Connecting the busy Westlake light rail station to the touristy Seattle Center in downtown, the Seattle Monorail is 0.9 miles long, traveling on an elevated track, with the endpoints being the only stops. It takes about 3 minutes to travel between, costs $4 per one-way ride, and operates every 10 minutes. My wife and I took it twice during our one night trip to Seattle, and it was a good way to cut off a bit of a walk traveling from/to the airport and our hotel located at the Seattle Center. The monorail system was built in 1962 to take visitors to the World's Fair, which was being held at what is today the Seattle Center. It consists of 2 parallel single rail tracks, each with one train. After each 3 minute journey, the conductor has to walk the length of the train to get to the other forward facing 'locomotive' car, so there is a bit of time between the train arriving and the train leaving again (in the opposite direction). The two trains (Blue and Red) can run concurrently (often during high traffic times like during a Kraken hockey game), but I've only seen one of them run at a time. The space between the two tracks are where people boarding the train must wait, entering this space using an Orca card (tap-to-pay has yet to be implemented). There are no discounts for transfers to other Orca enabled transit. There is one seat on the locomotive car right next to the conductor, providing an unobstructed view facing forward. Would highly recommend doing that if riding it for the first time. It was my 4th time riding, but 1st time on that seat. Spoke to the conductor a little, and learned that for her, it's 42 round trips a day during her shift. Also noticed that the train passes right by the upper level windows of the Hyatt House hotel, so imaging guests in those rooms could get a cool view of the train as it zipped by. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Leaving - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It was okay but theres only one singular stop that it literally on spot, like what?! Thats outrageous. And there's lots of people in the metro and just shoved! could've been better but the view was nice so I don' recommend if you have claustrophobia. read more

9/14/2025 - Took a monorail ride from the Seattle Monorail Center to downtown Seattle at the Westlake station in 3 or 4 minutes at a round trip prices $4 each way or $2 for seniors. The Monorail runs every 8 minutes. It is worth the trip! read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I have two boys, ages two and five, and they both love a monorail. Unfortunately for them, it isn't the most common form of transportation. We were all delighted when we arrived in Seattle and discovered the monorail station right by our hotel. It was in fact the best way to get from downtown to Seattle Center, where we had already planned to visit a couple of the kid-friendly tourist destinations. The monorail only has two stops, shuttling back and forth between Seattle Center and Westlake Station. It was built, along with the Space Needle, for the 1962 World's Fair. The monorail is an attraction on its own, but it's also a convenient mode of transit--more useful than you might think for a train with a .9 mile route, at least if you're a tourist. We hopped on for two round trips during one long weekend in town. Fares were reasonable, $4 for an adult one-way ticket and free for kids under six. The ticket machines were easy and the stations never seemed to get crowded, probably because the trains came every ten minutes. The ride was smooth and fast, an exciting two minutes gliding over 5th Avenue. The best part (in both my opinion and that of my older son) was the colorful entry into Seattle Center, through the Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Pop Culture. We took the monorail to go to Chihuly Garden and Glass our first day, then again to go up the Space Needle in our last hour before leaving for the airport. We were able to sit in front every trip, and the boys even got to ride next to the conductor once--he was very sweet to them. We also watched the monorail go by from up the Space Needle and from below, when we had a fortuitously located dinner beneath its path. Our five-year-old watched for it attentively throughout our meal, which was great except that he demanded we look every time it passed. He declared that the monorail was his favorite part of the trip, maybe tied with the Space Needle. It's definitely a worthwhile attraction, and an absolute must if you have train-loving kids. read more

The Monorail is a great way get from Seattle Center to the light rail. I rode it before the light rail even existed so it's even more useful now. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - All aboard - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was getting off the link rail to go to Westlake but saw people get out of the door to get to I didn't know where until my Aha moment! Don't judge. Some of my traveling adventures require safe curiosity. Whilst, brought me to the monorail to get to space needle! It was quick, scenic, unique. They have the Orca scanner card so I was able to use mine. Rode back and walked to link rail to get to my original plan to go to pike place! What a fun ride! To an actual bucket list destination. The ride was a bucket list on itself! read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Very short ride from downtown to Seattle Center near the Space Needle, but for $4, it's worth the trip and photo ops. Only goes from one stop to the next above ground, so it's a nice view of the city. If you sit near the back, you get the best 180 views through the driver windows. The doors are extremely loud when opening, so try not to sit next to them! read more

