A Seattle gem, free admission and donations appreciated. Small enough to be comfortable and large enough to be always interesting. Permanent collection housed in a large room of very well hung various interesting paintings. Always new art collections in other smaller rooms. Excellent programs offered like Wednesday meditation and See You at the Movies. Staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. Highly recommend! read more

The Frye Art Museum, located in downtown Seattle, was found on Yelp. I did notice that people said not to have a car so we walked here from the hotel which is about a 20-minute walk. Some uphill walks but it was a nice walk actually. The museum is free which is nice you walk through and it is pretty much filled with many unique rooms, each with different pieces of art. It was pretty quiet but I do enjoy the placement of every piece. It's not a big museum so this probably won't take up so much time. read more

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I haven't been here in years and was pleasantly surprised! The exhibits were unique and interesting to look at. It was free to get it, too! The store had random items in it that didn't really seem to match with anything that was exhibited, but my teen son was excited to find a little mini crow puppet there. All in all, it is a great museum right in the middle of town to check out every once in a while. read more

Great option for a free museum in Seattle! It's a bit smaller but still full of great art work. There is also a store/gift shop & cafe in site! read more

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I actually came here when they were rotating out most of their previous exhibits, so I really only got to see the Frye Salon and the gift shop. However, I still had a great time. The Frye Salon has one of the most well-curated and interesting collection of art I've ever seen. Every piece was so striking yet contemplative. The museum architecture is pretty well-design, and the gift shop was well-curated with neat postcards of the artwork. There's also a cute cafe and patio area in the back. The museum os free, which is amazing in this day and age. Hope to be back to see the new exhibits. read more

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I love the Frye! Tucked away on Terry Ave, the museum is cozy and intimate. It reminds me of a merging between the theater off Jackson and TK lofts in which creatives and artists gather to celebrate art. The main room with all of the portraits and frames brings me back to Europe and visiting a local art museum. I love staring at paintings that seem bigger than me. The gift shop is exceptional and I enjoy it more than SAM's. It's really well curated and the selection of moma products and kids stuff is fun to see. The events are always fun and I enjoy coming here. Parking is great and the outside aesthetic is very soothing. read more

Free museum that is well run. There are some rotating exhibits and currently there is one involving masks. The museum contains all the paintings owned by the fryes who died in like 1940 or so. I read on Wikipedia that the Fryes hated abstract art and specified in their will that they didn't want any of their paintings to be displayed near abstract art. However, there is currently a display that features Jonathan Lasker paintings(which are abstract) interspersed with their paintings. That seems sad for them, but that's ok because we get to see more paintings now. read more

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Lovely, small art museum. Free admission and metered street parking outside. They were so friendly and welcoming at the front. They have a bag/coat check at the entrance as no large bags are allowed. Good variety and selection of art. We wandered around for an hour or so. If I was local, I'd be back every time they had a new exhibit! read more

Visited here in July when I was on vacation with my bestie! This museum has such a unique set of galleries and for being a free museum to visit, it was AWESOME. Favorite was the gallery of classical paintings. It just felt so larger-than-life to me. Will definitely be back again! read more

The galleries were all wheelchair accessible and the bathroom was accessible but might be a bit of a squeeze for a powerchair. I loved the entire museum and the art was so cool. read more

Loved the current collections! And FREE! Cafe looked cute! Bought a little poetry book from the gift shop. *Do not walk up the massive hill on cherry st if you can help it, you will regret it :') read more

Frye Art Museum is free thankfully. We made a special trip over after it was recommended to us, but beyond a few of the woven Amazon pieces, it wasn't worth the trip. Designing a museum is an art unto itself. Take the Seattle Art Museum, their curation and styling of the porcelain room makes you care about the pieces. It's so well designed that it makes you more interested in what they're showcasing. Frye Art Museum was not well designed. There were poor choices made for where to place each piece - which when added to the under utilized wall space created an extremely minimalistic room that came across as empty. Even the placards were placed far apart from the art in an attempt to fill up the eggshell walls. Which weren't painted brown to match Amazon packaging or black to evoke the emptiness of space. Very much a missed opportunity for the installation, especially since 'Rising Temperature Casualty' would have been much more evocative against a brown, red, or black wall. All in all, I didn't like the curator's style or editing choices and we don't plan to return. read more

