Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour

We had a wonderful time! The tour was funny, informative, and well paced. From the wonderful individual who checked us in, to our sweet tour guide. Everyone was kind, friendly, sociable, and a genuine pleasure to walk with. I highly recommend this tour if you find yourself in Seattle. You'll learn about the weird history of the underground areas, and hear some cheesy dad jokes that will cause you to groan.

An interesting experience and a hidden gem in the city. Didn’t know any of that part of the history before. The tour was very pleasant, not to mention our guide was super funny. And a shoutout to the people of Seattle, whose resilience allows them to rebuild the entire city after a huge fire!

My 16 year old daughter and I did the tour at 1pm on a Monday in October. It was not raining that day, which is good considering some of the tour was walking around on the sidewalks within a 2 block radius from where the tour started. We walked up and down at least 4 flights of stairs during the tour so just know this if you have mobility issues. Our tour guide Jim was very funny and informative. The first 15 minutes of the tour we sat down and learned about the founders of Seattle and about the fire that caused the pioneers of Seattle to build up. Very cool tour for someone that's intrigued by urban planning, architecture and/or history. The glass skylights that are in the sidewalks are so beautiful. Really interesting tour, I have been a Washingtononion for decades and have always wanted to do this tour, very glad I did!

It was a lovely tour. Our guide Clay was very great at making sure the crowd was safe and in good humor. The jokes were awesome. It was a bit of walking however there was chairs along the way for older folks to enjoy the sights. There is so many secrets that we were not previ to unless you take the tour. It was worth it for sure!

A friend found this place online since I had an upcoming trip to Seatown. Good find my friend! The tickets for adults were $30. There's a cafe inside that if you purchase something, it gives you priority access to sit in the room where your tour starts before everyone else. Not really necessary if you ask me. The first part of the 75-minute tour is info on the history of Seattle, the men responsible for the preservation of the area, and how the tour got started. The large group is then split into 4 smaller groups of about 20-30 people. The guides speak very loudly so you never strain to hear what they're saying. You then exit the room and cross the street where you see 3 underground areas that are amazingly still intact. Our guide was Rod, who was great. There's a musty smell and lots of cobwebs but no visible spiders or creatures if you're wondering. The walk isn't hard by any means, but there are some mild stairs and low overhangs and doorways. I don't think claustrophobic people will have any problems. You end up in a gift shop, no surprise, right next door to where the tour started. OVERALL: Awesome & interesting tour. Highly recommended!

Very interesting tour. Not only do you walk through the underground passages but you’d learn a lot about the history of Seattle. The tour guide did a great job bringing stories to life!

Loved this tour! Tons of history with lots of fun and jokes. Our guide TJ was incredibly knowledgeable and great at their job. We learned so much and were happy to find this little odd activity.

Great but long...our guide was amazing and funny (Adam I think). Tour was very informative about the underground history of Seattle. Several stairs for those that have walking issues. Fairly priced. Don't forget to tip tour guide.

This tour is something else--the history is salacious and seems whimsical from today's perspective. Men without morals, founders of Seattle whose names now rest on streets well traveled. Our tour guide, Rose, is a gem herself--clearly not her first time guiding this tour, with wit, depth and insinuation, you're a lucky duck if you get Rose when you go! I swear from this point forward I will always chuckle at the word "seamstresses"!

Bill Speidel'sUnderground Tours is an absolute must if you want to dive into the hidden history beneath the city. The tour is fascinating, well-paced, and full of stories that bring the past to life in unexpected ways. Special shout-out to Rose-hands down the BEST tour guide! She has the perfect mix of knowledge, humor, and storytelling ability. Rosie doesn't just give facts; she makes you feel like you've stepped back in time and are part of the history yourself. Her energy kept the entire group engaged, and she answered every question with insight and charm. If you book this tour, do yourself a favor and ask for Rose-You won't regret it!