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Super short ride, so less of a tourist attraction and more a good way to get to point a to b. We ran out of time during our trip to the space needle and had to make a second trip just for the monorail which was not really worth the extra parking and walk, so make sure to leave yourself time for both attractions on the same day or while visiting the Westlake Center. Definitely worth it if part of your day, but not a one off. In fact we needed up staying on the monorail for three round trips to make it worth our while. Still only about 30 mins total :) read more

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Convenient and easy to ride on this monorail. Took this from Space Needle back towards the airport. It was inexpensive and easy. Love the public transportation in Seattle read more

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This is what I'll say... The experience with the monorail was really convenient. We were going to checkout the needle. We walked to the monorail from our hotel up the street. We went in and I believe went up a flight of stairs. We were able to purchase tickets at a kiosk when we got inside. The ticket was $8 r/t. When we got on, it was clean, spacious and had nice views. Here's the kicker, I didn't realize there's only one stop. It takes you from point a to point b. No frills, no getting on the wrong train. You start here and you go there. I couldn't wrap my head around that. I'm used to Metro systems with multiple stops and lines. I just knew I was missing something.... But I wasn't lol. It's a great way to get from the hotel to the space needle and whatever is around that area. Check it out for yourself. read more

The Seattle Center Monorail is a quick and convenient way to get to, you guessed it, the Seattle Center! We were staying by Pike Place Market, so this monorail was just a 5-7-minute walk to the Westlake Shopping Center, where it is located. The morning we went it was a very chilly Tuesday morning and the place was practically deserted. I mean we were in the single digits of riders when we went there. It would have been nice to have some kind of form of heating in the waiting area, even if it's just a few space heaters. Damn, it was freezing! The station and train were both reasonably clean, so no complaints there. Fares are $3.50 one way and $7 roundtrip. Totally worth it, IMO. 4 stars. read more

Pretty cool way to get around from the mall downtown to the needle. If you're going to the needle this is a good way to view the city hands free. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Entrance from downtown, take the elevator to the left - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Welcome to the World of Tomorrow!! Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the Monorail is still up and running to shuttle you to and from Westlake and Seattle Center. It's public transportation so it's not exactly exciting, and it's only about a mile, super walkable, but it is fun to enjoy a little piece of history and you can get some nice views since you're up on the track. If you're a local and have an ORCA card you can just tap on as you usually would for any other transportation system. Visiting? Go to the kiosk and you can get your ticket there. read more

We didn't plan to ride this Monorail but I'm glad we did. We were in the Seattle Center area and wanted to go explore some more of the city and get closer to the Pike Place Market area so when we saw this would be the best option for us we decided to ride. To get your tickets its pretty easy. We used the kiosk and paid with card. It did not take long and its super affordable. Once on the monorail its a very short trip but you get to see some nice views of the city. The Monorail is clean and the seats do not look damaged or anything. The only stop was the Westlake Center. From there it is a short walk to the Pike Place Market. This was a nice ride and a good way to get from Seattle Center to Westlake Center/Pike Place Market or vice versa. read more

The Seattle Center monorail was seriously a lifesaver getting from one part of town to the other. Although we didn't have our day totally planned out as we would've liked, getting on the tram to people watch and observed the new sights was pretty amazing read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Not the most exciting thing. It only has one stop. So if you're downtown going to the sspace needle, great. Beyond that, you may not need it. read more

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The Monorail is awesome but with a name like that, and it's history, how could it not be. Fun to ride and the fastest way to go between the Seattle Center and downtown. It has been running since 1962 and originally built for transportation to and from the 1962 Worlds Fair. You can get on at the Seattle Center Station at 305 Harrison Street and it goes to the Westlake Center Station (Westlake Center Mall @ 400 Pine Street at 3rd Floor) . That's it. Just goes back and forth. There are two tracks but either one or the other was running. We took it a bunch of times but never saw them running at the same time. We did the Orca card while on vacation and just kept loading money to pay for our public transportation. Easy and convenient and you can use it for the Monorail, light rail, street cars, and busses. The Monorail is a must do when in Seattle. For more info, you can check out their website at www.seattlemonorail.com. read more

