The Grand Tour: Map of Nirvana & Kurt Cobain Sites in Seattle

Naturally this post is open to additions and corrections, for example, I can’t locate The Music Source Studios at present, I’ve missed out Union Station and I can’t find Squid Row Tavern. I’ve been plotting the former locations where Nirvana played or recorded, plus three of Cobain’s homes onto Google Maps. Basically I’ve never seen one full summary on a website, I’ve seen addresses here, photos there, bit and pieces, but not a consolidated source explaining what Nirvana sites exist and could be visited. So I thought I’d give it a whirl and see if people had more to add. Of course I’ll move on to other crucial locations in State of Washington as soon as possible.

Don’t go expecting mystical moments of vast self-realisation and time-slipping revelation; a lot of these sites are now refurbished, or have been demolished:

Hotel_1

And the sites outside of Central Seattle:

Hotel_2

I’m not sure you could use these for actually walking the city, you’d need a far better map but at least this might get you started:

Nirvana_Seattle Tour_1

Nirvana_Seattle Tour_2

Nirvana_Seattle Tour_3

2 thoughts on “The Grand Tour: Map of Nirvana & Kurt Cobain Sites in Seattle”

  1. I was looking for the Music Source yesterday and was unsure where it had been. So went looking online today. I think this may be the only webpage that has it written down now. I was at 517 E Pike and couldn’t decide if it was on that block or the one before. My old band recorded there with Steve Fisk in something like 1990, and I couldn’t remember how far past that little curve and then crosswalk we used to drive. Gods and demiurges, time goes by fast.

    So the Music Source was Haveaniceday first? I may have known that long, long ago. There may be a need for a Wikipedia page..

  2. One more time….The Music Source studios….I was the owner for the entire length of operation. The address always 615 E. Pike. Phil Smart Mercedes Benz was across the street. I sold the building to a woman who put residential above the retail, but the brick exterior of the building is still there. It started out at Captain Audio’s Music Farm, changed to The Music Farm and then later to The Music Source but it was always the same owner–me. It started as one 4 track room, evolved to an 8 track then 24 track and then added studios B and C so there were three rooms each with two 24 track recorders. Nirvana sometimes recorded in studio C and sometimes in studio A. I closed down the studios in about 1997 and sold the building. Many local groups recorded there for more than 25 years.

Leave a comment