We had such a great tour guide (Monica) that made the experience really fun! She had a great sense of humor with a seamless and witty delivery. The tour is a pretty good bang for your buck because you get so much history out of the tour in addition to getting to do the walkthrough. We learned so much about how Seattle started, the great fire, and how the city rebuilt in addition to getting to see what's left of the original underground storefronts. Overall would recommend!

My niece and nephew (high school age) who I took on this tour with me have insisted that I write a 5-star review for our tour guide Andie. They enjoyed it that much! This was the 2nd time doing this tour for myself and my dad (which was in 2018). We saw different parts of the underground and learned different things. And as much as the kids loved our tour guide this time, my dad liked the one we had before better. Differences in the aspects of history focused on and the humor. We'll chalk it up to a generational thing. I appreciated the humor, especially the political digs. And the teens were super into it. I didn't see them on their life support devices (cell phones) even once. And really, there's not much of a higher review than that! It was absolutely a fun and interesting tour. And I always appreciate a tour you can enjoy multiple times. I just learned that my Seattle bestie hasn't done this tour yet. So I expect to be back soon. And I have to add that the woman who assisted us with purchasing tickets and whatnot was really nice and friendly too.

This was a pretty cool and unique experience. I was disappointed the group size was so large but they at least split us into two. Being under the city was a very cool experience, though it got quite hot at times. Unfortunately while travelling between entry points we saw a lot of unhoused people doing drugs which was uncomfortable.

We reserved in advance an 11:00 a.m. Monday tour from one of our options of the CityPASS. The guided tour lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. You walk underground and then above ground a few times and learn about the history of the underground and Seattle. There are stairs and some tight spaces involved, so it may not be suited for everyone. There is a small gift area at the end of the tour. Restrooms are available before and after the tour. Restaurants, bars, sightseeing, and tourist attractions are nearby, as you are in the Pioneer Square area of the city.

When I used to visit my Dad back when he lived in Seattle, this was one of our favorite things to do in the city. The Underground Tour is a fun way to learn about Seattle's history. After the the Great Fire of 1889, Seattle rebuilt on top of the old city. This left many of the old storefronts and sidewalks buried underground. Today you are able to tour these tunnels and see much of the old city. The tour guides not only give you a history lesson about the city of Seattle, they add a little humor to it. It is a fun tour and I always enjoy going on it. Bill Speidel is the founder of the Underground Tour and has written a couple of books about Seattle's history. The start of the tour is located in Pioneer Square. There is bar in the lobby area that offers food and drinks as you are waiting for your tour. The Underground Tour also offers an adult-only tour called The Underworld Tour. This tour is a stroll through the old red-light district and talks about Seattle's prostitution history. It has more humor in it and includes an adult beverage.

It was interesting! Very informative and entertaining. Our tour guide wore a great purple outfit to standout, robe and all. He was very funny throughout the tour. There's a lot of walking and climbing stairs. I wouldn't recommend this tour for children under 12 or adults with difficulties walking or climbing. Wish their bar would be open and not just for show.

As a fan of underground labyrinths and musty basement odors, I knew I was going to love this tour. Then came the history of this underground. Chief Si'al and the Duwamish & Suquamish people later Si'al becomes "Seattle", the founders of Seattle (Yester & Denny), The Great Fire (1889), the rebuild over the ruins) and the frenzied Gold Rush (1897). Then to my surprise, the tour guide pivoted from historian to stand=up comedian. You got to love that. The tour cost $21 for adults. It is a little bit over an hour long. There are stairs which take you up and down. And there is a small museum at the end. At the beginning of the tour there is a bar serving alcoholic beverages. What is not to like?

Exploring Seattle's Underground History! I was invited to experience Bill Speidel's Underground Tour in Pioneer Square, an hour-long adventure beneath the streets of Seattle. The tour is strict on timing, so be sure to arrive early--don't expect flexibility or same-day tickets! If your friends have a time already booked. Our guide kept the group entertained with puns while diving into the history of Seattle's founders, Yesler & Denny. However, the tour noticeably skimmed over the origins of the area and the Duwamish tribes, which felt like a missed opportunity to fully acknowledge the foundation of this land. It's definitely a unique way to learn about Seattle, but I'd love to see a more inclusive narrative included in the storytelling. Have you taken the tour? What are your thoughts?