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Quick and efficient, some what clean. Cheap to ride over an uber or Lyft. Went with friends for a weekend and used the monorail to save some money. read more

Clean, fast, affordable! Love the many different transits available in this city, and wait times are minimal! Was on the other side of the city in less than 8min read more

Monorail to link space needle and pike place market. It is a short distance monorail the view is awesome. The monorail is near to pike place market, just follow the sign to get to pike place market. An easy walk, flatland. read more

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I've taken the bus and I've tried the Free Waterfront Shuttle. I still think the Monorail is the fastest way back to Westlake (downtown Seattle). Sure it may feel touristy but we like to use it after concerts at Climate Pledge Arena and Kraken hockey games...hopefully in the near future Seattle SuperSonics NBA games??? ;) The platform is outdoors so dress appropriately according to the seasons. Access points to the platform are near the Armory building. A ramp is to the south of the Monorail platform, to the east of the Armory building is a skybridge, and on the east side of the Armory building are stairs to the skybridge. Just use your Orca card and tap the yellow card reader near the fare gate. If you don't have an Orca card, just pay at the ticket vending machine or pay online on their website. read more

im a highschooler and this was the best experience ever!! gorun i literally love you, you are the most sweetest conductor i have ever met because hes so funny and literally da goat (greatest of all time) and he should get a raise for sure and when i comeback and he doesn't get one. someone. will. be. in. big. trouble. read more

Great to ride in, except if you're a wheelchair user be sure to ask for a mobility ramp on to the car because sometimes they don't have them there for you. read more

A nice ride in Seattle, connecting a few places. Considering one-way was $4, it is worth taking one way & walking the other way.

This is a fun cheap way to travel from downtown Seattle to the Space needle, IMAX, museum of pop, culture, and more. DJ read more

Megan is a great driver! She nailed the stop! She told me she has accidentally hit some pigeons and that's better than hitting the stop button she just honks. read more

Such a convenient way to get from the Space Needle area to the downtown Seattle area. Paid only $3 for an all day pass, (with military discount) regular all day fee is $6. Both stations were clean and felt very safe to be in. The monorail itself was also very clean and we saw cleaning crews cleaning once we got off. I also saw security walking around at several different times of the day! Glad this option is around and could take us from one point to the other, so we didn't have to get an uber. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I love this thing. Always on time quick easy to navigate I mean it's literally one. Stop there and back. Can't ask for anything more. read more

It is vital to manage your expectations. For me, while it was cool and different to ride a monorail, this is something I only needed to experience once. It was more something touristy to try than use throughout my visit as transit. The monorail ride is two minutes, three-dollar trip, under a mile, with a top speed of 45 MPH (used to be 60!). The main reason this exists is due to the world fair. It was necessary to link downtown and the fair's amenities, so here it stands. Locals (allegedly) use it for sporting events and other festivities. Tourists can find value (at least once) given the area it arrives at/departs from. Hence I am not discounting its utility. At the same time, I did not find my mind blown. The train was clean and ran without an operator in the car. Kind of reminded me of the Las Vegas Monorail in that regard. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The monorail is a located at the Westlake Center and is a quick, convenient link between downtown Seattle and the Seattle Center which is home to the Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and so much more! The monorail departs every 10 minutes and one-way tickets costs $3.00 Adult (age 19-64) and $1.50 Youth (age 6-18). I find it costs around the same price for an Uber ride, but offers the fun, novelty of riding in a monorail for the kiddos. It's especially convenient if you have a stroller and would rather not pack the car seat and all the things like I did 5 years prior. Just make sure you're charged the right amount. We were charged for round trip tickets, but only needed one-way. We were able to get a refund on the other end though. With COVID and construction going on in the area, it seemed like there was a long line, but nothing drastic. The monorail holds a good amount of passengers, so while the line may seem long, once it starts moving (about every 10 minutes), you're good to go. I mainly just wanted to bring my son back for another ride on the monorail 5 years later :) read more

