Seattle is full of wonderful museums to educate and inspire.
The Seattle area is home to an excellent collection of art, history, maritime, and special interest museums. The Museum of Flight will take you on a thrilling adventure through aviation history with exhibits like the Great Gallery, the Personal Courage Wing and the original Boeing Headquarters, in one of the largest air and space museums in the world. At MOPOP you can learn to play an instrument, stroll through the Jimi Hendrix exhibit and explore the history of popular culture. History buffs will appreciate the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and the Klondike Gold Rush Museum. Many of these museums are family-friendly and offer hands-on-activities for kids and adults alike!
MUSEUMS FOR EVERY INTEREST
Photo: Linda Lane
Art & Craft Museums
Seattle is a magnet for both artists and art enthusiasts. The casual yet sophisticated setting, beautiful scenery and inspiring mix of people create a powerful environment for artistic expression.
Photo: Bill Abbott
Aviation & Transportation Museums
The greater Seattle area has an extensive collection of historic planes, from public displays to private collections open to the public. See how far we have come since the first airplane took flight in Seattle in 1910.
Photo: Loren Javier
History & Heritage Museums
Seattle is named after the respected Native American Chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes. Shaped by many cultures, including the original Native Americans, along with immigrants from Asia and Scandinavia, we retain a strong and diverse cultural heritage that provides many opportunities to learn about Seattle from the roots up.
Photo: David Newman
Maritime & Military Museums
The maritime heritage of Puget Sound is filled with fascinating stories of native traditions, intrepid explorers, pioneer sea captains and vessels, industrialists, and ordinary working people.
Photo: Ingrid Taylar
Science & Natural History Museums
In a region that is notorious for its stunning natural beauty and technological innovation, is it surprising that we have fantastic science and natural history museums for you to explore?
Photo: Theresa Arzadon-Labajo
Pop Culture Museums
The optimistic and creative mentality of Seattle residents creates an attractive climate for innovative thinkers. This is why some of the most original and successful business concepts in the nation have been launched right here in Seattle. (Hint: think Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks, REI, Expedia, Zillow…)
Photo: Nicholas Wang
Children’s Museums
While any museum in the area welcomes children, some offer special programs that keep the attention of even our youngest travelers. From hands-on exhibits to creative events catered just for kids, you’ll find yourself wishing that you were a kid again!
Upcoming Museum Events
Michael Stasinos: Capturing the Ineffable
Now through 9/28/2025
Michael Stasinos seems to capture quick moments in time however his plein air painting process can take weeks, …
Event WebsiteREMEMBRANCE: The Legacy of Executive Order 9066 in Washington State
Ongoing
This new long-term gallery explores the intergenerational impacts and legacy of the incarceration of people of Japanese descent …
Event WebsiteNordic Journeys
Ongoing
Nordic Journeys expands the Museum’s classic immigration story to include a broader understanding of Nordic life and culture …
Event WebsiteYirrkala: Art from Australia’s Top End
Ongoing
Step into a whirlpool off the north coast of Australia. With an artist from Yirrkala as your guide, …
Event WebsiteJames W. Washington, Jr.: Many Hats, One Spirit
Now through 9/17/2025
Many Hats, One Spirit is a retrospective exhibition that highlights the life and work of Dr. James W. …
Event WebsiteJohn Grade: Middle Fork
Ongoing
John Grade’s large-scale sculpture, Middle Fork, echoes the contours of a 140-year-old western hemlock tree located in the …
Event WebsiteWashington: My Home
Ongoing
Many people have called Washington home. Through this poetic exhibition, the Washington State History Museum helps us all …
Event WebsiteHugh Hayden: American Vernacular
Now through 9/28/2025
In Hugh Hayden’s first solo museum presentation on the West Coast, the complexities of identity, desire, and belonging …
Event WebsiteNirvana: Taking Punk To the Masses
Ongoing
The exhibition features instruments like Kurt Cobain’s Fender Stratocaster, Krist Novoselic’s Hiwatt DR103 bass amplifier head, and Dave …
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