Georgetown Powerplant Museum Tours and Activities

The boiler room at the Steam Plant offers an eerie glimpse into early 20th-century working conditions. Oil (and later coal) was fed into 16 giant boilers to produce the steam required to turn the Curtis Steam Turbines in the room next door. The Georgetown Steam Plant was built in 1906 to provide power for Seattle's streetcars, the city of Georgetown, and the Seattle-Tacoma Railway. Although the turbines were state-of-the art for their time, the technology was advancing so quickly that the plant became outdated within 10 years. It was soon relegated to secondary status and was used occasionally through the 1970s during droughts and to meet peak power demand. Today, the nearly-complete plant is operated as a free museum and is open to the public the second Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm.
The boiler room at the Steam Plant offers an eerie glimpse into early 20th-century working conditions. Oil (and later coal) was fed into 16 giant boilers to produce the steam required to turn the Curtis Steam Turbines in the room next door. The Georgetown Steam Plant was built in 1906 to provide power for Seattle's streetcars, the city of Georgetown, and the Seattle-Tacoma Railway. Although the turbines were state-of-the art for their time, the technology was advancing so quickly that the plant became outdated within 10 years. It was soon relegated to secondary status and was used occasionally through the 1970s during droughts and to meet peak power demand. Today, the nearly-complete plant is operated as a free museum and is open to the public the second Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm.
These control panels monitored the Curtis Steam Turbines installed in 1906 and 1907. Although the turbines were state-of-the art for their time, the technology was advancing so quickly that the plant became outdated within a decade. It was soon relegated to secondary status and was used occasionally through the 1970s during droughts and to meet peak power demand. Today, the nearly-complete plant is operated as a free museum and is open to the public the second Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm.
This 1907 Curtis Steam Turbine is one of only a handful still remaining from the early days of electrical power generation. Turbine design was at the forefront of technology in the early 1900s, and this particular turbine is a wonderful example, as it generated nearly 3 times the power of an adjacent turbine installed just one year earlier. Later, in 1917, a much smaller third turbine was added, which itself generated nearly as much power as the first two turbines combined. Such is the relentless pace of technology, and why so few of these historical turbines remain. The Georgetown Steam Plant was built in 1906 to provide power for Seattle's streetcars, the city of Georgetown, and the Seattle-Tacoma Railway. Although the turbines were state-of-the art for their time, the technology was advancing so quickly that the plant became outdated within 10 years. It was soon relegated to secondary status and was used occasionally through the 1970s during droughts and to meet peak power demand. Today, the nearly-complete plant is operated as a free museum and is open to the public the second Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm.
Seattle Electric Company branding can still be found on some of the large boilers at this 1906 power plant. The boilers produced enough steam to turn three Curtis Steam Turbines located in the adjacent room, generating up to 21K kilowatts. The Georgetown Steam Plant was built in 1906 to provide power for Seattle's streetcars, the city of Georgetown, and the Seattle-Tacoma Railway. Although the turbines were state-of-the art for their time, the technology was advancing so quickly that the plant became outdated within 10 years. It was soon relegated to secondary status and was used occasionally through the 1970s during droughts and to meet peak power demand. Today, the nearly-complete plant is operated as a free museum and is open to the public the second Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm.

Tours & day trips

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Mt. Rainier Full-Day Tour

Mt. Rainier Full-Day Tour

Activity duration is 12 hours
9.4 out of 10 with 270 reviews
Free cancellation available
Price is AU$225 per adult
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Private & custom tours

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Historic Ballard: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Exploring Seattle's Quirky Histo...

Historic Ballard: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Exploring Seattle's Quirky Histo...

Activity duration is 45 minutes
10.0 out of 10 with 2 reviews
Price is AU$8 per adult
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Food, drink & nightlife

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Seattle: Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour

Seattle: Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour

Activity duration is 2 hours
9.8 out of 10 with 414 reviews
Free cancellation available
Price is AU$98 per adult
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Classes & workshops

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Cocktails And Stories From Pike Place Market

Cocktails And Stories From Pike Place Market

Activity duration is 3 hours and 30 minutes
Free cancellation available
Price is AU$190 per adult*
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Wildlife & nature

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Anacortes: Whale and Orca Boat Tour near Seattle

Anacortes: Whale and Orca Boat Tour near Seattle

Activity duration is 3 hours and 30 minutes
9.8 out of 10 with 92 reviews
Free cancellation available
Price is AU$167 per adult
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Top Georgetown Powerplant Museum Hotel & Accommodation Deals

Georgetown Inn

Georgetown Inn

2.5 out of 5
6100 Corson Avenue Seattle WA
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La Hacienda Motel

La Hacienda Motel

2 out of 5
5414 1st Ave S Seattle WA
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CC01 - Columbia City Urban Studio

CC01 - Columbia City Urban Studio

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CC01 - Columbia City Urban Studio
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Moden West Seattle House in the Trees

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Moden West Seattle House in the Trees
Boutique & Spacious Home w/ Parking & Privacy - On Hawaiian Time

Boutique & Spacious Home w/ Parking & Privacy - On Hawaiian Time

Seattle WA
Boutique & Spacious Home w/ Parking & Privacy - On Hawaiian Time
Book one week or more and get 10% discount Stylish 2 BR Suite in West Seattle!

Book one week or more and get 10% discount Stylish 2 BR Suite in West Seattle!

Seattle WA
Book one week or more and get 10% discount Stylish 2 BR Suite in West Seattle!
Safe neighborhood. Minutes to freeways, Downtown, and Airport.

Safe neighborhood. Minutes to freeways, Downtown, and Airport.

Seattle WA
Safe neighborhood. Minutes to freeways, Downtown, and Airport.
Crowne Plaza Seattle - Downtown by IHG

Crowne Plaza Seattle - Downtown by IHG

4 out of 5
1113 6th Ave Seattle WA
Crowne Plaza Seattle - Downtown by IHG
5br 8bed house near airport, downtown & train

5br 8bed house near airport, downtown & train

Seattle WA
5br 8bed house near airport, downtown & train
See all 4,480 properties in Georgetown Powerplant Museum
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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