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A beautiful museum, with optional admission payment (donations welcome!). The place is super clean, the bathroom is nice, and there aren't too many people. Its a cute hole in a wall! Very close to other museums around the area, although like rest of downtown Seattle, parking is hard to find. But transit commute is super easy. This place is small but big enough to explore for an hour or so. If you aren't actively looking for a museum, you probably wont have noticed that this was a museum. They also have a cute gift shop that my friend and I stopped by for a while. read more

Frye Art Museum is a small art museum located in the pill hill area of Seattle. It is FREE and truly, who can complain about the ability to share the arts with anyone at no cost? So wonderful they are able to do this. Things to know: it's small, so don't go expecting something like the metropolitan. Just keep in mind that the price is right. There is a cute little cafe there if you get hungry (bistro type bites), and it's also close to the international district for other food options. There is a standing historic display, which is seen in my pictures. When you enter the room, head to the back left corner to get a guide with all the painting captions/info. There are also several areas for local art, unfortunately this time I didn't care for these displays (art is subjective so you can take or leave that), but the main gallery room made the trip worth it. The gift shop is cute too and features local art for purchase as well. In all, it's a great way to burn a few hours, especially with the kiddos for no cost. read more

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I had a great time at Frye! What's not to love about a free art museum. Their gift shop is full of really beautiful stuff too, my best friend got herself a ring there as a gift for making a really hard decision. So treat yourself at the Frye museum! read more

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You have a zero chance to find a parking, we have been driving around for 30 minutes, visitors do not want to come here ,unless you have a driver or take a Uber. Give up! Go home! read more

I was in the area and I had time to kill, so I decided to stop by this art museum that I often walk part. As I walked in, I was excitedly greeted by a front desk worker who let me know the museum was free, and said I didn't need to check in my small drawstring bag as long as I wore it in front. And off I went! There were two major exhibits on display, and both were really well put together and done well. There was also a permanent collection that largely appeared to be closed. They also have a cute gift shop, and a cafe that was open but I didn't stop by. Overall, small and cute museum! I wouldn't go out of my way to visit at this time (maybe once some of the spaces open up again!) but if you're around, it's a good way to spend 45-90 minutes! read more

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Frye is a great museum with interesting collections and exhibits. A museum store and a small restaurant. The museum is free. They have excellent jazz concerts. They do charge for some of their events and programs, but fees are reasonable. read more

Highly recommend The Frye. It's a semi-kept secret in the heart of First Hill and really should be more well-known. For one thing, it's free to visit. Which cannot be said about other, larger museums in Seattle (except for one day a week). Their talks are also free, so far as I can tell. Thus, the diversity of those who visit The Frye is much vaster, imo. They present a multitude of different artists, recently, on the contemporary spectrum, and the works of people of color are becoming more prominent there. You can become a member and support them but you don't have to in order to visit. It's also a relatively peaceful spot. I love the water feature in the front. Enjoy and Learn! read more

Frye Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Free admission, free street parking, clean spot, nice staff - can't lose! The exhibits on display when we went we're pretty interesting, and apparently they rotate what's out every 6 months or so. If you want to kill a rainy afternoon or walk off your lunch this is a perfect activity. You probably just need an hour if you look at everything. read more

