Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a great place to learn more about Seattle's…read moreconnection to the Gold Rush and the impact that period had on the city. There is a lot of history packed into the exhibits, making it a worthwhile stop even if you do not already know much about the subject. Inside, there is a video that provides additional background and helps give more context to what you are seeing. I also enjoyed looking through the different artifacts on display. It is an interesting stop for anyone who enjoys history and wants to learn more about an important part of Seattle's past.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, 319 2nd Ave S, Seattle…read more Through a partnership between Amtrak and the National Park Service, travelers can identify historical sites and museums across the country. Included in the inventory of sites associated with Amtrak stops, I learned about Seattle's Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. In the summer of 2026, I had begun a cross-country trip on Amtrak from D.C., to Chicago, to Seattle, and then on to Alberta, Canada. For my stop in Seattle I visited the Park, just a few blocks from Seattle's King Street Station, located in what had been the Cadillac Hotel. Through the NPS, the Park offers a self-guided tour of Seattle's Pioneer Square, and docent tours are available on request at the front desk. It also hosts activities for boys and girls interested in earning their Junior Ranger Badge through activities like panning for gold. The Park also lets visitors search through various databases to find genealogical information, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other resources, associated with the Klondike Gold Rush.

I visited the Henry Art Gallery with a friend last month as part of her birthday celebration and it…read morewas a great experience. We had lunch at Ba Bar at U-Village then came to the gallery to walk off our lunch and take in a lot of interesting, diverse art. The gallery now offers FREE admission to everyone (thanks in part to 4Culture), whereas before it was only free to UW students, faculty, and staff. What I like about the Henry is the curation. They always have intriguing and interesting exhibits that are grouped well and have just enough art pieces for you to see and take in without getting overwhelmed. The space is clean, well lit, and pretty minimalist. Also like that they have a cute little cafe, City Grind, with both indoor and outdoor seating. On this visit, we were impressed by the exhibit by Diné artist Eric-Paul Riege (b. 1994, New Mexico). Riege's tactile sculptures of jewelry and other objects were HUGE and a cool sight to behold. A sign said that some sculptures could be touched gently which I fully took advantage of because these giant soft sculptures just called out to be touched. It's a terrific exhibit and is showing until October 25, 2026. Go see it while you can!

It's cool, but even though the museum spans three floors, it's really small and there aren't many…read moreexhibits. It didn't help that one of the four exhibit spaces was in transition, either. Good job. Good effort. I expected more.

Terrific museum. Enjoyed the docent tour and highly recommend. Bruce Lee exhibit is cool. Learned a…read morelot about Wing Luke who is an inspiration. Incredible legacy he has given us.

A must-visit on Asian history in America. What might have been not written and also not known if…read morethis museum didn't save much of the simple artifacts that were from the time when Asians were discriminated against. It is a part of history and this place really tells the story. I didn't know much about Wing Luke, but I got to know him after joining a walking tour led by a museum employee. Sign up at the front, and they will also take you to restricted areas. You can see how small some of the rooms are. A supermarket that many people have been in. They also have a Bruce Lee exhibit. I hope this museum gets to last long into the years.

Frankly I have never been into art as much until I visited BIMA. It changed my perspective on art…read moreand made me realize what I have been missing all these years. The art gallery is small but don't let that fool you. The staff and the docents took the time to explain their collection. It felt more like a guided tour and made all the difference. Their permanent exhibits feature many local artists like Aisha Harrison. While I don't have photos to post except a couple (Seattle during the pandemic), I would love for you to visit and experience it in person. There is no entrance fee though donations are encouraged. There is a bistro and a gift shop. On select days they have an outdoor market and a live band. What's not to like!!!

What a beautiful space with wonderful art in a free admission (donations suggested), museum!…read moreAlthough the space is small, the artistic representation is impressive and everyone welcoming and friendly. I really enjoyed my visit and can definitely recommend stopping by!

I was surprised how much I loved this free art display! Lots of different types of art in many…read moremediums, a lot of it interactive! Somewhat designed to take photos at, which isn't really for me, but it isn't a tourist trap or only for instagram. Had some really unique and subversive pieces. The staff is really nice and you get free water, sparkling water, snacks, and popcorn! They also host guided tours.

