Space-Time Adventure Tour · Seattle, WA
The Seattle Center
Take a walk through the wondrous time of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair without leaving the present day.
- Price
- Free
- Duration
- 30–45 minutes
- Route
- About a mile, flat and paved
- Platform
- iOS
- Starts at
- Base of the Monorail station, Seattle Center
About this tour
The flagship Space-Time Adventure Tour drops you into the 1962 Century 21 Exposition — the first “Space Age” World’s Fair — without leaving present-day Seattle Center. Your iPhone becomes a retro-futuristic Walkie-Talkie Time Machine loaded with archival film, photos and audio from the fair, an AR scavenger hunt, and a story that takes a sharp turn when a pair of desperate physicists who are running out of time (literally) enlist your help.
The tour was built around the 60th anniversary of the fair, with archival media from Bill Cotter, MOHAI and the Seattle Municipal Archives, key art by Seattle design shop Invisible Creature, and characters by visual artist Matte Stephens. Even the Mayor of Seattle has taken it.
Fair Worlds’ name is a play on “World’s Fair,” and this is the tour that started everything: the optimism and whimsy of 1962 is the whole reason the company exists.
Trailer
Where the tour takes you
Monorail Station
The 1962 Alweg Monorail still runs the same 0.9-mile line it did for the fair. This is where your Walkie-Talkie Time Machine comes online.
Space Needle
Built in 400 days for the Century 21 Exposition, the Needle was the fair's centerpiece — and its restaurant really did rotate.
Pacific Science Center
Minoru Yamasaki's United States Science Pavilion, with its soaring gothic arches, is where the fair looked hardest at the future.
International Fountain & the Fairgrounds
The heart of the fair, where archival film and audio put you in the crowds of 1962.
Climate Pledge Arena
The Washington State Coliseum's 'World of Tomorrow' exhibit — a Bubbleator ride through the 21st century — and what the building became.
Getting to the start
Base of the Monorail station, Seattle Center
Seattle Center Monorail Station, 370 Thomas St, Seattle, WA 98109
Take the Monorail from Westlake Center for the full 1962 effect, or walk in from any Seattle Center entrance. The in-app map guides you to the start.
Open in Google MapsAccessibility
- Non-visual gameplay for blind and low-vision players, developed with blind media artist Andy Slater
- Spatial audio beacons, GPS announcements, verbal directions and haptics assist wayfinding
- VoiceOver compatible; always-on captions
- Flat, paved route throughout Seattle Center
Questions people ask
How long is the Seattle Center tour?
About 30 to 45 minutes, covering roughly a mile of flat, paved paths inside Seattle Center.
How much does it cost?
The app and the Seattle Center tour are free on the Apple App Store. Guided personal tours with a host are available by request for a fee.
Where does the tour start?
At the base of the Monorail station in Seattle Center. Open the app anywhere and its map will guide you there.
Can I borrow a phone?
Yes — ask us about a personal guided tour and we'll bring loaner iPhones and headphones.
Does it work on Android?
Not yet. Space-Time Adventure Tours is currently available for iPhone (iOS 11 or later).
Do I need headphones?
Headphones or earbuds are strongly recommended. The tour uses spatial audio for storytelling and for wayfinding.
