Community Tours

Madrona Neighborhood: Streetcar Suburb; Model for Neighborhood Involvement

Madrona is a neighborhood of transitions. What started as a beachside playground for Seattleites became one of its first “streetcar suburbs.” Its hilltop geography lent itself to grand, lake-view Queen Anne, Dutch Colonial, and Tudor residences. Although gentrification and redlining threatened the neighborhood culture, strong organizations, involved churches, and a sense of community pulled Madrona through tense times. See today’s Madrona through the lens of its fascinating history. On this tour you’ll discover Queen Anne, Colonial and Craftsman style homes designed by notable architects including Ellsworth Storey and Joseph Coté.

This tour meets at the stair entrance to the Madrona Playfield Shelterhouse, 3211 E Spring St, Seattle, WA 98122 (corner of 34th & Spring). 

Photo: Evan Chakroff

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Community Tours

Community tour start times and locations vary.

Please review your confirmation email to ensure that you have the right address.

Tours are approximately two hours in length, unless otherwise noted. Advance registration is strongly encouraged; walk-ups are limited to space available. Private tours are also available: email info@seattlearchitecture.org for more information. Tours are $25 in advance/$20 for members/$22 for students and seniors over 65/Free for children under 5. Ticket sales close at 9:00pm the evening before the tour. Walk up guests will be charged $30 via credit card payment at the start of the tour. Online registration is handled through Bold Type Tickets. For more information see our Tours FAQ page.

Please note: A minimum of three people must be registered for tours to take place. Tours with fewer than three registered attendees on the Thursday before the tour will be cancelled. If you purchased a ticket for a cancelled tour, you have the option of transferring the ticket to a future tour date or being issued a refund.