What a beautiful collection of exhibits set in an absolutely stunning location. I love how the…read moreexhibits interwove with the existing theatre artifacts, complementing, not detracting. You could feel the loving homage to the coliseum which was underscored with a video presentation showing its history. The staff is friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. There are a variety of sculptures, artwork, paintings, and interactive features. Each have QR codes for further details. Definitely easy to spend an hour or two exploring.

"Envisioning One Humanity" is the theme behind this relatively small, indie museum located in the…read moreUniversity District of Seattle. We're not talking about massive corporate bucks or sponsors here. While much of Seattle seems to be sponsored, The Unity Museum is an individual initiative that opened up in 2012 and continues to grow even through the challenges of surviving through the pandemic. The Unity Museum offers physical and virtual tours. They are primarily interested in folks who are fully vaccinated as Seattle slowly opens up, though they will admit non-vaccinated folks with masks. Dr. Amy Colbert is the curator of the museum and Zabine Van Ness is its Executive Director. It is a non-profit guided by a well educated, informed board of directors. The museum is a subsidiary of United Hearts Networking Institute. I was fascinated by this place - I love small indie museums, though this museum is not wheelchair friendly - 1) It's upstairs in an older building and 2) The layout packs in quite a bit and there are definitely spots where even the best wheelchair user would struggle. Ultimately, for those in wheelchairs I recommend a virtual tour or arranging for an exhibit. The Unity Museum uplifts humanity by celebrating the history of human progress toward unity, social justice, and global peace. They offer rotating exhibits, presentations, and public discourse on local and global topics relevant to its themes. They also do offer outreach exhibits and presentations for the community. They have limited in-person hours, however, if you're in Seattle it's worth going out of the way to check out and support. The Unity Museum is on the bus route within the University District and it's super close to a couple hotels (including the one I stayed at, Graduate). It's also adjacent to University of Washington. While I wish accessibility was much improved, ultimately this place is super cool and I still give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

An awesome space, a complete individual initiative by a wonderfully energetic and dynamic woman who…read moreis available for conversation, tours and sharing wisdom equally and for all. The doors of the Unity Museum opened in 2012 and this location has been serving the University District since 2014. Exhibits rotate about every three months, including topics such as history of Seattle, the importance of the role of women in society, race and race unity, the complementarity of science and religion, and much, much more. Come and meet Zabine and the volunteers who keep the space warm, questions answered, coffee and homemade cookies on hand for visitors and guests. Come back for more learning and participating in activities including a monthly brunch, fireside chats and so much more. It's a lovely, cozy space with much to offer, learn and share with the community, not just university students, but students at all ages and stages. Keep an eye out for more activities, including a children's story time and classes.

Seattle Chinese Garden is located at South Seattle College. Having visited a few Chinese gardens…read moreincluding the one in Portland, I thought this one was a bit lacking and feels somewhat incomplete. It feels like a "set design" Chinese garden which has the facade, but not much of anything else. There is a main Chinese garden building and that is just about it. A bamboo garden can be found behind it, but it is not very big. Found it a bit difficult to get an Instagram worthy photo here. I would skip this spot if you are a tourist in Seattle and time is limited. From a community perspective though, I would find this an appealing place to visit if I lived in the neighborhood and was walking in the area.

We attended Astro Lumina tonight. Wonderful experience. We were very lucky with the weather, which…read moredidn't hurt... but I can imagine in any weather it would be worthwhile. What I didn't realize before going is that there are 9 light installations. Each tells a 3-4 minute part of the larger story. The music and lights are coordinated to tell the story. I found it beautiful and soulful. It was a great way for us to feel part of a greater whole during this holiday season.

Great tour in an under the radar Seattle museum. It's housed mainly on the 3rd floor of a working…read moreAT&T communications building and is open SUNDAYS only from 10-3. Be amazed by a century's worth of telephone equipment from the very first sending device to video phones from the 1964 World's Fair. Your tour guides are equal parts excited and surprised that you are there and able to explain how your call actually gets routed to Beechwood 45789. This is good for all ages, especially 15 and up. Work this into your weekend.

If you're a fan of old tech, phones, computers, data transmission, this is a very worthwhile visit…read more Knowledgeable guides tour small groups around working telephone switches, inside a decomissioned telephone switch building. Definitely a museum aimed at a particular audience, the more technical you are, the more interesting it will be. Youngsters will probably be bored unless they are slightly older and have some experience with electronics. No question or technology is too obscure for the very capable guides.