The Fourth of July, of course, is known for fireworks. But in Seattle, the most spectacular fireworks light up the night sky to ring in the New Year at the stroke of midnight. The fireworks are launched from three different locations on the Space Needle, the iconic landmark built for the 1962 World's Fair. You can view the fireworks from some locations that require advance reservations and admission fees. On the Seattle Center campus and in its surrounding neighborhoods, the New Year's celebration is free and easily accessible, whether you want to come early for a night of revelry or prefer to arrive right at the midnight hour.
The Seattle Center campus, just west of downtown, is the site of the Space Needle. You might call it the city’s unofficial Central Park, with 74 acres of space and numerous attractions, including the Seattle Repertory Theater, the Pacific Science Center and the Experience Music Project. The wide-open space here turns into a citywide New Year's Eve party during the evening of December 31. Revelers come from across the Pacific Northwest to the Seattle Center to celebrate the New Year, directly below the 605-foot Space Needle.
Just northwest of downtown is the Queen Anne neighborhood, which sits on a 456-foot hill that looks over the Seattle Center campus, Elliott Bay and downtown. Kerry Park, on the south-facing slope of Queen Anne Hill is the perfect vantage point to take in the fireworks display, with Seattle’s downtown skyscrapers glistening in the background. As midnight approaches, the sidewalks and streets fill up along the hill, which becomes something of New Year’s celebration itself.
Another spectacular place to view New Year’s fireworks is from a boat on the waters of Elliott Bay on Puget Sound, only a few city blocks south of the Seattle Center. Many boaters venture out onto Elliott Bay for a view of the fireworks display. You can also take a chartered cruises, such as the one run by Argosy Cruise Line. Bundle up though -- Seattle's average low temperatures in December are in the mid-30s, and the wind whipping off Puget Sound can be chilly.
Of course, some of the most coveted viewing locations of the New Year’s fireworks are in the Space Needle itself. The SkyCity Restaurant, the 360-degree revolving eatery, has special events on New Year’s Eve, as does observation deck above. Needless to say, these events can be pricey, and tickets can be hard to come by. But the opportunity to ring in the New Year high above the city watching the fireworks display erupt in almost every direction is an experience most will never forget.
