King County, Washington

With its Art Deco architecture, scenic park setting and vast collection of art from Japan, China, Korea, India and the Himalayas, the Seattle Asian Art Museum is well worth a detour from downtown.

Completed in 1914 with a height of 462 feet, this Seattle skyscraper built by New York architects was the tallest building in the west for decades.

Built just in time for the opening of the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, the Space Needle was an expression of the fair's futuristic theme, “Century 21.” Today, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Seattle from the rotating observation deck.

Formerly known as the Experience Music Project and Science Museum, the Museum of Pop Culture is housed in a magnificently unique building designed by Frank Gehry.

Designed by Steven Holl, this Catholic chapel on the campus of Seattle University has won multiple awards for its unique modern architecture and masterful use of light.