FAQ
Getting There and Route Information
There are two Seattle Monorail stations:
- Westlake Center Station: 400 Pune Street, 3rd Floor, Seattle, WA 98101
- Seattle Center Station: 370 Thomas Street, Seattle, WA 98109
- Exit the Sound Transit 1 or 2 Line at Westlake Station
- Look for Exit A2 for the Monorail and 5th Ave & Pine Street
- Take the elevator (with ‘Monorail’ written above it) or stairs up to the Westlake Monorail Station located on the 3rd floor of Westlake Center Mall.
Seattle Center Monorail does not travel to Sea-Tac Airport; it only travels between Seattle Center and Westlake Center. At Westlake Center, you can connect with the Sound Transit 1 Line (lower level) which travels to Sea-Tac Airport. You can use the Link Light Rail and Monorail to travel between the Airport and Seattle Center - great for if you want to visit the Space Needle during a long lay-over!
To get from Sea-Tac Airport to Seattle Center:
- Look for signs in the airport for the Sound Transit 1 Line. Catch the 1 Line going northbound from Sea-Tac Airport and get off at Westlake Station
- From the transit tunnel at Westlake, look for Exit A2 for the Monorail and 5th Ave & Pine Street
- Take the elevator (with ‘MONORAIL’ written above it) or stairs up to the Westlake Center Monorail station located on the third floor of Westlake Center.
- Buy a Monorail ticket from a Monorail Ticket Vending Machine to ride directly to Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle and more!
To get from Seattle Center to Sea-Tac Airport:
- Buy a Monorail ticket at the Seattle Center Monorail station and ride the monorail train to Westlake Center.
- As you exit the Monorail at Westlake Center, head left towards the elevator and stairwell, and go down to the lower level to access the Sound Transit 1 Line.
- Buy a ticket from the kiosk, and ride the Sound Transit 1 Line South (towards Sea-Tac Airport & Angle Lake).
- After boarding the 1 Line at Westlake Station, there are 12 stops until you arrive at Sea-Tac/Airport Station. The trip takes approximately 40 minutes; the 1 Line departs every 6-15 minutes depending on the time of day.
Ride the Monorail from Westlake Center to Seattle Center. When you exit the train, walk down the ramp from the Seattle Center platform and the Space Needle will be straight ahead . Don’t forget to look up!
When traveling from Seattle Center to Westlake Center via the Monorail, exit the train and take the stairwell or elevator on the left side of the platform to the street level. Turn right on 5th Avenue and then make your first right on Pine Street and walk down to 1st Avenue.
The Monorail takes approximately 3 minutes to get from station to station.
The Monorail departs each station approximately every 8-10 minutes. During peak event service, the Monorail departs every 4 minutes.
Seattle Center is a 74-acre park, Seattle’s premier arts and cultural hub, home to:
- Space Needle
- Chihuly Garden and Glass
- Climate Pledge Arena
- Pacific Science Center
- Museum of Pop Culture
- Seattle Children’s Museum
- International Fountain
- Dining and entertainment options inside the Armory Building
From the Westlake Center Station, the Monorail is a short walk away from:
- Pike Place Market
- Seattle Aquarium
- Seattle Art Museum
- Waterfront Park
- Seattle Convention Center
- Shopping/Hotels
Before You Ride
Originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair: Century 21 Exposition, Seattle Center Monorail is the fastest way to travel between downtown and Seattle Center.
Seattle Center Monorail open daily. The Monorail extends service for events at Seattle Center and Climate Pledge Arena – check for special event hours.
Regular Schedule (Labor Day Weekend to Memorial Day Weekend):
- Sunday: 8:30am-9:00pm
- Monday-Thursday: 7:30am-9:00pm
- Friday: 7:30am-11:00pm
- Saturday: 8:30am-11:00pm
Summer Schedule (Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend)
- Monday-Friday: 7:30am-11:00pm
- Saturday-Sunday: 8:30am-11:00pm
Yes, the Monorail stays open late for events at Seattle Center and Climate Pledge Arena. The Monorail will remain open one hour after the expected end time for all Climate Pledge Arena events.
Every publicly ticketed event (including concerts) at Climate Pledge Arena give you access to a free King County public transit pass that is available for use two (2) hours before doors open and two (2) hours after the event.
- First, download the Kraken + CPA app and create an account
- Once logged in, select the Ticketing tab
- You will be prompted to log in to your Ticketmaster account. Please note: The email address and password for your Kraken account may be different than your Ticketmaster account
- Select Travel Tab
- Select Redeem free transit pass
- Select Monorail as mode of travel and view pass
- Present QR code(s) at Monorail fare gate. For additional tickets, swipe to scan
Yes, you can purchase adult Monorail tickets in advance from our website. Look for the Buy Tickets button at the top of any Monorail website page.
