Washington Athletic Club, Private athletic club in Downtown Seattle, United States.

The Washington Athletic Club is a 21-story building in downtown Seattle, situated at the corner of 6th Avenue and Union Street. It houses fitness and recreational facilities, including a swimming pool, basketball courts, a running track, and handball courts, alongside a hotel on its upper floors.

The building was completed in 1930, at the start of the Great Depression, and its construction reflected a confidence in Seattle's future at a time when major projects were rare. The Art Deco style chosen for the design was fashionable in that era and can still be seen clearly in the ornamental details of the facade.

The club's name is tied to its 1930 founding as a private social and athletic club for a growing Seattle. In January 1955, members first conceived the idea of the Century 21 Exposition, the world's fair that shaped modern Seattle, inside the building. The brick and terracotta facade carries Art Deco ornament that can be read from the street.

The building sits in the heart of downtown Seattle and is easy to reach on foot from most central hotels and attractions. Since it operates as a private membership club, access to the sports facilities is generally restricted, so it is worth checking in advance which areas are open to non-members or hotel guests.

The Century 21 Exposition, the 1962 world's fair that produced the Space Needle, was first conceived by club members inside this building in January 1955. The idea began as a members' proposal before becoming a citywide event.