Building & Location
The Downtown School is located west of Seattle Center in a historic school building updated to serve as a dynamic space for learning.
The 16,000 square-foot building has seven large, light-filled classrooms, including a biology/chemistry lab and physics/engineering classroom.
The ground-level Commons serves as the heart of the school: It’s a large, flexible, co-working space where teachers and students can collaborate, and the whole community can gather.
The Downtown School extends student learning outside of the building and into the city. An integral part of the academic program is experiential learning–learning by doing. In intensives and semester courses, students welcome outside speakers into the classroom to share practical applications of learning, and students venture out into the city, regularly engaging with a network of local nonprofits and businesses that provide real applications and practical lessons for topics in our curriculum. The school’s location, combined with long class periods, means that classes can easily connect with the city or meet with people in the community. Learn more about experiential learning on our academic overview page.
An Urban Environment
Both the location and the schedule—from 9:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.—allow students to incorporate nearby service learning and internships at the end of their school day, and may be helpful for students who are involved in arts, sports, or other programs outside of school. The Downtown School is accessible via multiple bus lines, including several routes that connect to downtown Seattle and Link light rail stations.
The central location will also benefit student life. Students can spend the lunch period on campus or in and around Seattle Center, with its beautiful outdoor spaces.
Central Location
Transportation
The front entrance of the school is located on John Street, between Warren Ave. N. and 2nd Ave. N., two blocks northwest of Pacific Science Center.
The school is accessible via multiple bus lines, including several routes that connect to downtown Seattle and Link light rail stations. Please consult Metro's trip planner to find a convenient route.
While The Downtown School does not offer parking for students, there are several private parking facilities in the neighborhood. The school has a limited number of parking spaces for visitors, as well as an accessible parking space (a valid parking permit for a person with disabilities is required to park in that space). Additional visitor parking is available in the private parking facility to the north of the building.
Visit Us
160 John Street | Seattle, WA 98109
Phone
206-717-2849