Seattle Then and Now ®

Seattle Then and Now presents archival photos along with modern views of the same sites as they appear today, highlighting some of the best-loved places in the city along with striking examples of modern architecture that help make Seattle such a vibrant and innovative city.

Seattle’s growth from a small lumber town to one of the world’s most influential urban centers has been spectacular. Little more than a century ago, the city was made up of dirt roads and timber buildings. The arrival of the Great Northern Railroad in 1893 and the start of the Klondike gold rush in 1897 changed all that. Businesses in Seattle are still booming today, but they are now less dependent on location and more on inspiration. Seattle Then and Now presents archival photos along with modern views of the same sites as they appear today, highlighting some of the best-loved places in the city along with striking examples of modern architecture that help make Seattle such a vibrant and innovative city.