The University of Washington’s gorgeous campus in Seattle is home to some truly iconic landmarks: You can’t call yourself a Husky if you haven’t posed for a photo against the backdrop of Suzzallo Library’s storied arches or stopped in awe at the sight of Mount Rainier behind Drumheller Fountain. And let’s not get started on the cherry blossoms, which are so widely admired they warrant their own springtime live cam.
But the campus’ beauty doesn’t stop at the hotspots — the following lesser-known locations are just as spectacular (not to mention less crowded) as their more popular counterparts.
Story by Chelsea Lin // Photos by University Photography
Gould Hall
Built in 1971, Gould Hall is one of the UW’s brutalist beauties — all foreboding concrete and sharp angles. But aside from housing a library and classrooms for the College of Built Environments, plus its ultra cool Fabrication Lab, this behemoth on University Way NE is most well-known for its central, skylit atrium of zigzagging staircases seemingly suspended in air.
The Medicinal Herb Garden
On a tucked away parcel of land off Stevens Way, the UW’s medicinal herb garden has been home to more than 1,000 different varieties of plants — with representatives from around the world — for nearly 115 years. For the last 30 of those years, the remarkable collection of horticultural healing has been tended by gardener Keith Possee, who keeps a blog dedicated to what goes on in the space.
The Hans Rosling Center for Population Health
The Hans Rosling Center for Population Health is one of the UW’s newer — and most gorgeous — buildings, open in 2020 and serving as a home for the Department of Global Health, the offices of the Population Health Initiative and more. Anyone can duck in while walking along 15th Avenue NE and appreciate the art: The golden, glowing fibers hanging from the ceiling are an installation called “Boundless Topographies” by Rachel Mica Weiss, representing the highest peaks on each continent.
Grieg Garden
It may not have Sylvan Grove’s columns, but this green oasis is an even more secret garden. Located between the Quad and the HUB and named for Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (whose bronze bust you’ll notice here), Grieg Garden is a perfect spot for a picnic or study session, particularly when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom.
The James Turrell Skyspace in the Henry Art Gallery
A rotunda at the Henry Art Gallery marks artist James Turrell’s Skyspace, a permanent installation (one of nearly 90 around the world) designed for visitors to stop and spend a moment appreciating how the sky’s light interacts with the structure. A bench inside the free museum provides the best viewing spot — and the café tables below the cylindrical structure offer a quiet spot to meet a friend for coffee or lunch.
The “Union” Installation in the Washington Park Arboretum
Another overhead art installation not to be missed lies just a bit further afield in the Washington Park Arboretum, a 230-acre urban green space along Lake Washington’s shores. Southwest of the Magnolia Collection, visitors will find sculptor John Grade’s “Union,” a twinkling canopy of 6,300 individual cast-resin parts suspended between western red cedars.
The Theodor Jacobsen Observatory
The Theodor Jacobsen Observatory, built in 1895 and the University’s second oldest building, is an example of splendor hiding in plain sight, just east of the Burke Museum. The castle-like sandstone exterior welcomes astronomy students and the general public alike for viewing parties, classes and more.
The UW Biology Greenhouse
Another treasure trove for budding botanists beyond the medicinal herb garden is the UW Biology Greenhouse, attached to the recently constructed Life Sciences Building. Docent-led tours of the four richly verdant collection rooms are available, but the public is also welcome to casually walk through during open hours. Among the 3,400 plant varieties are standouts such as the corpse flower and a chocolate tree.