Tour was extremely entertaining and engaging for all ages. We had all ages in our group of about 50 and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. They do seem to be large groups. So, I suggest you stick close to the tour guide as they do not use microphones. If you're at the back of the pack, it was hard to hear. There are definitely lots of steps, and no elevators or escalators. So keep that in mind if you have trouble with stairs. You go down a flight of stairs and explore. Go back up the same flight of stairs, walk around the block, and go down another flight of stairs. Explore and tour some more. Then go back up same flight of stairs and repeat. So it's not a lot of stairs all at once. It's just frequent. We found it extremely interesting and would recommend it if you have some free time!

After living in Seattle for over 30 years, finally did the underground tour. This was SO much fun! Our tour guide Adam was awesome, lots of hilarious tongue in cheek jokes (some may not be appropriate for kids), lots of history, humor, and some spooky walks under ground. Definitely recommend! Really enjoyed it, well worth the ticket.

I recommend this tour to anyone visiting Seattle. The price is $21/per adult and the tour took around 70min. We had a very large group but still managed to hear the tour guide well. Our guide was well knowledgeable and kept our attention. Lots of laughs and interesting facts. We didn't have a reservation and they were able to accommodate us as walk-ins. Recommendation: bring a water bottle and use the restrooms prior to checking in 15 minutes before your tour starts to be well prepared. There are no restroom breaks or water available on the tour **Please note that this is NOT an wheelchair accessible tour. Several flights of stairs required.

Andie was our tour guide and she was such a joy. Did a lot of jokes in between introductions on buildings and photos. Can rlly see that she's passionate about the history. Pretty cool tour you get to go underground 3 times and see stuff that was there since the 1900s.

We took the tour with a small group of adults. I had no idea about this history of the city. Our tour guide made the entire tour fun, informative and interesting. We all very much enjoyed our time. I don't want to give away any 'secrets' and definitely recommend taking a tour under the sidewalks of Seattle! On street parking. Reservations on line. Gift shop and museum at end of tour. Discount at dive bar nearby if you arrive early and ask at the check in desk 'where can I wait for my tour?' Restrooms available at the beginning of the tour, but once outside, there are no restroom stops for the duration of the tour. Plenty of toilets, but none you can use. You'll see. Enjoy!

The minute I saw tiktoks on people doing the underground tour, I knew it was a must when I was planning our Seattle itinerary. The tour gave us the history of Seattle that we've never even heard of. The tour was enjoyable and not even the least bit stinky (those who have taken the tour will understand).

Great tour guide, it was a cool experience and entertaining but not as "exciting" as I was expecting. Overall nice to do this once, if you're in town it's worth it if you're staying in the area.

Underground tour was worth every minute. We went for a birthday celebration!!!!!!!!!!

This was way better than I was expecting! Our tour guide was funny from one end to the other (great use of poop jokes during the historical discussion of Seattle's sewer issues). There was more to see than I was expecting and the walk was a perfect length. Be prepared for stairs and you will be up and down. It's absolutely worth it!

Pretty cool tour. Was in a group with a large choir group which, in April, is pretty common so beware. Was a little hard to hear the tour guide/get any time to talk with him as a result but was still cool. Such interesting history and stories of Seattle. Def worth your time if you're interested in this sort of thing

I wish I picked another day to tour underground instead of the day I had to leave for the airport to go home. I went at the earliest available time (10am) and rushed back to the hotel to check out. Even though the tour is about 70 minutes, there is a small museum to look at at the end so you can stay for a little bit. I didn't have much time to enjoy the museum. I guess I will have to come back again. Rose was our tour guide and she knew a lot and was great at her introductory lecture about the beginning history of Seattle, the men who settled into the land that is now Seattle, and the history of how crappers came to be. I first heard about underground Seattle from content creators on YouTube. I knew before my trip to Seattle that I would want to go on an underground tour. I would recommend this tour to anyone remotely interested in the history of Seattle. I think the pricing is fair (compared to how much I paid for City Pass).