For a free art museum, this place is really pretty cool and very much worth a paid entry - I highly suggest donating. There was a pretty diverse range of mediums and artists on display. The building itself is also really interesting architecture. All the exhibits flowed well and were accessible. My favorite room was almost easy to miss because it's all the way in back and is the historical collection that's pretty much always on display. They have free bag check and lockers and the bathrooms were super clean. The signage for the exhibits is also helpful and they have free tours occasionally too for more context. My only critical feedback is that it would have been more helpful to have more visible signage indicating which areas were ok for photos or videos. Generally I don't think video of any kind is allowed in most exhibits (again I didn't see any signs indicating either way), but I was not sure until I asked the docents in each area. Would definitely come back to see more exhibits. read more

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My daughter and I visited the Frye Museum in Seattle in a recent trip. There was no street parking available so we had to pay for parking. The museum is free ! If it's free, it's for me. It's a small museum, but worth a visit ! We went on a weekday, so there were a only a few visitors. It's a hidden treasure. There were German artists as were as local artists read more

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Art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. And this place definitely disturbed me. I had no idea that I had become so comfortable. This is a great free admission museum. They specialize in abstract paintings and agricultural paintings. The museum is really small. However, it is worth stopping by if you're in the area. Abstract art is not my favorite but it certainly made me reflect. The video exhibit really disturbed me. It was about this sect that was using many different meditation methods to alter their states of consciousness. It was really weird and reminded me of adult swim's show 'off the air'. Overall, I am glad I came here. The art truly made me experience many different emotions which is all I could ever ask for. read more

Frye Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Small, lovely museum. Definitely suggest stopping by if you are in the area. Admission is free and lots of metered parking nearby. Can easily see everything in an hour. We stopped by the café and found it lovely, but disappointing. Coffee tasted like instant and $8 churros & chocolate were tiny. read more

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Great modern at museum and free. Right now, Feb 22 they have a great abstract figures artist and a whole section dedicated to animals which I loved. Great descriptions as well. They offer tours of some sort. Worth visiting, moving work. Probably second fav museum with the BAM. Norwegian museum is also great. read more

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The Frye Art Museum is the perfect thing to do if you're looking for free things to do in Seattle. With only a few galleries, the entire museum is doable in a few hours. When I visited in May 2021, the main exhibit was "Black Refractions." The only other exhibition I viewed was "Unsettling Femininity." Both displayed thought-provoking and beautiful work. Due to Covid, the museum requires timed entry slots that can be reserved online, and the cafe and gift shop are currently closed. read more

I really enjoyed my visit to the Frye Art Museum. The museum inside located in Seattle's First Hill area. The museum has the art collection of Charles and Emma Frye, who were business leaders and enjoyed collecting art. The admission is always free. They also have free tours. The collection is wonderful. There are also contemporary exhibits. There's a nice little cafe in the museum. The building is really cool. The main collection has mostly German art from the late 19th centuries and early 20th centuries. Charles Frye died in 1940 and donated his collection to the city. The museum opened in 1952. The building was designed by Rick Sundberg. The tour is great. They help you to appreciate the art, and it was almost like a class. We got to talk about our favorite works and analyze art like an art history class. The guide was great. The museum is free because Charles Frye wanted it that way. read more

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It would be interesting to know how the founders of this museum would view the so-called art they often exhibit. The Salon houses beautiful paintings which are worth visiting. The impression of the visiting exhibitions is disappointing as they are usually a bit out there, even for modern art, and not fine art like the Salon paintings read more

Our first visit to the Frye, we got lucky with front tow parking on the street, but be prepared to drive around in search of a space, especially due to the high-traffic areas just blocks away. Beautiful inside, with high ceilings and tastefully displayed works of art, the museum is large, though feels cozy and manageable. There for a story time and art activity, our time perusing the galleries was limited, but it's definitely on our list for a future visit! The story time was vibrant and engaging; the craft time afterwards was fun and relevant to the story heard. (Make sure you RSVP ahead of time to ensure space.) read more

Frye Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Free admission, size and exhibits on the smaller end. Well displayed and quaint. Takes about a half hour to experience the five small exhibits. read more

