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Washington State Visitors' Guide

2010 Washington State Visitors’ Guide

From seemingly never-ending beaches to pristine mountain lakes to spectacular high-desert terrain, there’s so much to see and do in Washington State.

Let the 2010 Washington State Visitors’ Guide help you explore and experience all the Evergreen State has to offer.  

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Washington State Visitors’ Guide is published by the Washington Lodging Association in partnership with SagaCity Media, Inc.

 

Home » Feature Articles » Design Summit

> Design Summit

Washington’s built environment complements
the state’s natural beauty

The State’s oldest building, the Territorial Courthouse in Bellingham, is a
mere 152 years old. But Washington has made up for lost time by supporting the
architectural arts, from quaint lighthouses on the coast to the acclaimed angular
aspect of Rem Koolhaas’s new Public Library building in Seattle. Here are a few
must-sees as you travel through the state.
—LORA SHINN

Seattle Public Library

Askew glass panels defy gravity as the building rises from Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle.

» www.spl.lib.wa.us

Martin Woldson Theater
at the Fox

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Spokane’s meticulously restored Fox Theater has a vibrant art
deco exterior and murals, all infused with period glamour.

» www.foxtheaterspokane.com

Manhattan Project B Reactor

This Cold War relic in Hanford once produced plutonium for the “Fat Man” nuclear weapon. Sign up in advance to join the free tour.

» manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov

Ruby Theatre

On the National Historic Registry, Chelan’s 1914 jewel is believed to be the oldest continuously operating film theater
in the state.

» www.rubytheatre.com

Manresa Castle

In romance-filled Port Townsend,
this 1892 castle (complete with turrets, naturally) functions as a hotel.

» www.manresacastle.com

Goldendale Observatory

Dedicated in 1973, the observatory’s graceful dome welcomes amateur and experienced stargazers to view night
skies through a 24.5-inch telescope.

» www.perr.com/gosp.html

Grand Coulee Dam

This Depression-era legacy (and the largest concrete dam in the United States) harnesses the liquid power of the mighty Columbia to generate electricity.

» www.usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee

Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame

Rock ’n’ roll embodied, the Frank Gehry– designed EMP/SFM boasts multihued, metallic skin that messes with all of architecture’s rules. A different futurist vision stands just blocks away in the form of Seattle’s Space Needle.

» www.empsfm.org
» www.spaceneedle.com

Westport Lighthouse

Hike the 1.3-mile trail adjoining the historic 1898 lighthouse and beautiful Westhaven State Park.

» www.parks.wa.gov

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Rebuilt in 1950, this sweeping link over Puget Sound is the fifth-longest suspension bridge in the United States—replacing a previous structure that collapsed spectacularly a few months after opening. A parallel second span was added in 2007.

» www.wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory

Hotel de Haro

This 1886 building was once the focal point of a bustling limemining factory town on San Juan Island. Today, guests can stay in rooms over 100 years old at Roche Harbor Resort.

» www.rocheharbor.com

 

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