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Burke Museum

3.7 (131 reviews)
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The third floor is by far the coolest with full dinosaur fossils. Took us some time to get through so I would plan at least two hours of time to walk around.

Carol L.

A fun little museum next to the University of Washington's Seattle campus. It's free entry for all students! I would definitely recommend visiting at least once, if not more, especially if you are a student. I know most people think these types of museums are for children but I found it to be quite fun still :) It has 3 floors full of cool artifacts and historical information. When I went, there was even a live dissection of a ball Python going on (Saturday morning). That is just so cool. Sometimes there's other special events going on as well, so check out their website for the most up to date information. All the staff are very kind and knowledgeable. There is a large paid parking lot and it's also very close to the university district light rail.

Patty P.

Had a private tour with LaoSA UW. They pulled out many Lao items and printed out the fact sheets on each of them for us. We got to learn about the Burke itself too. Great experience.

Christopher L.

A great museum located in the U District and is a short walk from the light rail. The museum is clean and has friendly staff. The multiple floors of this museum has such a variety of artifacts to see. Each artifact was well explained and there are working labs that you can view. After seeing the museum, top off the experience with a bite from Off the Rez. It makes the whole trip complete.

Abbey O.

I have lived in seattle a long time and had no idea we had a good dinosaur exhibit locally! I expect knowledge of this getting out is due to their recent remodel right around the pandemic. It's a small museum, but definitely worthwhile. I think their ticket prices are appropriate to the size. We had a few favorite parts: 1. The dinosaurs! My 3yo was thrilled 2. Watching scientists work on site! I love how they have offices set up so that as scientists work on fossils and biological specimens you can watch on. Very cool 3. Acknowledgement of native washington tribes, and true stories behind how their land was stolen. It's a hard history to acknowledge and many historical places skirt around the truth

Jboogie L.

We were able to score a parking spot ($4/hr) in front of this musuem. Enjoyed reading about the Northwest Native art, cultural pieces, and evolution of life depicted in the sample artifacts. What's cooler were the scientists sitting behind large glass windows excavating fossils right in front of our eyes and dissecting an animal (otter) as well. Free Thursday at the beginning of the month. There were some large tables & chairs at the entrance for people to sit and rest or eat. There is a dining space if you wanted to dine there as well. I took a photo of the menu. The giftshop was alright. There is also a Starbucks Coffee mobile truck nearby. Note - All gender bathrooms at this location

Notice of acknowledgment
Sue T.

This museum is located on the scenic campus of the University of Washington. I was really impressed with the layout of the museum. It's narrower than most, but manages to fit a decent amount of information and exhibits inside. Expect to see about two different exhibits on each of the museum's 3 floors. I learned that the museum was updated in 2019 which was apparent since the whole building seemed not only modern, but sleek. I learned a few things about the natural history of Seattle, but also it's native people. My favorite part of the museum were the windows that showed visitors a glimpse at what research looks like behind glass windows. There's a lot of fossils and specimens of different creatures to view. I was able to walk around and get about 1.5 hours of entertainment.

Mojdeh S.

The newly remodeled and reopen (as of October 2019) Burke Museum is a fantastic dinosaur haven. Enjoy the window-full space with learning opportunities at each step. Classrooms, work spaces and displays of all things prehistoric. It can get crowded with class field trips and teachers/chaperones who don't reign in their wild and loud children, but the space itself is quite fantastic. Some areas of the museum are still being curated and completed, but the presentation is thoughtful, clean and easy to navigate.

Monica C.

A fairly small museum with a significant number of exhibits. Beautiful exterior architecture, modern interiors. A variety of anthropology and paleontology. Fun for kids and families.

M H.

Exciting and fresh! The specimens on the second floor were thrilling! The variety of species and curation of evolution was remarkable. Seeing the research labs was cool! it made the experience even more interesting. If you like coffee, check out the Off the Rez coffee shop! One of the best cappuccinos I've had in the US.

Burke Museum Main Entrance - 21 January 2020.
Tanis L.

The Burke Museum is aesthetically pleasing. It is artfully laid out and the architecture is nice to look at. On my visit with my aunt to the museum in January 2020 there were a number of people with sketchpads drawing/sketching different things in the museum. Fun to see what they chose to draw. For the exhibits, a lot was covered though not with much detail and not with much in relation to Seattle or the Pacific Northwest. Some of the wording used in the exhibits rubbed me the wrong way, it came across as too forceful in trying to push a particular view or idea rather than striking an informative tone. I'm glad I went, it is useful to remember that some people use this style of writing in communication. In recent years a number of museums previously dedicated to the Pacific Northwest and the greater Seattle area have been converted to a more global approach. This means the museums cover less about the area, the people of the area, and the history of the area. Instead the museums cover things that may or may not be applicable to the area in which they are located. The Burke Museum is one of those museums. Bring back more local history and culture and this would have been a better experience.

