Two Giant Turbines Still Stand Inside a 1906 Seattle Powerhouse
Volunteer docents walk you past two vertical Curtis turbines that still sit inside a 1906 Seattle powerhouse.
⚙️ Inside the Turbine Hall
Open houses run on the second Saturday of every month, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and the guided tours leave at 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30. Admission is free, no reservation is needed, and groups of 15 or more can call City Light to arrange a private walk.
The engine room is the reason to come. Two vertical Curtis turbines stand against a bank of west windows, two of the last still in place anywhere, and the boiler room sits one steep flight up across a catwalk. Volunteer docents tie them to Seattle's streetcar years, when the plant opened in 1906 and helped prove the steam turbine as a cheaper way to make electricity.
Wear closed shoes and leave the big backpack at home. Bags over 11 by 17 by 8 inches stay outside. There are no indoor restrooms, the grounds have an accessible portable unit, and on site parking is limited. The city page sends you off Interstate 5 at Exit 161 and warns against using a maps app.
