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 accommodate the World's Fair. The Center's purpose is to be an active civic center providing facilities and programs supporting the arts, education, sports and entertainment. It is home for the Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, three resident theaters, and the Seattle Storm professional basketball team. In addition, there are five facilities on the grounds that are not owned by the City: the Space Needle, Memorial Stadium, the Pacific Science Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Experience Music Project.
Correspondence, programs, promotional materials, and other records relating to events held at Seattle Center. Events include recurring festivals such as Bumbershoot, Folklife, and the Science Fiction Expo, as well as one-time events (notably the King Tut exhibit). Also included are ethnic festivals, concerts, film series, events targeted at seniors or children, and holiday celebrations. Logistics for the visits of Queen Elizabeth and the West German president are part of the series, along with some more general records regarding the operation of the Seattle Center campus.
Records are open to the public.