Seattle, Washington

America’s Contemporary Frontier

Monica Poling

Seattle’s history is made up of the stories of adventurers and explorers. In its earliest days the city called to loggers seeking their fortunes in timber. Then tall ships and schooners sailed into Elliott Bay bringing with them sailors who would call the city home. The eventual discovery of gold only added to the city’s appeal. Today the city continues to be an American frontier, where modern-day adventurers have made their fortunes in aeronautics, coffee, high-tech and independent music. And just as Seattle offers a rich tribute to its early beginnings, so does the city provide a diverse and eclectic collection of some of the most contemporary exhibitions, programs and tours in the country.

Experience Music Project

As the birthplace of much of the American indie music scene, Seattle has also given birth to the Experience Music Project (EMP), which is dedicated to exploring American popular music. EMP combines memorabilia with high-tech displays, and prominently features oral histories and interviews. In October 2007, EMP rolled out American Sabor, the first ever bilingual exhibition to explore the influence and importance of Latinos in American popular music. The exhibit includes oral history interviews with 45 Latino musicians.

Seattle Music Map

Need more music? In 2005, the Seattle Mayor's Office of Film and Music created the Seattle Music Map, An Insider's Guide to Seattle's Music History. The map guides music lovers to places where Seattle’s most meaningful music history has been played. Discover where Nirvana had its first Seattle show, visit the waterfront hotel where the Beatles fished from their guestroom window during their first American tour in 1964 or see a show at the Crocodile Café, an early Pearl Jam haunt. The Seattle Music Map is available at music retail outlets, coffee shops, hotels and visitor information centers in the Puget Sound region.

Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame

Also located on the grounds of the Seattle Center (along with the Experience Music Project) is the groundbreaking Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. The world’s first museum devoted to Science Fiction in literature and media, the museum collection includes works by George Lucas, Gene Rodenberry, James Cameron and Steven Spielberg. More than just a sweeping tribute to sci fi, the museum also examines media perceptions of robots, monsters and aliens, past and present, and how those depictions reflect our own ideas about culture, government and freedom.

Museum of Glass: International Center for Contemporary Art

For visually stunning contemporary art in an equally breathtaking setting, the Museum of Glass (in Tacoma) is a not-to-be-missed attraction. Located on Tacoma’s revitalized waterfront, the iconic museum features glass works created by leading artists in this emerging medium. The museum’s hot shop amphitheater is a working glass studio and many artists create pieces for the museum in this very spot. Hands-on art workshops are also available. The museum is linked to downtown Tacoma via the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a 500-foot-long pedestrian overpass shrouded in glass art from renowned local artist Dale Chihuly. In November, the museum features Ho! Ho! Blow! where two glassblowing teams compete to create the largest Christmas ornament ever.

Sunday Ice Cream Tour

No trip to Seattle is complete without hopping a ferry at least once. A contemporary spin on the classic history tour is Seattle Ferry Service’s Sunday Ice Cream Tour The ferry ride is affordable for the whole family ($10 for adults with ice cream treats running just a dollar or two more) and even FiFi and Fluffy are welcome for those who don’t travel without their pets. These quirky, narrated tours take visitors around Lake Union, providing humorous insight into the area's past and present, provide incredible views of the colorful waterfront and the famous houseboats located there.