Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market in Seattle (Washington) is a public market that opened on August 17, 1907; on the first market day, according to the City of Seattle, eight farmers sold to a crowd of about 10,000 shoppers. The market district is a protected historic district of about 7 acres (2.8 ha). It survived thanks to a 1971 public vote in which voters rejected plans to tear it down. In 2023 the market counted roughly 20.9 million visitors.

The fishmongers are famous for tossing fish to one another instead of handing them over. The first Starbucks opened nearby in 1971 and has been at 1912 Pike Place since 1977. On the street corner sits “Rachel,” a bronze piggy bank weighing about 550 lb (250 kg). The Market Heritage Center on Western Avenue tells the market’s story.

For getting there, light rail, the monorail, the streetcar and buses from Westlake Center all work. Pike Place street was closed to through traffic as a trial in 2025; for winter 2026/27 there is a proposal under which cars may drive Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. only deliveries and authorized vehicles are allowed (as of October 2026). Check the current status before you go.