Would have been sooo much better if the tour guide didn't insist on wearing a mask the entire time.

4.5 stars. We have Clay as our guide. He was very funny and knowledgeable. You get to learn about the history of Seattle in its early days. Walking underground is really cool. Knocked down half a star because the gift store is gone. I was looking forward to getting some souvenirs. Clay said after Covid they lost the suppliers. Hmmm on that one. During peak season please buy tickets online ahead of time. Highly recommend.

I normally don't leave reviews, but I feel it's important to share my experience. I booked with this business and unfortunately arrived late due to circumstances outside of my control. My wife is pregnant and we called in advance for some leeway. I had hoped for some compassion and understanding, but instead I was told there would be no refund or accommodation. While I understand the business has a "no refund" policy, customer service is about more than just policy it's about treating people with fairness and empathy. Life happens, especially during a time we have someone with special circumstances in our group and a little flexibility could have gone a long way in creating a positive experience. Instead, I left feeling dismissed and disappointed. Policies may be necessary, but compassion and customer care are what truly make a business stand out.

Had a great time on the tour. Adam was knowledgeable and very entertaining. He knows how to play to a crowd.

This was my first time in ages since I've done this tour. Our tour guide, Andy, was super awesome, and she had plenty of knowledge about the Underground and shared a small piece of Seattle history. Andy made it fun for everyone, and at the end of the tour, she showed her appreciation for everyone taking the tour. If you haven't done this tour, take it. You'll love the info. shared, and you won't at parts of seattle the same again.

A date in my early 20s. A middle school field trip. Family visiting from out of state. These are the reasons I've taken this tour 3 times. If you take this tour then you're really taking Downtown Seattle 101 but in a fun and engaging way. I feel like some pre-reqs for becoming a tour guide is that you'd probably have a background in theater (theatahhhh!) and comedy. They do a pretty good job with storytelling, at least that was the case with my guide. You really need those skills if you're explaining the development of the city in a non-dry way. Summertime is good because you won't need rain gear. Off season is good too since it won't be too crowded. Good thing about being in Pioneer Square is if you want to continue learning about Seattle history you can visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park afterwards. It's about 5 blocks away and it's free.

Second time being on the tour (after 5 years); I am having a lovely lady as my tour guide this time, she is sooo funny and so knowledgeable; but her voice was very quiet so it was almost impossible to hear her if we r not super near her. The tour size was huge so it was impossible to hear her at all for about 30 % of the time. Thus taking one star off. If u see there r no spots online, don't be scared, call them! They always have some open spots and will reserve tix for u!! Sooo fun.

I had no idea what to expect going in but I had a great time on Bill Speidel's Underground Tour. Jim was a fantastic guide and provided a very welcome mix of humor and history. The tour was very cheap and I'd recommend anyone with a mid-afternoon lull to make their way over to Pioneer Square for the tour.

Horrible place/tour. "underground" tour is basically walking in the basement of 3 buildings and walking the street and hoping not to get hit. Lisa was horrible. Inappropriate jokes about politics and about women. Not only that but majority of the time it was just jokes about poop (not really even needed). Didnt really learn anything- might as well look up all of the information on Google and go across the road and spend that money on drinks at the oldest bar. 0 stars if I could.

Go TJ, Go (applause)! This was a vacation favorite! We were so pleased with Bill Speidel's Underground Tour and I would say it's is a must do (local or tourist) when in Seattle. Such an amazing time and so happy we were able to get tickets on our last day. Tickets for two online plus taxes and fees were $48.96. This does not include the optional tour guide gratuities at the end and highly recommend a tip especially if they do an amazing job like TJ. The entrance is located at 614 1st Avenue (Howard Building), in the Pioneer Place Park at Pioneer Square. Our tour guide was TJ and he wears his signature all purple ensemble including a purple bath robe. Each tour guide customizes and highlights each tour so no two are exactly the same. He educated us all about the history of Seattle over the years, particularly focusing on those early year and the developments that lead to the city we know today. Especially loved hearing about Madam Lou Graham and her many contributions to the citizens, the city itself, and the public education system upon her death. You are lead through basements, walk above ground, and through the underground. It's fun to look and take everything in and imagine what it was like back in the day. We never left Pioneer's Square area which was fascinating when you think about it. Book in advance as they tend to sell out. Five stars and super thank you to TJ he really is the best with history, humor, and is an excellent guide. Go do it!

