Tours

Discover the Future with a Look at the Past

Essential Tour Information

Admission Fees

  • Two-hour tours: $10 in advance, $12 day of tour (if space is available).
  • Three-hour tours: $20, pre-registration required
  • One-hour building and hard hat tours: $10, pre-registration required

Admission fees are non-refundable except in the event that the tour is cancelled.

  • If you know in advance that you will miss a tour for which you are registered, SAF staff will make every effort to transfer your registration to another tour in the same calendar year. We cannot transfer a registration from one year to the next.
  • Admission fees include sales tax.
  • If you are paying with a gift certificate, mail or fax the certificate with your registration. Our FAX number is 206.667.9183. You may not register online with a gift certificate.

Tour Registration

  • Register online or by mail, fax, or phone. You must pay by VISA or MasterCard to register online, by fax, or over the phone.
  • Include your e-mail address when you register by fax, phone, or mail. It’s the surest way to receive tour reminders.
  • Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • All three-hour tours, given only once a year, must be pre-registered and pre-paid. Space is limited and the tours frequently sell out. If you register by mail for a sold out tour, we will contact you about an alternative tour.
  • Advance registration is highly recommended for the two-hour tours. Day-of-tour walk-ins are limited to space available and cost $12 per person.
  • Registrations will be confirmed by e-mail and/or postal mail, time permitting. Confirmations include meeting location, parking, and restroom and break information.

Day of Tour

  • Downtown two-hour tour check-in and registration opens at 9:15am at SAF, Rainier Square Atrium, 3rd Floor, 1333 Fifth Ave.
  • For two-hour tours that begin in a neighborhood, start locations and registration details will be provided.
  • Check-in for three-hour tours begins at 9:30am at designated locations. Logistical details are sent to everyone registered prior to the tour.
  • Single building and hard hat tour check-ins begin 15 minutes prior to the tour start time at the building site. Logistical details are sent prior to the tour.
  • Three-hour, single building and hard hat participants are admitted from preregistration lists at tour meeting points. Walk-ups are not accepted for these tours.
  • All tours are conducted rain or shine.
  • For larger three-hour tours, participants are assigned to smaller groups. Small group start times are staggered.
  • Parking is difficult in some areas. Plan accordingly. Parking and driving directions are included in registration confirmations. If you need additional information, there are several excellent mapping and driving direction tools on the Internet.

General Information

  • Except for the Family Tour, SAF tours are not recommended for children younger than high-school age.
  • Most tours involve hills, stairs, escalators, and elevators.
  • Not all tours are accessible for people with special needs. Older homes, in particular, may not be accessible. Contact the SAF office for information about tour accessibility.
  • Tour participants are responsible for their own personal safety.
  • Strollers are not allowed in some interiors.
  • Wear good walking shoes and dress appropriately for walking and the weather.