Archives West Finding Aid

The Seattle Center Department was created in 1965 to administer, manage, and control the facilities on the site of the 1962 World's Fair. The facilities at the Seattle Center date back to 1927 with completion of the construction of the Civic Auditorium, Civic Arena, Veterans Hall, and the Civic Playfield. The property expanded to 74 acres in 1962 to accomodate the World's Fair. The Center's purpose is the be an active civic venter providing facilities and programs supporting the arts, education, sports and entertainment. It is home for the Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet, three resident theaters, the Seattle Supersonics professional basketball team, and the Fun Forest Amusement Park. In addition, there are four facilities on the grounds that are not owned by the City: the Space Needle, Memorial Stadium, the Pacific Science Center, and the Experience Music Project.