I arrived at Cascadia Art Museum at 5:06 PM, expecting to explore the exhibits during regular hours…read moresince Apple Maps had listed them as open until 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, the museum had already closed to the public. Luckily, Sydney kindly invited me to stay for a private evening event that was just about to begin. The $20 admission ended up being incredibly worthwhile. Before the event I was able to walk around and see the gallery entirely while the staff set -up. The event featured a guest lecture by Dr. Simon Lhopiteau, a Paris-based art historian who recently opened a studio in Seattle. His talk centered on Henry Saÿen, a chemist-turned-painter whose work is rarely acknowledged in mainstream art history. We discussed Saÿen's invention of the self-regulating X-ray tube, his move to Paris during the rise of the avant-garde, and the influence of Henri Matisse on his artistic development. Dr. Lhopiteau also spoke about how both Henry Saÿen and Henri Matisse were among the early artists to shape the foundation of modern self-portraiture. Their work explored internal perception just as much as external form, and this introspective approach helped redefine how artists captured the self. He also shared how abstract and impressionist art in the early 20th century was not just rejected by the public, but often met with deep hostility and even violence. One of the highlights of the evening was Saÿen's 1903 painting titled Primitive Agricultures. We also explored the legendary artist gatherings at Le Dôme café in Paris and discussed the deeper connection between light, geometry, and perception in modern painting. The entire conversation felt alive--intellectually rich, spontaneous, and deeply human. It was one of the most engaging experiences I've had in a long time. Before leaving, I visited the museum gift shop and picked out a beautiful orange floral scarf for my mom. The shop was just as thoughtfully curated as the rest of the space. I also had the pleasure of speaking with Nancy, one of the museum ambassadors, who was incredibly kind and insightful. She told me about her travels through the Balkan countries and the museums and art collections she visited abroad. I shared my love for Renaissance art and armor from the Middle Ages and she encouraged me to visit France to experience those collections firsthand. I mentioned that my niece is French and currently studying there, so now I have even more reason to go. Before I left, I met Julie, the museum's education director, and learned that her academic thesis focused on Renaissance art and the representation of women. It was such an energizing conversation. She even gave me a list of local spots to eat, which meant a lot since I needed to grab dinner for my family after the event. I have attached the photos part of the current exhibit to this review to encourage people to see art in person because it is of amazing quality and deserves recognition. Had I arrived during regular hours, I probably would have paid $12 or gotten in free with my student ID, but I'm honestly glad I came when I did. Cascadia is not just a museum. It's a place of conversation, discovery, and connection. Whether you're visiting for the art or open to the unexpected, it's absolutely worth the experience.

I had the pleasure of attending a curator talk at the Cascadia Art Museum, and it was phenomenon!!…read moreDavid Martin is a dynamic speaker and is a world recognized art historian of northwest style arts. He walked us through an exhibit called "Urban Scenes of Seattle: 1910-1960". Apparently in the "old days" and before the internet, Eastern U.S. arts are influenced primarily by European arts, while Western U.S. arts are influenced by both European arts and Asian arts. As a result, these mid-1900s regional arts has an intriguing amalgam of art styles from other parts of the world while serving as a historical data point of our area. I highly, highly recommend attending one of his "coffee with the curator" talks that give so much behind-the-scenes story of the artists, many of whom David personally knows. Other than the Urban Scenes exhibit, they are currently featuring a special exhibit of Christmas cards that are individually made by local artists that were sent to family and friends. No two are the same! The museum is modest size but packs a punch! It is definitely a local gem. Housed in an old Safeway building, it shares space with a bistro in the same building. Their museum store also has excellent pieces from artists and/or uniquely curated pieces. And they sell books written by David Martin. He'll autograph them if you want!

Wow! Can't believe we've never taken the time to visit this place before. What a fantastic AND FREE…read moremuseum. Amazing restored equipment and impactful exhibits and stories. Don't miss this place.

So.... My hubby loves history and especially military history. He also loves to read every single…read moreplacard, display, plaque and so on. I was through the entire museum in an hour- I read things that interest me and admire the sheer size and engineering for various planes and tanks. I was fascinated to learn about the "Night Witches"- a Russian squad of female pilots who made nighttime bomb runs. First country to allow women to fly bomb runs. And how they did it- flying low, cutting the engines to glide silently over targets and the only warning was the whistling of the bombs dropping through the air. They also had a ball turret solo on display and I want so badly to sit in one to experience just how tight that was for those few men small enough to even work that under the belly of B-17 or B-24. The tank cut in half was also very impressive. John took almost 2.5 hours and stayed till closing. Bonus- great gift shop, we snagged some Christmas gifts for some of out aviation loving family members!

