The story
The Central is in the Skagit Building, built as the Skagit Hotel while Pioneer Square rebuilt after the 1889 fire. HistoryLink says the Watson brothers took over the hotel in 1890 and opened their Famous Hotel and restaurant there, and by the late 1890s the restaurant had become the Seattle Saloon. When Washington's Prohibition began in 1916, operating legally got harder.
After a 1971 remodel it reopened as the Central Tavern, and through the 1970s it helped bring live blues and rock to the neighborhood. Later it played a part in the rise of grunge. HistoryLink records June 5, 1988, as the night Nirvana first played here, after which the band agreed to a deal with Sub Pop.
Everything that was here
- 1892–present · still open
Central SaloonBar
Nirvana played the Central for the first time on June 5, 1988, and afterward agreed to a record deal with Sub Pop.
See the map in 1893 →
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Connected places
Doc Maynard's Public House and Seattle Underground
Seattle Underground (Pioneer Square)
Sydney Hih Building
Hotel Randolph
Viretta Park (Kurt Cobain Memorial)
Reciprocal Recording Studio (now Hall of Justice)
Explore the full web of connections on the map.
Nearby history
OK Hotel
Merchant's Cafe and Saloon
Seattle Underground (Pioneer Square)
The Double Header
Doc Maynard's Public House and Seattle Underground
Smith Tower
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