Washington hides some of its best oddities in unlikely places: beneath streets, under a bridge, inside a souvenir shop, and below a forest floor. Add a house covered in found-object art, and you have five Washington stops that make a good case for looking a little closer.
1. Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Seattle, Washington
On Seattle’s waterfront, souvenir shopping comes with a chance of encountering a mummy. Ye Olde Curiosity Shop has collected strange objects since 1899, and its free museum displays sit among the merchandise. Animal specimens, taxidermy, vintage machines, and other curiosities give you plenty of reasons to pause between the ordinary purchases.
Founder J.E. Standley’s collection grew with contributions from sailors, travelers, and customers. The family-operated shop at Pier 54 still has that crowded, old-fashioned feel. Allow a little browsing time even if you don’t need a souvenir. The most memorable thing you find may be something you would never put in your suitcase.
Explore Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in the Oddities Directory.
2. Seattle Underground
Seattle, Washington
Seattle has an older Seattle tucked underneath it. After the Great Fire of 1889, the city raised streets in parts of Pioneer Square to address drainage and flooding. Old entrances became basement doorways, and sidewalks that once saw daylight became underground passages.
Guided tours take you into some of the surviving spaces, where storefront details look oddly out of place below today’s street level. It’s a city-history stop with a wonderfully physical explanation: the newer streets went above the older ones. Book a tour and give yourself time to see how much of the former neighborhood remains beneath your feet.
Explore Seattle Underground in the Oddities Directory.
3. Dick and Jane’s Spot
Ellensburg, Washington
Dick and Jane’s Spot turns a house exterior into a reason to walk slowly around the block. Artists Dick Elliott and Jane Orleman began decorating the property after buying it in 1978. Reflectors, bottle caps, bicycle wheels, carved figures, mosaics, and whirligigs gradually spread across fences, posts, walls, and yard spaces.
More than forty Pacific Northwest artists have contributed work, so there’s much more here than one person’s collection of lawn ornaments. Look for the reflectors that flare when they catch the light. This remains a private residence: enjoy the art from the public sidewalk and outside the fence, without entering the property.
Explore Dick and Jane’s Spot in the Oddities Directory.
4. Fremont Troll
Seattle, Washington
The Fremont Troll has a real Volkswagen Beetle under its hand, which is a useful reminder of just how large it is. The roughly eighteen-foot concrete creature has lived beneath the north end of Seattle’s Aurora Bridge since 1990, with a shiny metal eye watching visitors approach.
A competition to improve the neglected space beneath the bridge led to the sculpture, and the setting does half the storytelling. You can walk right up to it for a closer look at the car and the troll’s enormous features. It’s a free stop that makes perfect use of somewhere most people would otherwise hurry past.
Explore Fremont Troll in the Oddities Directory.
5. Ape Cave
Near Cougar, Washington
Beneath the forest south of Mount St. Helens, Ape Cave runs roughly two and a half miles through a shell left by flowing lava. The outer surface cooled while molten rock kept moving inside, then the flow drained away and left a tunnel. A quiet patch of woods has a remarkably strange basement.
Bring reliable lights, sturdy footwear, and warm clothing. The lower route is easier; the upper route includes rock piles and an approximately eight-foot lava fall that requires scrambling. Timed parking reservations are required during the managed season. Check conditions and access requirements before heading out, and choose a route suited to your group.
Explore Ape Cave in the Oddities Directory.
The three Seattle stops make an easy starting point, while Ellensburg and Ape Cave deserve their own places on your travel plans. Reserve the guided visits, prepare properly for the cave, and leave yourself a little time to browse the things you never expected to see.