Free Museums in Kirkland

"Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, rang in the new millennium with a cutting-edge and interactive music-themed institution. For its exterior, he envisioned a colorful and energetic collection of metal and aluminum – and who better to successfully bring it to life than Frank O. Gehry, architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. For some, this wavy, reflective metallic exterior is considered an eyesore; for others, it represents a creative blend of color and texture."

"Museum of Pop Culture, which is known locally as MoPOP, was initiated by Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder. The pop culture enthusiast envisioned a fun museum experience for the whole family. Seattle Center campus is home to both the Space Needle and adjacent MoPOP."

"The Museum of Popular Culture (or MoPOP) started life as the Experience Music Project. Its building, designed by Frank Gehry, is supposed to resemble deconstructed guitars. A post shared by Alina Kocięcka (@alinakoc) on Nov 13, 2017 at 3:21am PST"

"The Seattle Art Museum is a more traditional art museum that features an extensive collection of works including, oil paintings, photography, watercolor, sculpture to name a few. While some of it may be a little too “high brow” from the younger set, there's plenty for kids to enjoy and interact with. Be sure to check out the Chase Open Studio, where you'll find everything you need to create your own piece of art inspired by major themes in SAM's current special exhibition, and the Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center, which has been considered a "launchpad to explore works of art and spark creative learning"."

"The Seattle Art Museum is Seattle's premiere public art museum, showcasing more than 25,000 significant classic and modern artworks throughout three museum facilities in the city's downtown region. The museum operates its main downtown Seattle campus, along with Capitol Hill's Seattle Asian Art Museum and the open-air Olympic Sculpture Park on the city's Puget Sound waterfront. Notable collections include works by Italian painters such as Camille Pissarro and Luca Giordano, along with 20th-century American works by Mark Tobey and Jacob Lawrence and a substantial collection of Aboriginal Australian works."

"The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is actually a trio of museums that are scattered around the city. They all have different exhibits and activities, so depending on where you’re traveling and what you’re interested in seeing, you can hit up any of the three locations. The collections include everything from African paintings to Asian woodblocks and silkscreens."

"Visit Chihuly Garden and Glass (or the Pacific Science Center if you have children) using the Seattle CityPass, which you can purchase online here https://www.citypass.com/seattle and save over 47% on admission at the door. Both are located in the Lower Queen Anne district right next to the famous Seattle Space Needle."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ron Clausen used under CC BY-SA 4.0. The Pacific Science Center is a must-see for new visitors to Seattle. This complex features interactive science exhibits, a laser dome, planetarium, and IMAX theaters."

"There are currently three main sections and multiple IMAX theaters. There are a ton of hands-on activities to check out and they hold special events for kids, teens, and adults. You can buy tickets the way you want them."

"There are a lot of absorbing stories hiding in Seattle’s past, and this museum in Lake Union Park’s Naval Reserve Armory building is perfectly equipped to tell them. The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is a wonderful resource, with a collection of more than four million pieces, only 2% of which can be shown at one time The core exhibition is True Northwest: The Seattle Journey, a complete chronology for the city via 25 “snapshots”, packed with artefacts and photography. You can delve into specific events like the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897, the foundation of Boeing in 1916 and the Red Scare Smith Act Trials of the 1950s."

"Opening hours: 10am to 5pm daily (10am to 8pm on Thursdays in July and August and every first Thursday of the month). Wish to know more about the city you’re visiting?. Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) offers you an insight into its rich and storied past."

"Discover Seattle’s rich history and explore its potential for the future at MOHAI. Permanent exhibits include Maritime Seattle, the Bezos Center for Innovation and True Northwest. The Kid-Struction Zone is a great place for kids to build and explore!"

"We have a soft spot for children’s museums—we also included them in our San Francisco, Miami, and New Orleans maps—and the Seattle Children’s Museum is a great option when rain forces you inside. From barely crawling to school-aged children, kids can explore physics in COG City, sculpt a masterpiece in the art studio, or pretend to be an optometrist in the eye clinic. View this post on Instagram"

"The Seattle Center in South Lake Union is home to a variety of family-friendly attractions, including the Children’s Museum. Located in the Armory building, this museum has exhibits for kids of all ages. Our favorite is the Global Village exhibit, which gives you a glimpse of what it’s like being in another country."

