Seattle’s museums celebrate the creativity and history of its storied residents and cater to a variety of interests. Whether it's high-profile art collections, historic artifacts or interactive exhibits, you’ll find what you’re looking for at one of these Metro Seattle museums.
Museum of Glass
Along with works from glass-art pioneer and Tacoma hometown hero Dale Chihuly, expect sculpted silica from as far as the Czech Republic and Ireland.
Seattle Art Museum
Downtown’s big kid on the block offers a consistently stellar lineup of classic and modern works, from the colorful abstracts of Miró to dramatic 17th-century European paintings.
Bellevue Arts Museum
Contemporary craft—including whimsical woodcarvings and life-size terra-cotta sculptures—populate this Eastside establishment, which highlights Pacific Northwest artists and global stars.
Bigelow House Museum
Though unassuming, this two-story Carpenter Gothic home in Olympia is actually one of Washington’s oldest remaining wood-frame houses. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and features original furnishings and artifacts from its Oregon Trail–era owners.
Schack Art Center
See and make art at this two-in-one creative hub in Everett, where galleries showcase regional talents and a hot-shop studio allows anyone who passes orientation to try glassblowing. It also offers classes in everything from jewelry to painting.
Done all these? In Seattle, check out pop culture at EMP Museum, the past at the Museum of History and Industry, Asian-American works at Wing Luke or interactive exhibits at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
To any itinerary in Tacoma, add the Tacoma Art Museum or classic autos at LeMay—America’s Car Museum.
See a complete list of Metro Seattle museums.
—Angela Cabotaje
Photo credit: Museum of Glass, Flickr/Anupam_ts
