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
Untold Stories: World War II at 75
Ongoing
World War II ended over seventy-five years ago. The War was one of the most destructive and defining …
Event WebsiteNordic Journeys
Ongoing
Nordic Journeys expands the Museum’s classic immigration story to include a broader understanding of Nordic life and culture …
Event WebsiteBaird’s beaked whale
Ongoing
The Burke Museum’s Baird’s beaked whale is one of about 10 Baird’s beaked whales in U.S. museum collections …
Event WebsiteFossils Uncovered
Ongoing
Earth’s 4.5 billion-year history is a continuing saga of dynamic change. Events from ice ages to splitting continents …
Event WebsiteAmerican Art: The Stories We Carry
Ongoing
American Art: The Stories We Carry, features a transformation of SAM’s American art galleries. Created through an unprecedented …
Event WebsitePorcelain Room
Ongoing
Vast quantities of translucent, elegantly decorated white-bodied porcelain from China and Japan, arriving in Europe in the seventeenth …
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 WebsiteAmazing Life
Ongoing
Over 8.7 million species are known to exist today, with more being discovered daily. How did this variety …
Event WebsiteTariqa Waters: Venus is Missing
Now through 1/4/2026
Seattle-based artist Tariqa Waters’s practice encompasses mixed-media tableaus, sculpture, photographs, film, and immersive installations that push the aesthetics …
Event WebsiteSUBSCRIBE TO THE SEATTLE LOCALIST
Seattle’s best every month in your inbox
Book Your Trip
Advertisements