Building for the future
Helene S.

So...the museum is closed for major renovations and is scheduled for completion in October 2019. Once it reopens in the fall, it will be a revolutionary museum where visitors can literally see through the walls and discover all that's been hiding behind them. Then why post a review... Reciprocal benefits until the new museum opens. This has been one of the most useful museum passes that we have ever purchased. The card allows admission to over 700 museums, science centers, art galleries, historic homes and cultural centers both in the US and abroad. Some of the museums that we have visited via the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM) include, but are definitely not limited to, the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, Canada, the High Museum and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, the Richard Driehaus Museum in Chicago, and the Beauregard-Keyes House and Presbytere in New Orleans. The ROAM (Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums) has also been useful. Favorite museums include the Atlanta History Center and Swan House in Atlanta, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Sculpture Garden, and the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. The ASTC Travel passport has also allowed us to visit the Field Museum and Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem and the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto are also great science centers on this card. And of course, the annual pass will give you unlimited early access to the New Burke and a chance to meet the curators at the annual Members' Behind-the-Scenes Night once it reopens. Special thanks to Melisa in the museum membership office. It has been a great membership for our family and a nice gift for our friends.

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Thank you Monica for the great pictures and review!

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Ask the Community - Burke Museum

How much does parking cost and is there a UW students parking price?

The closest lot is the N1 - It's considered University of Washington parking. From 6am - 4pm, it's $4 an hour or $17 for the day. After 4pm, it's a flat $6. On Saturdays, it's $6 flat fee until Noon. Parking is free after noon on Saturdays and all… Read more

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Chihuly Garden and Glass - Glass artwork in the Macchia Forest exhibit

Chihuly Garden and Glass

(3.3k reviews)

Lower Queen Anne

A must visit in Seattle- Stunning blown glass exhibit!…read more If you'd like a vibrant artsy experience in Seattle, drop by here to see Dale Chihuly's masterpieces. The museum houses his exquisite and intricate blown glass with a myriad of colors and designs. There is also an outdoor exhibit with several blown glass art entwined in the garden and the space needle towering overhead as a nice backdrop for photos. Glass blowing demos are shown, which is pretty interesting to see the soup to nuts creation of a glass blown bottle or vase. The tickets are a little expensive (~ $40) but worth for those who are passionate about the arts!

This is a stunning museum and exhibition center, located right next to the Space Needle. Our…read moretickets were part of the CityPass and we reserved our entry time few minutes before walking into the building. The check-in process was super quick. The first few halls were displaying artworks made out of glass. There were so many different sizes and shapes of colorful glass sculptures. It was so stunning, each photo seemed like a perfect shot for my phone's wallpaper. The hallway continues to a glass ceiling hall of the building with some more glass artwork. There was a cafe located in this area. Outside the building was a beautiful garden, with walkway all around. They were also doing a demo of making colorful vases from scratch using glass mold from furnace. On the other side was the entrance to the second building that had a theater playing a short movie about creating these glass art pieces. The exit was next to the theater that led to the gift shop. The gift shop was fascinating here. There were so products and artwork representing the glass sculptures inside the center. There were also many other souvenir items like stickers, magnets, apparels, cups, mugs, hats, books, stationery and so many more. We bought couple of magnets from here. Prices were decent. Staff members were really friendly here, both inside the exhibition and at the gift shop.

Sky View Observatory - Elevator entrance

Sky View Observatory

(555 reviews)

Downtown

We were able to purchase timed tickets earlier on the same day to access the observation deck and…read morelounge near sunset. We timed it for a half-hour prior to sunset and wish we'd made it an hour before since it was a wait at times to capture photos due to so many people. The views were incredible and very enjoyable to walk the entire outer deck perimeter and then go inside to the lounge. The interior space was exciting to see clear glass floors with views of the gears working to rotate the outer lounge. It was a disconcerting feeling to walk on the glass, but definitely a memorable experience. We easily wandered around the observatory for at least an hour. Would have liked to maybe grab a drink and sat for a while, but it was fairly crowded. There is also a restaurant space if visitors want a dining experience with a fantastic view.

If you're thinking about going to Sky. View or the Space Needle for the view, I highly recommend…read moreSky View. I (unfortunately) paid $24 for parking right in the Columbia Center although there is street parking and other lots near/around Columbia Center. When I came around 4:30pm on a weekday, the building was dead - the food court was all closed. After scanning your ticket, you get in the elevator that takes you to the 73rd floor. Everything is indoors and you get a 360 view of the PNW. It's great if you're able to catch the sunset on a cloud free day. If you get the cafe voucher, you can combine them together to spend on food, drinks, or souvenirs. The space is a little dated but the views are worth it. Overall, a better option for PNW views than the Space Needle however there's no outdoor area.

Burke Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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