Museum of Pop Culture
Specialized · Seattle Center, at the foot of the Space Needle
MoPOP. Frank Gehry's crumpled blob at Seattle Center, with Hendrix and Nirvana inside.
/ 5
19,488 Google reviews
$35
general admission
SEATTLE · WA
12 best museums in Seattle
The Museum of Flight is among the country's best aviation museums; MoPOP and Chihuly Garden anchor Seattle Center; and the city's specialist museums (Wooden Boats, Klondike Gold Rush) are unusually deep.
Updated Apr 2026 · 10 min read · 12 museums ·9 bookable ·3 free
Seattle · 12 results
Seattle’s museum scene clusters around Seattle Center — the 1962 World’s Fair grounds. MoPOP, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Pacific Science Center are all walkable from the Space Needle. South of downtown, the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field is the city’s must-see for aviation visitors, with a Concorde and the original Air Force One you can walk through.
Free museums include the Frye Art Museum (always), the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (always, run by the NPS), and the Center for Wooden Boats. First Thursdays brings free entry at SAM, the Burke Museum, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum among others.
If you only have a day, the conventional pairing is MoPOP-and-Chihuly at Seattle Center plus the Museum of Flight; if you have a half-day, MoPOP and Chihuly are 50 yards apart.
The full directory of every Seattle-area museum (35+) is at the bottom of this page.
The ranking
- Get tickets
-
Seattle Art Museum
Art · Downtown, on 1st AvenueStrong African and Pacific Northwest collections. Hammering Man at the entrance.
First Thursdays freeGet tickets/ 57,513 Google reviews$30general admission -
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Art · Seattle Center, next to the Space NeedleDale Chihuly's glass at the foot of the Space Needle. Stunning at sunset.
Get tickets/ 525,437 Google reviews$39general admission -
Museum of Flight
Science · Boeing Field, 15 minutes south of downtownThe largest private air-and-space museum in the world. Concorde and Air Force One.
Family favoriteGet tickets/ 518,803 Google reviews$28general admission -
Pacific Science Center
Science · Seattle CenterA 1962 World's Fair leftover. Tropical butterfly house, planetarium, IMAX.
Family favoriteGet tickets/ 57,713 Google reviews$30general admission -
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Natural History · University of Washington campusWashington's official natural history museum. New 2019 building lets you watch fossil prep.
Get tickets/ 51,202 Google reviews$22general admission -
Seattle Asian Art Museum
Art · Volunteer Park, Capitol HillThe Seattle Art Museum's Asian collection, in a 1933 Art Deco building in Volunteer Park.
Get tickets/ 51,152 Google reviews$18general admission -
Frye Art Museum
Art · First HillFree art museum. Strong 19th-century German painting, contemporary rotations.
Always freeView details/ 51,869 Google reviewsFreealways free -
Wing Luke Museum
History · Chinatown-International DistrictAsian Pacific American experience. Smithsonian Affiliate, in the Chinatown-International District.
Get tickets/ 5802 Google reviews$19general admission -
National Nordic Museum
Specialized · BallardThe only US museum dedicated to Nordic culture. New 2018 Ballard building.
Get tickets/ 52,431 Google reviews$18general admission -
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
History · Pioneer SquareA National Park Service museum about the 1897 Klondike rush. Free.
Always freeView details/ 51,646 Google reviewsFreealways free -
Center for Wooden Boats
Specialized · South Lake UnionA working museum on Lake Union. Free admission, sailboats and rowboats for rent.
Always freeView details/ 5475 Google reviewsFreefree; rentals priced