HAL Headquarters Building

[sail7seas]

Another post in another thread got me thinking.......

 

Have many (any) of you visited HAL headquarters building when you were in Seattle before or after a cruise?

 

Anything much of interest to see such as memorabilia or exhibits of HAL's history?

 

Anyone want to see the headquarters building or not something that interests you at all?

[kakalina]

Not at all interested Sails. From those I've spoken with who work there it is aother office building.

Now if they have a maritime museum or something I didn't know about I would most likely be interested. I like museums.

[DAllenTCY]

I was curious so I stopped one day about 6-7 years ago while at a Convention in Seattle.

I was met by a receptionist who called someone on the phone. I was shown around for a little while but I do not remember any museum type collection there. I was most impressed with the Air-Sea department.

David

[Cruising-along]

When "Cruisinetta" was here in Seattle before her Alaska cruise, I took her by the HAL building. The doors were locked, but we could see a man behind a desk in the front lobby. I believe this was a Saturday, so maybe that was why the doors were locked.....anyway, she convinced him to let us in and she took a few pictures in the lobby (that was as far as he could let us go). There really wasn't much for us to see.

[sail7seas]

I was curious so I stopped one day about 6-7 years ago while at a Convention in Seattle.

I was met by a receptionist who called someone on the phone. I was shown around for a little while but I do not remember any museum type collection there. I was most impressed with the Air-Sea department.

David

 

 

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know....... if there was any sort of HAL collection/museum. :) No particular interest to see a bunch of offices. :)

 

[bob brown]

With a company like HAL with over a century of history, you would think there would be a corporate archive or collection of artifacts, such as photo's, documents, uniforms, ship models, china, menu's, etc. storehoused somewhere, (perhaps in Rotterdam?).:confused:

[sail7seas]

I would venture to say there are loads of artifacts, memorabilia stored somewhere and I had hoped some would be on display in Headquarters building, thus my question.

 

Who knows where they store it all but I would imagine there's a safe storage facility of one sort or another, hopefully temperature/humidity controlled etc With over 135+ years of uninterrupted business and history, it would be so sad to not perserve that history.

[PathfinderEss]

No, not really interested in seeing another building. As much as I like Hal, I'd rather go tour one of their ships :D

[Copper10-8]

I would venture to say there are loads of artifacts, memorabilia stored somewhere and I had hoped some would be on display in Headquarters building, thus my question.

 

Who knows where they store it all but I would imagine there's a safe storage facility of one sort or another, hopefully temperature/humidity controlled etc With over 135+ years of uninterrupted business and history, it would be so sad to not perserve that history.

 

The Maritime Museum/Het Maritiem Museum Rotterdam in Holland has some nice historic HAL stuff on display, being the birthplace, but that's not next door to/for most here;)

[sail7seas]

Thnaks, John.

Shame we didn't think to go there the times we were in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

Maybe we'll be back there some day. :)

[bob brown]

That's good to know...I'll make it a point to visit when I go to Rotterdam on a Baltic cruise....

 

There are of course, several bits of HAL history displayed on the ships themselves....models, other memorabilia, and of course those lovely paintings by Captain Card.:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have been in Seattle many times.

Never was interested to see an office building.

[peaches from georgia]

Never have thought to go inside, but as far as I know from my many trips to Seattle visiting my son it is just an office building. He lives in nearby Ballard, so we go down Elliott from downtown/waterfront and pass the HAL building many times when we are there. I've never seen any activity, visitors center or anything that would lead one to believe it is anymore than a work place for HAL employees.

[bepsf]

I believe there is a stash of memorabilia onsite...

 

I heard a story of a large piece of furniture from old Nieuw Amsterdam II in the offices - apparently it had been salvaged and placed there years ago by Kurt Lanterman...

 

...but a certain person didn't like it there - and ranted on about why such an ' old piece of junk' was blocking the corridor (or some such) and should be thrown away!

 

At that point, a Senior Executive of the line came out of his office and informed Bill Prince that the 'old piece of junk' in question was going nowhere.

[bob brown]

I believe there is a stash of memorabilia onsite...

 

I heard a story of a large piece of furniture from old Nieuw Amsterdam II in the offices - apparently it had been salvaged and placed there years ago by Kurt Lanterman...