Seattle Center Monorail - 2016 to 2021 - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's a short ride, about a mile, on the monorail from Seattle Center to the Westlake Center. It's doesn't cost much either. However, it just seems like a fun thing to do. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you're visiting from a city with a subway, reset your expectations. The monorail is not a subway or metro. It was built in the 1960s for the World Fair to transport millions who came to see the newly-opened Space Needle and other wonders built for the fair. Today, it's a two stop above ground train that is used by mainly tourists. Here's what you should know: 1) Station: It's small, but it's clean and shaded (important during Seattle's only sunny months in July and August). There are benches to sit on as you wait for the train. 2) Price: It's only a few dollars per adult and kids under six are free. The train ride itself is short and takes you from the Seattle Center to downtown where you can walk to Pike Place Market. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

So much fun, so retro. I'm glad to see the monorail is still in existence. Special thanks to Boeing and other local venders for providing unique parts and fabrication services to keep our beloved monorail running all these years. read more

Yeah! This is a cool way to see downtown Seattle and worth it if you're visiting! It was a short ride for us from downtown to the Space Needle, which we were heading for, but it was a fun ride nonetheless. The station is clean and operations are orderly. The Monorail runs above ground and the station is on a second floor in a shopping mall. Tickets were affordable and next time I'm in town I'll ride around some more and explore the different spots in this fascinating city. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It was part of our fun day in the Seattle, WA. Area. We did a round trip to make it easier to get back to the airport to go home. Nice ride and great views of the city! Also is very ADA friendly, which is a big plus! read more

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The monorail is very purposeful to travel from downtown to the space needle. Built in the 60s it is still very efficient and a clean ride and quite cheap. You can get tickets for round-trip or one way. The one-way trip takes a few minutes. read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Experienced the Seattle Center Monorail before the start of Pokémon GO Fest. It transported my friends and I from the Westlake Center over to the Seattle Center in only two minutes. What was neat was the speakers from the Monorail was playing Pokémon themed music! The pricing is great and currently costs $3.25 (according to their site). It is convenient if you are at the westlake station and much cheaper than a rideshare service. It's interesting to see the history behind the Monorail too. It was built for the 1962 Seattle World's fair, which was a long time ago! read more

Seattle Center Monorail - Monorail - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The Seattle Center Monorail I feel is part of the spectacle of the Space Needle and the Seattle Center experience. Overall I think it's an additional feature for the tourists. But it does have more practical use for the locals as you can park in a downtown parking garage and take the monorail in for special outdoor events and for events at the Climate Pledge Arena and if your desire is to visit one of the museums there. For the longest time the metro Seattle commuter card, the Orca Card that can be used on the buses and light rail in the city was not available for the monorail but became available to use in 2019. The monorail just has the stop at downtown and the stop at the Seattle Center so it's not a very long ride at all. It still is fairly unique however as the United States doesn't really have a lot of different monorails. Some others are in Orlando and Las Vegas and a few others in which those too are primarily a feature for tourists but also assists transporting people up and down attractions that are fairly large walking distance. Unfortunately after a few searches I was unable to retrieve any pictures of this monorail from my photos I had. Perhaps I did not dig deep enough or looked in the wrong spots but other Yelpers have provided ample and attractive pictures of the monorail to enjoy on the entry. read more

Thank you Seattle Center Monorail for being super convenient, and a quick way to get back and forth to Climate Pledge Arena. Did I also mention it's only $6.00/person to ride the monorail round trip for the entire day?! I didn't?! Yep, it sure is! I should also mention that I was thoroughly impressed that the money was so clean, and smelled like sanitizer upon entering. read more

I have got to give a shoutout to Seattle's public transit. Coming from a city with terrible options for getting around without a car, it's pretty impressive to utilize theirs. We were staying in downtown Seattle and wanted to do what the tourists do and go to the Seattle Center area to see the space needle and visit Chihuly Gardens. We looked up the walk, which was only about a mile. Do able but a little far. Then we realized we could get there in an instant using the monorail (and for only $3). Score. The monorail just goes from downtown (near 5th Ave) to the Seattle center and back. The monorail waited a few mins before departing, which gave us enough time to grab our tickets and jump on. The ride was so quick and popped us out perfectly where we wanted to be! So convenient! read more