Two iconic Seattle museums were named among top 15 in the United States, according to Trips to Discover. The list of museums offer a little bit of everything without having to travel too far.
Chihuly Garden and Glass is located right next to the iconic Seattle Space Needle. The museum included 45,000 square feet of galleries that display soft glass works and chandeliers created by Dale Chihuly, a world-renowned glass sculptor from Washington. The Glasshouse features a 40-foot-tall work of art. Visitors are also able to walk through a garden of colorful glass sculptures.
What makes this museum special are its pieces. The pieces in the exhibit take on a different form than traditional glass takes, according to Chihuly. It not only takes down the barriers that separates craftmanship and art, but combines them and introduces contemporary craft as a fine art gallery and museum.
A 5-minute walk away, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) features the history of culture pop music and science fiction. These various exhibits have a great range of pop culture references including video games, fantasy, fashion, sports, horror, sci-fi, and music.
The MoPOP's most well-known exhibit tributes Seattle as the birthplace of grunge. Nirvana has a permanent exhibit in the MoPOP for viewers to interact with. The most recent exhibit features Laika, the company known for their stop-animation films. It features pieces from their well-known movies including Coraline, Box Trolls, ParaNorman, and more, until summer 2024.
Hours for each museum vary. Chihuly Garden and Glass hours are usually from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., however they vary depending on the day. Tickets vary for the Chihuly Garden and Glass. They have a variety of packages that visitors can choose from. These packages include visits to the Space Needle and Climate Pledge Arena.
MoPOP hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are open daily except for Wednesdays. Ticketing wise, the MoPOP usually has a special exhibit feature so visitors are able to buy two different tickets. These are general admission which features 11 exhibitions as well as the special exhibition ticket. This ticket includes general admission exhibits as well. Costs for both vary on the day.
If you plan on seeing other top Seattle attractions, its highly recommended to purchase the Seattle CityPASS. You can save 43% on six major Seattle attractions, which include Chihuly Garden and Glass and the MoPOP.