Andy was a delightful and fun tour guide. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to learn Seattle's history

My tour guide was Andie and she was amazing! The best tour I've ever been on! She made it so Informational yet fun and exciting! I would definitely recommend her and this tour!

It was a great tour in terms of where all we visited underground, but the person leading the tour made a lot of jokes revolving around the facts. For me, I was hoping to get a lot more historical facts. I don't know how this compares with the other tour company; if you want to be entertained, this tour might be for you. As for me, I was a bit disappointed comparing to my first Underground Seattle tour taken so 30-40 years ago.

**Beware -- many one-star reviews for a reason.** Take the low ratings seriously. Countless people have called this place a *scam*, and after our experience, we understand why. Even if you've bought tickets in advance, don't expect them to be honored. The staff seem to operate with no sense of accountability or basic customer service. Our visit was shockingly hostile. One employee swore at us multiple times, telling us to "get the eff out" in front of our family. When we calmly brought it up, he flat-out denied it, laughed at us, rolled his eyes, and even pretended to call the police instead of resolving the issue. No apology, no effort to make things right--just mockery and aggression. There's simply no reasoning with the people who work here. Their behavior is dismissive, unprofessional, and at times abusive. Save yourself the frustration and avoid this place entirely.

I heard there was an underground tour in Seattle, so I had to try. There are at least 2 tour companies that conduct the tour in Pioneer Square, the oldest part of Seattle, supposedly. This one was the one I did research into first and ended up being the least expensive option. They have a sign indicating a minimum of 4 people per tour, and I showed up with 2... they still let me book the next tour, which was at the top of the hour. I didn't know at the time, but there were several others in the tour even though the ticket counter was empty and looked like nobody was going on any tours. It ended up being around 35-40 in the group. At 11 a.m., my tour guide was Lisa. They have you staged in the back "bar area" 5 minutes before the hour to be present for the tour. However, the bar was not open. You could only play shuffleboard or games at each table like dominoes or cards. Once the tour starts, you are taken into the basement of this same building to do an introduction to the history of Seattle. This is about 15-20 minutes. The rest of the 75-minute tour is the tour guide taking you into 3 different underground areas. Each area you go down, then resurface....so there is some definite stair climbing. The first stop is at the building across the street, the 2nd stop is across the street from that building, then the 3rd stop right when you think the tour may be over is a quick plunge underground in the same building as the tour company itself. There, you have the museum and a small gift shop to buy souvenirs, and the opportunity to tip your guide before walking back up to street level to leave. The guide indicates that the tour company leases the space for use, but I can tell they must make a good amount of money doing these tours. Overall, this is a pretty interesting tour and a good way to learn about Seattle. It's not a ghost tour. It's really just a history tour. In fact, the word "ghost" was only brought up 1 time, and it had nothing to do with any of the spaces we entered on the tour itself.

After doing a bit of research about the underground tunnels, i read that this one was a little better than the other one. Boy was i glad i chose this. I've been on a lot of these tour thingies from all my travels and I've learned a few tricks to making your experience much better: show enthusiasm, light heckling, and stand close to the guide. Keon was an excellent guide. He was witty, charming, certainly knowledgeable, and we were also a pretty lively group. Someone even asked how long he has been a comedian because his delivery was on point. He had a lot of great puns, jokes, and was also able to work the crowd in a very family friendly way. It's about a 75 minute tour, but definitely doesn't feel like it. In total, we walked maybe 4 blocks? Popping in and out of different alleys when going up and down the stairs (yes, there are stairs, so if you're not very mobile, it might be challenging for you). I knocked a star off the review because the group was way too large. I think we had maybe 30-40 people in the group. There was no way everyone was getting the full experience when only one person can walk around the stairways at a time. I guess the price mitigates the experience. Worth the $22 for 75 minutes? Sure. It's a pretty fun thing to do.

