Mordern, Free, Best Art 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."

"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."

"The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is the official state museum of Washington, originally founded in 1899 as the Washington State Museum, though its roots date back to the Young Naturalists Society, which was established two decades prior. Today, the museum is housed on the campus of the University of Washington and showcases a collection of more than 16 million specimens and artifacts across significant ornithology, biology, geology, and anthropology collections. Three long-term exhibits display the evolution of the state over 545 million years and present the fifth-largest collection of American indigenous art in the world."

"The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is a natural history museum where you can find a large collection of specimens from nature. More than 16 million items are included in the museum's collection, including biological, cultural, and geological objects such as spiders, insects, reptiles, fish, mammals, birds, plants, minerals, fossils, and archaeology. It's a huge and interesting collection, which is why this is really one of the best museums in Seattle."

"The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is the state of Washington’s oldest public museum which has been open for over 130 years. At this amazing museum, you’ll find some astonishing natural collections, like their giant artifacts of dinosaur bones, stunning fossils, and more!. This museum also offers a ton of other exhibits to check out such as their “Northwest Native Art” exhibits, “Culture is Living” exhibits and more."

"With its northern climate, ample waterways, and forests that reminded them of home, Seattle drew thousands of immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland in the late 19th century. Their stories come to life in this downtown Ballard museum, housed in a grand, light-filled building (new in 2018) as large as a Viking ship. Its galleries, arranged around a central “fjord,” explore the immigrant experience, the core values and heritage of the five Nordic countries, and contributions of Nordic-Americans."

"It’s only fair that a museum about some of the best countries in the world for design looks good. Outside, you have a facade with a monolithic quality to it, featuring a massive zinc wall. Inside, a manmade fjord is evoked, with bridges crossing it throughout the museum."

"Reason alone to come to Ballard – if the culinary scene and waterside parks weren’t enough – is this delightful surprise of a museum dedicated to Nordic history and culture. In 2018 the museum upgraded in size... Top ChoicePark in Ballard & Discovery Park"

"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."

"More of a paean to pop than a traditional museum, the just-opened Seattle Selfie Museum is located near the Gum Wall at Pike Place Market. It's a different type of art museum—a place where the art is you!. “Built for the 21st century digital nomad” this place is filled with room upon room of different props for you and your little guys and gals to create the ultimate selfie."

"Acting as a 3.5 acre urban sanctuary, the Japanese Gardens provide guests with winding paths full of stones, water, lanterns, bridges, buildings, plants and animals. The park is one of the most highly-renowned Japanese-styled gardens in North America, and well deserved. It's been operating since 1960, all thanks to landscape genius, Juki Lida."

"Hidden within Madison Park is the beautiful Seattle Japanese Garden. For just a small fee you can walk the grounds of this vibrant garden. Visiting in spring coincides with the blooming of many of the garden’s flowers."

"The Seattle Japanese Garden is managed jointly by Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation. The garden features winding paths through sculpted landscapes evocative of traditional Japanese designs."

"If you’re looking for some fairytale vibes, this is the place for you. Visit from May to August, and experience the most fragrant garden filled with beautiful blooms."

"Co-managed by the University of Washington, the Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Arboretum Foundation, this public park is quiet and scenic, perfect for couples who want to spend some time bonding somewhere away from the usual hustle and bustle of the city. Among its features are a nature trail, a playground, and an authentic Japanese garden. The park truly comes alive in the summer, when its azaleas are in full bloom."

"Open every day from dawn until dusk, the Washington Park Arboretum is one of the best places to travel in Seattle when you’re on a budget. It’s completely free, and you can enter and exit whenever you want without worrying about ticket stubs. It’s always available, and it’s always gorgeous."

"As far as Seattle's green spaces go, this 230-acre arboretum is arguably the most beautiful. On calm weekdays, the place feels really…"

"A post shared by Carla Clise (@carlaclise) on Dec 3, 2018 at 6:20pm PST. The United States coastal waters have a wide array of seafood, but this restaurant is proud to say that they carefully choose sustainably farmed freshwater oysters, clams, and mussels. Other than this, they also serve farm-fresh meat, vegetables, and cheeses."

"Want your seafood served up in a chic and modern atmosphere?. Blueacre Seafood is the place for you. Higher end and just the right amount of ritzy, Blueacre has a full menu of seafood with unique options you won’t find just anywhere."

"Blueacre draws upon the vast array of wild seafood available from the US Coastal waters and carefully chosen sustainability-farmed freshwater species. Open for lunch and dinnerPhone: +1 206-659-0737. Learn MoreMake a Reservation"

"Bright, airy, and with the distinct impression of salt marshes on the windy coasts of northern France, Bar Melusine is cool and modern French, with its white and green décor and a menu dominated by delightful land and sea, with snacks from Normandy and Brittany or grignotages. There is a beautiful white marble oyster bar that usually has eight kinds of oysters listed on the chalkboard, mainly from several of Washington State’s smaller farms. Melusine can fit 50 people in cozy two-people booths and large communal tables that invite socializing, creating a nice buzz that adds to the fresh atmosphere of the restaurant."

"Renee Erickson constructed her breezy Capitol Hill corner spot, splashed with sprays of seafoam green, as homage to the shores of Normandy and Brittany. Thus a bowl of manila clams may arrive with tarragon and rings of shallot, halibut crudo might be brightened with pickled cucumber and fresh rhubarb, brined and smoked leg of lamb may be served with an eggy sauce gribiche—all in addition to the half dozen fresh oysters daily. If Melusine’s innovations are tamer than Erickson’s famed Walrus and the Carpenter, they are no less satisfying—and they also include more meat."

"Hours of Operation: Open Thursday through Sunday, Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Using multi-course tasting menus, Tarsan i Jane serves Valencian food and wine in a beautiful Valencian inspired setting. The tasting menus change frequently based on what is seasonally available."