I love art and I love the Seattle Art Museum! I love most of its permanent exhibits---especially…read moreits African arts collection, PNW tribal art and the Porcelain Room. But I enjoy the temporary exhibitions they install. I've been going to the SAM for more than 20 years. I can't afford to be a member or pay the regular admission, so I'm excited to go on Free First Thursdays. It's such a wonderful opportunity and program to those who can't afford to view art, but appreciate it.

First Thursday means free entrance to this lovely Seattle Art Museum…read more Amazing display of art, Pacific Northwest art and culture. Lots to see. Love seeing this place. Today we witnessed a traveling art by Calder and Tara Donovan.

The Shoreline Museum is where I learned how to type S.O.S. on a telegraph when I was growing up. We…read morecame here for school to learn about the history of our city, Shoreline, and some basics about various technology that existed and played an important role in societal functioning roughly time-coincident with the history of the city, such as the telegraph. That was the museum set-up in the former building, a brick building that has since been integrated into the current Shorewood High School campus. The exhibits did/do a good job of providing foundational knowledge of the city and how it has operated as a community through the decades. It is also one of the best museums I have been to in terms of providing an appropriate amount of broader world context as relevant for the city in its history. The new building has a different layout, but preserves the feel of the former building.

Did you know Shoreline had a Historical Museum? I didn't until I was driving up 99 the other day…read moreand saw a brown sign that said Historical Museum that way, so I went that way, I wanted to check it out. It's housed in the historic Ronald Elementary School building and it's FREE! Yes another free thing to do in Seattle. The museum preserves, records and interprets the history of the Shoreline area which I found out is Broadview, Lake City, Lake Forest Park, North City, Richmond Beach and Ronald. If you like antique radios they have a room on the third floor filled with historic radios and memorabilia and apparently it's where the Puget Sound Antique Radio Association meets each month, in case you're into that kind of thing. The 'exhibit' I liked best was also on the third floor in the Jeanne Crane Room it was filled with newspaper clippings of crimes in the area many years ago. Everything from accidents to murders to prostitutions to missing people to assaults to robberies. Some of the articles were hard to read due to the photocopying of them but the details provided were interesting totally different from the way the news is reported today. The rest of the museum is ok with more bits and pieces of history about the area. I'm glad I went but I doubt I'll ever go back unless for some reason I need to do some research on something that happened in the Shoreline area. If you live in the area I say go check it out but if not don't make a special trip.

The volunteer that met us at the entrance was very knowledgeable and seemed passionate about his…read morejob. Great museum with educational videos, and some hands on for both adults and children.

If you appreciate our great military forces, you will enjoy visiting this beautiful Naval Museum…read more The history of undersea warfare is definitely on full display and proud Americans will be impressed and other visitors will be delighted. The admission is free and the volunteers are very knowledgeable.

The best bathroom in Lynnwood! I love this park because of its historical buildings, old trolley…read moreand chicken statues. The park is green with tons of trees and several little picnic tables. The Wickers store houses the Lynnwood Visitors Center, as well as a little museum. But, the best part of this park is the bathrooms! They are so clean and well-equipped. When I walked into the women's, I was greeted by the smell of fresh cedar. Instead of smelling like a backwoods outhouse, it smelled like a fresh cedar forest! This park is a really well-kept secret, because it's a bit off the beaten path, but it's an awesome place to have a picnic and take in some history - oh yeah, and if you have to pee the facilities are extra nice!

Great park. A few tables to enjoy a nice lunch. Small but cozy. Bathrooms are behind the visitors…read morecenter building. The staff is so amazing and they volunteer to be amazing. Great history about the trolley. You can spend about two hours here. Right off the freeway. Very clean. Amazing landscaping. Parking available. Not too busy.

MoPOP was one of the more unique museums I visited in Seattle…read more The exhibits cover a wide range of pop culture, from music and movies to sci-fi and fantasy. I especially enjoyed the music-related sections, which featured iconic artists, memorabilia, and interactive displays that made the experience feel more engaging than just walking through a gallery. The horror section in the basement was also top tier, with so many cool set pieces from classic horror movies on exhibit. Ticket prices were about 35$ a person but very worth the price. Highly recommend adding MoPOP to your Seattle itinerary!

Museum of Pop Culture took me a decade to finally go. Waited too long…read more Back when Frank Gehry was still around, I lived next to Linda's Tavern, the last place Kurt Cobain was seen. Wild to be here now and the Cobain exhibit is gone after all these years, and so has Frank (RIP); architectural genius. The building still hits. The architecture alone is worth it. Sci-fi, horror, and fantasy exhibits carry the experience. At this point, I'd come back for the rotating shows, Rebels & Icons on the 15th, and the upstairs Lounge Bar. Low key hidden, solid pop art food/drinks, complimentary chips with their own seasoning, and great service. The museum should separate this bar on Yelp, I want to review this separately.(hint) That combo makes the membership make sense.