Cultural Connection - Visit Seattle

The Native Northwest Art exhibit at the Burke Museum courtesy Burke Museum

Visit a museum with a focus on our region’s diverse history.

A bird's-eye view of a man and woman viewing the Native Northwest Art exhibit at the Burke Museum.

The Native Northwest Art exhibit at the Burke Museum courtesy Burke Museum

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture*

As part of the Native Northwest Art exhibit, Native artists showcase their creative heritage with the likes of canoes, house posts, and totem poles.

4300 15th Ave NE; burkemuseum.org

A wooden art installation on the wall depicting the Tsimshian legend of the origin of daylight.

Origins of Daylight at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center artwork by Roy Henry Vickers (Tsimshian) and Glenn Lafontaine (Plains Cree), 1977; photo courtesy Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center

Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center*

Explore this gallery and traditional cedar longhouse—a type of building used from ancient times to today as a gathering place for tribal business and events.

4705 W Marginal Way SW; duwamishtribe.org

A display of an early 20th century theater curtain featuring Japanese lettering

Old Nippon Kan Theatre curtain on display at the Wing Luke Museum courtesy Wing Luke Musuem

Wing Luke Musuem*

Understand the pan-Asian Pacific American immigrant and refugee experience through five themes—Home, Getting Here, Making a Living, Social Justice, and Community—at this experiential museum, which also offers tours of the surrounding Chinatown- International District neighborhood.

719 S King St; wingluke.org

people looking at historical objects through glass in a permanent exhibit at MOHAI

True Northwest: The Seattle Journey exhibit at MOHAI courtesy MOHAI

Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)*

The permanent exhibit True Northwest: The Seattle Journey traces the city’s origins from the 1790s to today.

860 Terry Ave N; mohai.org

a woman looking at a red bike on display with brightly colored pamphlets on the wall in the background.

courtesy National Nordic Museum

National Nordic Museum*

Inside a building designed to mimic a fjord, learn about the journey of Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic immigrants to the Pacific Northwest.

2655 NW Market St, nordicmuseum.org

a boy looking at a painting on the wall featuring four girls with no facial features.

artwork by Hiawatha D.; photo courtesy Northwest African American Museum

Northwest African American Museum*

While the NAAM’s building is temporarily closed, the museum continues to host a variety of virtual and outdoor exhibitions and programming that put the spotlight on Black voices and the history of African Americans in the Northwest.

2300 S Massachusetts St; naamnw.org

a black and white image of the Brenner family standing behind the counter at Brenner Brothers Bakery & Delicatessen

courtesy Washington Jewish Museum

Washington Jewish Museum

This online museum covers the history of Jewish communities in Washington state through digital exhibits such as the Seattle Historic Sephardic Jewish Tour, with an accompanying podcast, videos, and interactive map.

wsjhs.org

Learn more about Seattle's origin stories

* Visit Seattle Partner

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SEATTLE LOCALIST

Seattle’s best every month in your inbox

Book Your Trip