The 1917 Arctic Building, a terra cotta-clad Beaux-Arts landmark in Pioneer Square built for Klondike Gold Rush veterans, now a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel haunted by the spirit of Congressman Marion Zioncheck, who died from a 1936 fifth-floor fall.
700 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Standard DoubleTree hotel room rates; Polar Bar and Juno restaurant open to non-guests.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Fully accessible historic building with elevators.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1917 · Designed by A. Warren Gould for the Arctic Club of Klondike Gold Rush veterans · First downtown Seattle building to use exterior polychrome terra cotta · 27 walrus-head terra cotta sculptures line the third floor · Site of U.S. Congressman Marion Zioncheck's death (August 7, 1936) · Restored as the Arctic Club Hotel in 2008
In 1916, members of the Arctic Club commissioned Seattle architect A. Warren Gould to design a permanent headquarters building at the northeast corner of Third Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle. The Arctic Club had been founded by wealthy individuals who returned from the Klondike Gold Rush, and the new ten-story Beaux-Arts building was intended as both a clubhouse and a hotel for visiting members.
The Arctic Building opened in 1917 and was immediately recognized for its distinctive polychrome terra cotta facade in cream white with submarine blue and orange-brown accents. Twenty-seven walrus-head sculptures lining the third floor — sourced from local manufacturer Denny-Renton Clay and Coal Company — made the building the first downtown Seattle structure to use exterior color in terra cotta. The interior featured the Northern Lights Dome Room, a stained-glass-domed ballroom that remains the building's signature interior space.
The building hosted the Arctic Club for decades and also housed congressional district offices, including those of Marion Zioncheck (U.S. House of Representatives, Washington's 1st district, 1933-1936). On August 7, 1936, Zioncheck died after falling from a fifth-floor window of the Arctic Building; per the King County coroner's office, the death was ruled a suicide by autodefenestration. He struck the pavement in front of a car occupied by his wife.
The Arctic Club dissolved in the late 1960s, and the building served various tenants thereafter, including a period as Seattle City Light offices. In 2008, the building was restored and adapted into a 120-room luxury hotel, now operating as a DoubleTree by Hilton property. The Polar Bar — featuring an iconic polar bear sculpture — and Juno restaurant occupy the ground floor.
Sources
The most-documented ghost story at the Arctic Club traces to a verifiable historical event. Marion Anthony Zioncheck (1901-1936) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Washington's 1st Congressional District, elected in 1932 and known nationally for his outspoken populism and increasingly erratic behavior during his second term. According to a HistoryLink essay and his Wikipedia article, Zioncheck had struggled publicly with his mental health and had been hospitalized briefly in 1936. On August 7, 1936, he died after jumping from a fifth-floor window of his campaign office in the Arctic Building; he struck the pavement in front of a car occupied by his wife. The King County coroner's office ruled the death a suicide by autodefenestration. A note was found that read in part: 'My only hope in life was to improve the condition of an unfair economic system that held no promise to those that all the wealth of even a decent chance to survive let alone live.'
According to Seattle Terrors and Ghost City Tours coverage, the fifth floor of the Arctic Building — now part of the hotel's guest-floor inventory — is the focus of reported paranormal activity. Phenomena reported by staff and guests include sudden cold spots in fifth-floor corridors, elevator doors opening and closing on the fifth floor unbidden, phantom footsteps in empty hallways, and the smell of cigar smoke despite the hotel's no-smoking policy. Rare apparition reports describe a figure said to relive the fall, though these are less commonly cited than the sensory phenomena.
This venue's ghost lore is treated with editorial care given the underlying suicide. Coverage on this site contextualizes Zioncheck as a public figure whose death was a documented tragedy and a moment of national news in 1936, rather than sensationalizing the manner of death.
Notable Entities
Book a room at the 1917 Arctic Building, with its preserved walrus-head terra cotta facade and Northern Lights Dome Room; the fifth floor is the focal point of the Zioncheck ghost lore.
Visit the Polar Bar with its iconic polar bear sculpture and the restored Northern Lights Dome ballroom; non-guests may tour public spaces.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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