With professional football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and women's basketball teams, as well as the various University of Washington Huskies teams, Seattle is definitely a city of sports fans. For those many fans, the sports landscape has been changing dramatically in recent years. In 1999, the state-of-the-art Safeco Field, with its retractable roof, was unveiled. In 2000, the venerable and much disparaged Kingdome was demolished to make way for a new football stadium, which opened just in time to kick off the Seattle Seahawks' 2002 season.

Ticketmaster (tel. 206/628-0123; www.ticketmaster.com) sells tickets to almost all sporting events in the Seattle area. You'll find Ticketmaster outlets at area Fred Meyer stores and Tower Records. If they're sold out, try Pacific Northwest Ticket Service (tel. 800/281-0753; www.nwtickets.com).

Baseball

Of all of Seattle's major league sports teams, none are more popular than the American League's Seattle Mariners (tel. 800/MY-MARINERS or 206/346-4000; www.seattlemariners.com). The team has a devoted following, so you can expect tickets to be hard to find unless you buy yours well in advance.

The Mariners' retro-style Safeco Field is indisputably one of the most gorgeous ballparks in the country. It's also one of only a handful of stadiums with a retractable roof (which can open or close in 10-20 min.), allowing the Mariners a real grass playing field without the worry of getting rained out.

Ticket prices range from $6 to $45. Though you may be able to get a single ticket on game day at the Safeco Field box office, it would be tough to get two seats together. Mariners tickets are a hot commodity, so if you want to ensure that you get good seats, order in advance at Mariners Team Stores , or through Ticketmaster (tel. 206/622-HITS; www.ticketmaster.com), which has outlets at Fred Meyer stores and Tower Records. Parking is next to impossible in the immediate vicinity of Safeco Field, so plan to leave your car behind.

If you'd like a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium, you can take a 1-hour tour ($7 adults, $5 kids ages 3-12); tickets can be purchased at the Mariners Team Store at Safeco Field, other Mariners Team Stores around the city (there are locations at Fourth and Stewart sts. downtown and in Bellevue Sq.), or through Ticketmaster. Tour times vary, and tours are not offered on days when day games are scheduled.

Basketball

The NBA's Seattle SuperSonics (tel. 800/4NBA-TIX or 206/283-3865; www.supersonics.com) play in the Key Arena at Seattle Center, and though they always seem to trail behind the Portland Trailblazers, they generally put in a good showing every season. Tickets are $11 to $129 and are available at the arena box office and through Ticketmaster (tel. 206/628-0888). Tickets can generally be had even on short notice, except for games against the Lakers and Blazers, which are always well attended.

The University of Washington Huskies women's basketball team has been pretty popular for years, and Seattle also has a pro women's basketball team. The Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) Seattle Storm (tel. 877/WNBA-TIX or 206/217-WNBA; www.storm.wnba.com) brings professional women's basketball to Seattle's Key Arena. Ticket prices range from $8 to $60 and are available at the arena box office and through Ticketmaster (tel. 206/628-0888).

For information on the women's and men's Huskies basketball games, contact University of Washington Sports (tel. 206/543-2200; www.gohuskies.com).

Football

Although the NFL's Seattle Seahawks (tel. 888/NFL-HAWK or 206/381-7816; www.seahawks.com) aren't the most highly regarded of Seattle's professional sports teams, they do have a new stadium. Seahawks Stadium stands on the site of the old Kingdome and is adjacent to the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field. Tickets to games run $23 to $79 and are generally readily available, depending on how well the team is doing. However, games against Oakland, Denver, and a couple of other teams usually sell out as soon as tickets first go on sale in August. Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster (tel. 206/622-HAWK; www.ticketmaster.com). Traffic and parking in the vicinity of Seahawks Stadium is a nightmare on game days, so take the bus if you can.

Tours of the new stadium are available daily at 12:30 and 2:30pm and cost $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children 4 to 12 (children 3 and under are free). For reservations, contact Seahawks Stadium (tel. 206/381-7582; www.seahawksstadium.com).

Not surprisingly, the University of Washington Huskies (tel. 206/543-2200; www.gohuskies.com), who play in Husky Stadium on the university campus, have a loyal following. Big games (Nebraska or Washington State) sell out as soon as tickets go on sale in the summer. Other games can sell out in advance, but obstructed-view tickets are usually available on game day. Ticket prices range from $32 to $36 for reserved seats and from $16 to $18 for general admission.

Horse Racing

The state-of-the-art Emerald Downs, 2300 Emerald Downs Dr. (tel. 888/931-8400 or 253/288-7711; www.emeralddowns.com), is located south of Seattle in the city of Auburn off Wash. 167 (reached from I-405 at the south end of Lake Washington). To get to the racetrack, take the 15th Avenue NW exit. Admission prices range from $4 to $6.50. The season runs from mid-April to mid-September.

Marathon

The Seattle Marathon (tel. 206/729-3660; www.seattlemarathon.org) takes place the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The race starts and ends at Seattle Center and crosses the I-90 floating bridge to Mercer Island.

Soccer

If you're a soccer fan, you can catch the United Soccer League's Seattle Sounders play (tel. 800/796-KICK or 206/622-3415; www.seattlesounders.net) at Seahawks Stadium. Tickets are $12 to $22 and are available through Ticketmaster (tel. 206/628-0888).