"Microsoft founder Bill Gates is another in that prestigious list of Seattleites and in 2012, a visitor center for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation opened near the foot of the Space Needle. This has been expanded in the last few years to become a Discovery Center”. Using plenty of interactivity, the exhibits document the impact of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation around the world, as it aims to improve lives and tackle the big challenges facing the world."

"At the Discovery Center, you’ll encounter powerful stories about the impact of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its partners toward improving the quality of life for billions of people. Our interactive exhibits let you explore first-hand bold, innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing communities around the globe. Discovery Center Website"

"What makes this children’s museum in Bellevue stand out is its emphasis on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). All of the exhibits are geared toward kids age 10 and under, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself playing alongside your kids. Exhibits include the Atrium Climber, Bellevue Mercantile, Train Table in Cityscape, Connections Gallery, Big Rig on the Go, Sticks and Stones, Story Tree, Tot Orchard and Water Gallery."

"For over 70 years, the Bellevue Arts Museum (or BAM) has been celebrating artists and the people who love their work. From the ornate to the whimsical, there is much to appreciate here. Even if you don’t like what you see initially, just turn the corner and you might be surprised by what you might find."

"At four bright and airy spaces around town, enjoy consistently delicious fare at four Portage Bay Locations, where the food is always "local, organic and sustainable." The menu boasts the tagline "eat like you give a damn" and an impressive list of local farms and producers that the restaurant's chefs proudly work with. Breakfast and brunch items include migas, an array of Benedicts (from pork belly to Dungeness crab cake), gluten-free French toast (topped with unlimited fresh berries), goat cheese omelets and Swedish pancakes. Tuck into a pitcher of refreshing mimosas, or savor Columbia Gorge fresh-squeezed juices (the berry-lemonade is a sure bet)."

"If you are looking for the perfect brunch place while in Seattle, look no further. With multiple locations you will be able to try out this cafe no matter what area you're in. Personally the Ballard location is my favorite because of the size and parking accessibility."

"Weekend brunch at this family favorite used to mean planning on an hour-plus wait for a table, but now all four Portage Bay locations take reservations."

"Olympic Sculpture Park is an award-winning free public sculpture park owned and operated as part of the Seattle Art Museum, originally opened to the public in 2007. The park spans nine acres along the city's downtown seawall beachfront at Myrtle Edwards Park and was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects on the site of a former industrial area. As one of downtown Seattle's only urban green spaces, the park is open to the public daily between dawn and dusk, with free tours available at select times throughout the year."

"Olympic Sculpture Park, an ingenuous feat of urban planning, is an official offshoot of the Seattle Art Museum and bears the same strong eye toward design and curation. There are more than 20 sculptures to stop at and admire in this green space that sprawls out over reclaimed urban decay. You can also enjoy them in passing while traversing the park's winding trails."

"Designed by Charles Reed and Allen Stem and built in 1906, the station’s 250-foot clock tower was modeled after Venice, Italy’s Piazza de San Marco’s bell tower. A recent renovation uncovered ornate ceilings, wainscoting and mosaic tile work hidden after an unfortunate redesign in the 1960s. A post shared by Shane Medbery (@shane_medbery_pdx) on Nov 10, 2017 at 3:32pm PST"

"This old train station is one of the best photoshoot locations in Seattle. It has a very grandiose feel and it’s always a fun venue for photos. There are a lot of spots in the station where history simply oozes out of its nooks and crannies."

"Then it’s time to visit Volunteer Park, one of the city’s prettiest green spaces. Climb to the top of the brick water tower for a workout with a view, or gaze at the Space Needle through the middle of the circular Black Sun sculpture. Venture inside the Seattle Asian Art Museum, guarded by twin camel statues, or enter an urban botanical jungle inside the glassy walls of the conservatory. Kids will be drawn to the playground, but Lake View Cemetery next door attracts fans of the late Bruce Lee, buried here."

"Given its name, it is no surprise that the Volunteer Park Water Tower is this park’s biggest attraction. Built over 100 years ago the Water Tower is a fun way to get a wonderful view of the Seattle skyline. Climbing it’s 107 stairs rewards you with 360-degree views of Seattle and the surrounding area."