6 Best Sights in Seattle, Washington

This 230-acre arboretum may be the most beautiful of Seattle's green spaces. On calm weekdays, the place feels really secluded. The seasons are always on full display: in warm winters, flowering cherries and plums bloom in its protected valleys as early as late February, while the flowering shrubs in Rhododendron Glen and Azalea Way bloom March through June. In autumn, trees and shrubs glow in hues of crimson, pumpkin, and lemon; in winter, plantings chosen specially for their stark and colorful branches dominate the landscape. A 1¼-mile trail that connects to an existing path to create a 2½-mile accessible loop, giving all guests access to areas that were previously hard to reach.

March through November, visit the peaceful Japanese Garden, a compressed world of mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and tablelands. The pond, lined with blooming water irises in spring, has turtles and brightly colored koi. An authentic Japanese tea house reserved for tea ceremonies is open to the public on Saturdays and some additional days (check  www.seattlejapanesegarden.org for details). Visitors who would like to enjoy a bowl of tea and sweets can purchase a $10 "Chado" tea ticket at the Garden ticket booth.

The Graham Visitors Center at the park's north end has descriptions of the arboretum's flora and fauna (which include 130 endangered plants), as well as brochures, a garden gift shop, and walking-tour maps. Free tours are offered on the first Thursday of each month at 11:30 am. There is a pleasant playground at the ball fields on the south end of the park.

Three giant glass spheres filled with indoor gardens anchor the Amazon campus in South Lake Union. Living walls, 40,000 plants, and a café are part of the lounge space at Amazon's headquarters. The public must admire from afar most of the time; however, on the first and third Saturday of each month, the spheres open to the public by reservation only. Book online up to 15 days ahead of your visit, and make sure to bring government ID (for all adults in the party) and no large bags.

This beautiful 53-acre public area just a short drive from downtown Bellevue is encircled by spectacular perennial borders, brilliant rhododendron displays, and patches of alpine and rock gardens. The Ravine Experience encompasses a five-acre area in the heavily forested southwest corner of the gardens with a ⅓-mile nature trail. A 150-foot suspension bridge crosses a deep ravine in one of the most pristine spaces, allowing visitors to observe unique topography and soaring conifers without disturbing the forest floor.

Docents lead tours of the gardens Saturdays and Sundays (April–October), beginning at the visitor center at noon. The Yao Japanese garden is especially beautiful in fall. One of the most interesting features of the park is the Waterwise Garden, which was planted with greenery that needs little water in summer. During the holiday season, the gardens are lit up nightly for Garden d'Lights, one of the area's most popular seasonal attractions.

Nestled between a residential lakefront neighborhood to the east and the University of Washington campus to the west are the 16-acre landscaped gardens of the Center for Urban Horticulture and the 74-acre Union Bay Natural Area, part of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Inside the Center is the Elisabeth C. Miller Library, open to the public and home to 15,000 books and 500 periodicals on gardening techniques. The Union Bay Natural Area serves as an outdoor laboratory for UW research with some of the best bird-watching in the city. With a ¾-mile loop gravel trail, it's also a terrific place for a walk or a jog, and on a nice day, the views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding waterfront are simply divine. From the U-District, head east on NE 45th Street and take a right onto Mary Gates Drive.

About 20 minutes south of the International District by car, sit 20 serene acres of streams, waterfalls, ponds, and rock outcroppings created by Fujitaro Kubota, a 1907 emigrant from Japan. (Other examples of his work show up in the gardens on the Seattle University campus, and the Japanese Garden at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.) The designated historical landmark of the city of Seattle is free to visitors, and tours are self-guided, though you can go on a docent-led tour on the fourth Saturday of every month, April through October, at 10 am (reservations required).

A tranquil spot to take a break, this small garden with a few cafe tables surrounds a 22-foot artificial waterfall that cascades over large granite stones.