicate an exact photo position.
Select a highlighted number to show its sourced location on the map. Every name links to the photo spot.
If the map does not load, use the OpenStreetMap link or the photo spot list.
All photo spots
- Space NeedleSourced place
- Pike Place MarketApproximate area
- Kerry ParkApproximate area
- Seattle Great WheelSourced place
- Discovery ParkApproximate area
- Volunteer ParkApproximate area
- Seattle Central LibrarySourced place
- Gas Works ParkApproximate area
- Alki Beach ParkApproximate area
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Destination reference: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Spot coordinates: Wikidata, CC0. Selection, association and some calculations by You, Me, Away.
Space Needle
The Space Needle rises above Seattle Center and its museums. Include some of the surrounding campus beneath the tower for scale, or isolate its distinctive top against the sky for a simpler architectural photograph.
Search Google MapsPike Place Market
The red Public Market Center sign marks one of Seattle’s best-known markets. Use the sign above the entrance as a focal point and include part of the stalls or street to show the market in context.
Search Google MapsKerry Park
Kerry Park is a viewpoint for Seattle’s skyline. Give the Space Needle a clear place among the buildings, then compare a wide cityscape with a tighter frame that picks out just a few shapes.
Search Google MapsOlympic Sculpture Park
This waterfront extension of the Seattle Art Museum places large sculptures outdoors beside Elliott Bay. Choose one work as your subject and let the water or the surrounding paths establish where it stands.
Search Google MapsSeattle Great Wheel
The Seattle Great Wheel rises above Pier 57 on the waterfront. Photograph the circle from the shore with the pier beneath it, or crop closer to turn the repeating gondolas into a graphic pattern.
Search Google MapsDiscovery Park
Discovery Park combines open space with shoreline on the edge of Seattle. Compose a broad landscape with the water beyond the park, and use a path or vegetation in the foreground to add depth.
Search Google MapsVolunteer Park
Volunteer Park contains the Black Sun sculpture by Isamu Noguchi. Try positioning its circular opening around the distant Space Needle, then take a second image that includes more of the park around the artwork.
Search Google MapsSeattle Central Library
Seattle’s Central Library has a distinctive geometric exterior of glass and steel. Look for repeating diagonal lines in the façade, then step back to show how the angular structure sits among the downtown buildings.
Search Google MapsGas Works Park
Gas Works Park preserves industrial structures on the shore of Lake Union. Contrast the old machinery with water and the city beyond, arranging the dark forms as a foreground to the skyline.
Search Google MapsAlki Beach Park
Alki Beach Park in West Seattle offers a shoreline scene across the water from downtown. Give the beach and the distant city separate bands in a horizontal frame, adding passing boats only if they appear.
Search Google Maps