What a find! I happened upon this museum having invested in an impromptu mini vacation with my daughter and her boyfriend. Having learned JUST how expensive the Seattle art Museum, space Needle and Chahule museums were - we yelped for free museums. It was awesome!!!!!! Powerful (and interactive) exhibit on discrimination from the gender, sexuality and race perspectives. Impressed. I'll be back. read more

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Free admission, but donation is encouraged! Intimate museum with lots of wonderful pieces to view. The outdoor courtyard was spacious and lovely! read more

Free museum that I was expecting to be a tiny one gallery joint. Honestly we came here because we thought it'd be a great indoor activity before we hop our flight home. Especially since it was raining out. Art was great, space was really nice too, they have a nice cafe and a small store. For a free museum, I was really impressed. read more

Frye Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Nice lil local museum, I would definitely recommend this place hands down. It's free! I don't know what else to tell you. They come up with great exhibits. This alone should deserve 5 stars. Support local art! Go out and check it for the greatness it is. I actually preferred it over SAM, and plan on going on a regular basis. Bonus, the shop is really great and has some great stuff. read more

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After being new to Seattle and needing to do activities I can afford (yay for Frye being free). Frye quickly became my happy place! I am an art lover and the exhibits here are always great. I love that they rotate them out, so coming here doesn't get old! This is a great spot for a date or just to go clear your mind alone while admiring some unique pieces of art. The gift shop is also fun to go through and a great place to buy a unique gift. read more

I just can't think of anything bad! It's free, there's a lovely collection of older and more modern, and there is free parking right next to the museum. The first time I went, I was surprised to find that a couple of twenty-somethings covered in tattoos and piercings (and smelling of smoke & booze) would go here. I was also surprised to stumble onto a special exhibition featuring some rather familiar works that were there on a special exhibit from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg (lived a train ride away- in a suburb, I guess- of that city until I was 8 years old). This time around I enjoyed the more classic art and at least one of the media (movie) pieces. One of them was about creation myths and that was a little odd. We did not see the sign right away, so we were rather confused at first because all we saw were cut-outs (both male-shaped) attempting "baby-making." It was.... odd, to say the least. The sign made it make a whole lot more sense. It was not my personal preference when it comes to art in a museum, but it was... interesting. Hopefully I'll start going more frequently! I still need to check out their Happy Hour sometime... read more

Free Art Museum! The museum showcased work from Cris Bruch, which consisted of an exhibit about the artist's roots as farmers during the earlier half of the twentieth century. There were also Soviet Political Posters. The posters were produced to form opinions and to communicate a message for peasants who were illiterate. The Frye Salon was my favorite exhibit in the museum. It features a collection of paintings hung from ceiling to floor. I could probably spend hours in that room alone. The gift shop had fun and interesting items. read more

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Frye Art Museum is a small, free, enjoyable art museum. I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon and was able to find free street parking around. There weren't many rooms (maybe 3-4) and one video playing. As someone who reads all the signs, the museum must have taken me around 1 hour to complete. I enjoyed the diversity of art available for the public for free. Would highly recommend for a short afternoon activity. read more

This was definitely worth the drive to see. Small museum with only a few rooms, but there was so much to see and revel in I ended up spending a good 90 plus minutes in the one room alone. I visited the museum between exhibits so I only had one room to visit, but it was incredible. Can we talk about the price please? Free. Yes, free admission and free parking. Sold. Cute little cafe inside, that smelled delicious but I wasn't hungry when I was there. Will definitely go again to check out the other exhibit when it opens. read more

Frye Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Frye Art Museum has Free Exhibits all the Time. But you can donate a few dollars. It's located on First Hill near a few Medical Bldg Garages. St Parking can be $5/ hr during weekdays. There's a nice water pond outside that is very calming. You can sit in the Cafe area to watch it. They serve sandwiches, soup, coffee, tea in the Cafe. On occasion they offer free art and community lectures. In the Giftshop are modern style jewelry, Tarot cards, Cards, Kids' Games, Magic books, and an Ouija Board. read more