Tickets
- In-Person at Ticket Vending Machines: Debit or Credit Card, Contactless Pay (Apple Pay or Google Pay) Note: Ticket vending machines do not accept cash
- Tap ORCA Card: at yellow ORCA readers next to designated monorail faregates
- Buy Adult Tickets Online: Debit or Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay
No, a round trip is the same price as two one-way tickets.
No, the monorail does not offer day passes.
Yes, adult monthly passes (31 days) are available to purchase at the ticket vending machines
If you are interested in purchasing a discount monthly pass (Senior or Military), please fill out a contact form as ID will need to be verified before issuing a pass.
No, but we offer a discount to school groups traveling for educational purposes.
Yes, the Monorail offers discounts for groups purchasing 200 one-way tickets or 100 round trip tickets.
No, you do not need to purchase advanced tickets for personal visits. Tickets are available to purchase through the Monorail ticket vending machines located on the Seattle Center platform, and inside Westlake Center Mall on the 3rd Floor.
ORCA
Yes, the Monorail accepts all ORCA cards. Tap your ORCA card at one of the yellow ORCA validators to open the faregate.
Youth (ages 6-18) with a valid Youth ORCA card receive $0 fare upon tapping their card at the Seattle Center Monorail. Youth without a valid youth ORCA card must purchase a monorail ticket from a monorail ticket vending machine. Student IDs or verbal communication of age are not accepted for free youth ORCA fare.
Full ticket fare is required. ORCA Regional Day Passes and monthly PugetPasses are accepted, but passengers are responsible for paying differences in pass value by loading additional funds to their E-purse.
Passengers paying fare with ORCA E-purse do not receive a free transfer and will be charged the Monorail fare for each trip.
Yes, but additional E-purse funds will be needed to cover the remainder of the Monorail’s fare (typically $1 per trip)
No, you cannot purchase ORCA cards at the Monorail. There are ORCA vending machines in the Transit Tunnel (lower Level) of the Monorail’s Westlake Center station.
No, but ORCA cards can be refilled online or with the myORCA app.
- ORCA Regional Call Center: 888-988-6722 contactus@myORCA.com
- King County Metro Customer Service: 206-553-3000
No, the Monorail ORCA validators do not accept tap to pay.
No, only one (1) ORCA card per person. ORCA cards cannot be shared (tapped twice) regardless of card balance/type. This was change went into effect when the new ORCA system was implemented in May 2022.
No, only one (1) ORCA card per person. ORCA cards cannot be shared (tapped twice) regardless of card balance/type. This was change went into effect when the new ORCA system was implemented in May 2022.
Accessibility and Additional Rider Information
Yes, at Westlake Center, you can access the platform from the elevator located on 5th & Pine Street. At Seattle Center, there are ramps that allow for easy access. Look for the yellow gates that can swing open. Please look for a monorail customer service representative as they can provide additional assistance. For additional information about ADA accessibility and other policies, please view our Notice of Nondiscrimination page.
Yes, strollers are allowed on Seattle Center Monorail. Look for the ADA doors for wider space on the train.
The Monorail does not have dedicated parking lots, but there are various parking options at Seattle Center and near Westlake Center Mall .
Yes, bikes and suitcases are allowed on the Monorail.
Yes, food and beverages are allowed on the Monorail.
No, the Monorail does not have restrooms on the platforms or on the trains. There are restrooms located inside the Armory at Seattle Center, or on the 2nd floor of Westlake Center mall when the mall is open.
Yes, dogs are welcome as long as they are well-behaved and on a leash. On busy/crowded days, it is possible that pet owners may be asked to hold their pet on their lap.
Service animals are always welcome.
History
Seattle Center Monorail was built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair: Century 21 Exposition. Built as a vision of futuristic rapid transit, it was the world’s first full-scale monorail system, developed by Alweg Rapid Transit Systems.
Construction began in April of 1961 by Alweg Rapid Transit Systems, who received the bid when it offered to underwrite the entire cost of construction.
The Monorail opened to the public on March 24, 1962 nearly one month before the start of the World’s Fair. At a cost of $3.5 million, the trains carried more than eight million guests during the six months of the fair, easily paying for the cost of construction. The full initial capital cost of the system was recovered and a profit was realized by ALWEG before the end of the fair.
Following the Fair, the Monorail system was turned over to Century 21 Corporation at no cost. Century 21 sold the system to the City of Seattle in 1965 for $600,000.
Seattle Center Monorail is one of the best modern-day examples of a true public-private partnership — owned by the City of Seattle, and operated by Seattle Monorail Services (SMS), a private company, since 1994.