We had the best time!!! Our tour guide, Adam was very funny and wound so much information about Seattle's history in an entertaining manner. Definitely worth the $$ and would recommend it to anyone interested!!

If you like quirky history about the birth of seattle. This is one place I guarantee you will enjoy if you are a history buff. The tour is the underground city that what you see is build on top of and it is quite marvel. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and provide interesting facts of the founders of seattle and why the first city frame is know under ground. In addition, you will be able to see old relics that were just left behind as the city wa seeing builded. In addition, you don't like rummaging through humid cool tunnel I don't recommend.

Great tour! Highly recommend taking this tour if you visit Seattle! Informative and fun way to learn some unique history about Seattle! Our tour guide Audrina was great and made the tour lots of fun! Will recommend to others!

Surprisingly, the verbal portion of the tour is far more interesting than being "underground" and what you will see while you are underground. I mean, sure, you'll see a toilet or two on the tour but I'm assuming--and hoping--you've seen toilets before. But being underground is obviously important to the tour. The Underground is really a lot of dusty rooms and corridors and storage space. But you're going to learn a lot about the history and development of Seattle and why the underground exists. You'll also learn about the Crapper. It's a family-friendly tour and fine for all ages but there were a number of very young kids (5ish or younger) on our tour who were bored out of their minds. That is no fault of our tour guide or the tour itself. Very small kids are just not into history. It's a fun, informative tour. Be prepared to do a little bit of walking as you tour one underground space, exit above ground, and then head to other underground spaces. And watch your step.

Very cool tour, a must if visiting Seattle, tour guide made it fun and very informative. thank you Andie.

Just Wow, Called them to give the company a heads up about a family member getting sick if we could reschedule and got the no reschedule policy. Crazy tactics, life is so uncertain and to pull that crap is insane. Still wanted to give our business to them just need some accommodation. Sorry way to make a dollar. Will definitely express to all my peeps.

Our tour guide TJ was super engaging and funny! Fantastic storyteller and handled our large group very well. We had a blast learning about the ridiculous and hilarious history of Seattle.

My second time checking out this tour and it felt like a totally different experience. It's family-friendly, full of jokes, and has a fascinating tale on the history of Seattle. The tour guide was funny, and though I'm sure he does this all the time, seemed to be enjoying giving us the tour. Also would crack jokes that were on a whim, so the cleverness was much appreciated which went beyond a script. It was the perfect length of a tour, and some areas were musty but that's to be expected if you're essentially going to an underground city. Would totally recommend this if you want a learning experience regarding Seattle, or just have some time to kill!

I'm not a huge guided tour person but I really enjoyed this tour. Our guide was Lisa and she was very funny and informative throughout the tour. I felt like I learned a lot about the history of Seattle in a short period of time in a funny and informative way. I will say that if you are not into walking up and down stairs and going through small passages - this is probably not the best tour for you. It wasn't super athletic but enough of a walking around and going up and down. Also the tour groups are pretty large, so there was a bit of squeezing past people if they stood in the way. The tour is family friendly though I did wonder if the parents had to answer some questions for the kids afterwards about what "seamstress" does.

What a blast! Super fun cheesy jokes by our host Jim and creepy underground history was a great event for October in seattle!

I forgot to add in my review that it's a great idea to wear sneakers and use a mask. The ground may be a little uneven and the air is somewhat musty and many people have been in this self contained space.

Fun and informative history tour of DT Seattle. Adrian was a funny, kick-ass guide who kept it moving. If there was a disappointing part, there was a distinct lack of new vampires (see Patrick Whalen's "Night Thirst") but otherwise a throughly enjoyable journey through the past of Seattle.