 

...but a certain person didn't like it there - and ranted on about why such an ' old piece of junk' was blocking the corridor (or some such) and should be thrown away!

 

At that point, a Senior Executive of the line came out of his office and informed Bill Prince that the 'old piece of junk' in question was going nowhere.

Good story!:)

[sevenseasnomad]

No, not really interested in seeing another building. As much as I like Hal, I'd rather go tour one of their ships :D

 

 

Amen. But I don't want to tour the ship as much as I want to sail on her!

[sail7seas]

i believe there is a stash of memorabilia onsite...

 

i heard a story of a large piece of furniture from old nieuw amsterdam ii in the offices - apparently it had been salvaged and placed there years ago by kurt lanterman...

 

...but a certain person didn't like it there - and ranted on about why such an ' old piece of junk' was blocking the corridor (or some such) and should be thrown away!

 

at that point, a senior executive of the line came out of his office and informed bill prince that the 'old piece of junk' in question was going nowhere.

 

 

 

 

Great story, Brian

LOL..... :D

 

[Vic The Parrot]

With a company like HAL with over a century of history, you would think there would be a corporate archive or collection of artifacts, such as photo's, documents, uniforms, ship models, china, menu's, etc. storehoused somewhere, (perhaps in Rotterdam?).:confused:

 

 

Hi Bob

 

 

Did you ever get to Cunard's HQ when they were still at 5 Av and 45 St in NY?

 

I stopped by a few times, and remember the big model of QE2 in the reception area. Fond memories of walking by that building. :)

[DFD1]

Vic, your post brought back many memories. As a young man starting in business, I used to get to New York a couple of times a year and walking past that office, looking through the big windows, made a huge impression on me.

 

I thought, "This is the big time!"...and it was.

[DutchByAssociation]

The Maritime Museum/Het Maritiem Museum Rotterdam in Holland has some nice historic HAL stuff on display, being the birthplace, but that's not next door to/for most here;)

 

Was just going to mention that. The HQ itself is really just a bunch of offices and cubicles with the exception of an occasional ship model that is of the scale you would see displayed at Seatrade or Cruise Shipping Miami. We've taken some sea-based colleagues through before and they got a kick out of seeing the names on some of the desks or offices of people they have worked with regularly for years but never met... however that's something that obviously guests wouldn't really enjoy too much. Plus there's some areas WITHIN areas that no one can get to except the very highest in the company.

 

(And PS - that guy at the desk on Saturday... building security. Honestly, surprised he let anyone in that couldn't prove they worked there)

[Vic The Parrot]

Vic, your post brought back many memories. As a young man starting in business, I used to get to New York a couple of times a year and walking past that office, looking through the big windows, made a huge impression on me.

 

I thought, "This is the big time!"...and it was.

 

 

 

Another fan who remembers that address!! :D :)

 

 

Have to say, the last time I passed by that window, I'm kicking myself in the rear for not grabbing a photo of the setup that in place at that time.

 

They had a smaller model of QE2, and a faux set-up of a table setting for the Princess Grill restaurant.

[Cruising-along]

.......

 

(And PS - that guy at the desk on Saturday... building security. Honestly, surprised he let anyone in that couldn't prove they worked there)

 

Oops, didn't want to get anyone in trouble! He never took his eyes off of us, and we were probably inside for all of 1 minute. :o

[kakalina]

Great story Brian, thanks for sharing.

[Harris Jeffer]

Hi Bob

 

 

Did you ever get to Cunard's HQ when they were still at 5 Av and 45 St in NY?

 

I stopped by a few times, and remember the big model of QE2 in the reception area. Fond memories of walking by that building. :)

 

In Staten Island on the campus of Wagner College, the Summer Residence of the Cunard family (Belleview built 1851) has some model ships and historical photos/paintings. I have seen them. It is called Cunard Hall.

[sail7seas]

In Staten Island on the campus of Wagner College, the Summer Residence of the Cunard family (Belleview built 1851) has some model ships and historical photos/paintings. I have seen them. It is called Cunard Hall.

 

 

Is it now a museum and open to the public? Sounds very intersting and I imagine it's beautiful.