I was pleasantly surprised by how good this museum is. Having lived in Seattle for more than 5 years, I went for the first time today. Yes, the first Thursday of the month is free general admission. But that is only to view the exhibits and galleries. There is an additional charge for the live guided tour of a historic Chinatown hotel and the Yick Fung Company store, which I thought was the most fascinating part. So much history that is never really taught anywhere and well preserved. I gladly paid the $9.95 (discounted from $12.95) since at least part of it goes towards running this museum and preserving a unique part of Seattle history. Much of the first floor is more "art" done by local Asian artists, with a bit of detail about their personal backgrounds. The levels above have more historical displays and posters depicting the history of different groups of immigrants. There is also a "kids" area that I peaked at, but having two young kids myself, I don't think they'd really be interested in it. Definitely a place to spend a good 2 hours taking the tour and going through all the displays. Don't bring younger kids or they may force you to leave earlier than you wanted to. read more

Very educational visit regarding the Bruce Lee and the Asian American history. The surrounding area seems a bit old and run down but definitely could feel the Asian culture in the neighborhood. The only thing I wish was they offer a shuttle or tour service to Bruce Lee's grave site. read more

This museum turned out to be a great experience thanks to Don, whose a tour guide at the museum. The ticket cost about $13 (adult) and I expected this place to be a typical museum where you just walk around and check out displays. The $13 ticket included a 30-40 minute tour guide and time for checking out some displays. This museum is small but it's full of surprises. I would write about it here but I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll be amazed how it's a lot bigger than what it seems from the outside. What made my experience great was the tour guide. Don was very informative and passionate about the history of Asian immigrants to Seattle. As a person with Asian ethnicity, I gotta say Wing Luke Museum is impressive for what it stands for. This place is one of Seattle's treasure. A place people can go back to learn not only about being the hardships that Asian immigrants had to endure but what it means to be Asian American. Wing Luke Museum is like a time capsule hidden under ground. You dig up the time capsule and you're surprised with what you found. I have family in Japan and I hope to bring them here someday. Don was very informative about the history of Japanese Americans in Seattle that it made me want to learn more. It's surprising that Nihonmachi/Japan Town used to be 4 times the size of current China Town. This place is a must for everyone. read more

Stumbled upon this museum unexpectedly. We we're drawn in by the Bruce Lee tour sign outside. Unfortunately we had missed that tour for the day so we embarked on the Historical Hotel tour instead. As a person of Asian descent I didn't feel like I would learn anything new... boy was I wrong. To actually see the conditions of living spaces in Chinatown while hearing the stories from the tour guide was a unique and educational experience. So glad we stopped by! read more

Wing Luke preserves the culture of Asian Pacific and of the area. I enjoy the tour of the original hotel and store that is part of the museum and is only accessible through the tour. The rooms gave a glimpse of the struggle and growth of the international district of Seattle. It brought the Asian Pacific American culture to life. Also seeing the Bruce Lee exhibit is nice since he is still one of the only iconic Asian American to break through into Hollywood. read more

One of the most extraordinary small-scale exhibitions to come to Seattle was the 2002 "Visas for Life: The Story of Dr. Feng Shan Ho," otherwise known as the Chinese Oskar Schindler. Ho, the Chinese consul-general in Vienna during World War II was able to write thousands of visas for European Jews to exit that troubled continent and escape to Shanghai ca. 1938. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200511/11/eng20051111_220515.html His little known but incredible story was recounted through archival documentation, facsimiles thereof or the "real thing," artifacts, photographs, and panel exposition. (His daughter Manli Ho, in collaboration with the Washington State Holocaust Center, came to Seattle during the run of the exhibition to deliver three public talks ). It took about 60 years for such information to be made public, about the time it has taken for the film "Nanking," a documentary about the massacre of about 200,000 Chinese persons (30,000 women raped as well) in the eponymous city that began 70 years ago on December 13, 1947 when the Japanese over-ran the city, to make it to the silver screen. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5giIefywvHXA2HwzsSLDt-_yipiig http://www.gendercide.org/case_nanking.html Here, too, through the valiant efforts of several individuals--all foreigners--who refused to leave Nanjing when the Japanese took control--thousands of lives were saved when those same persons. at obvious peril to their own lives, set up a "safe zone" from the Japanese military. One of those individuals was, ironically, John Rabe, a German and member of the Nazi Party. (The late author Iris Chang wrote of this in her best-selling "The Rape of Nanjing"). I think the point is that there have been several Oskar Schindlers throughout modern history. We are used to thinking there was one and only Schindler (and his famous List), but those heroic deeds belong to no one race, people, nation, group, or epoch in time. And it takes a body of individuals as well to bring these stories to the attention of the general public. The Wing Luke Museum will reopen in the spring of 2008 in a vastly improved space, in a century-old building that, renovated, will be a good example of historic preservation--also in the International District. Small specialized museums such as this have an important contribution to make, though they live in the shadow of "blockbuster" exhibitions (such as the King Tut of the '70s or the coming Louvre show of Greco-Roman art). May its future programs have the import of "Visas for Life," which though ended, lives on in the actions of humanity. read more

Such a fun time and well designed space! I went on Saturday, March 19. We caught a free walking tour that went into some otherwise closed-off rooms that recreated historical shops and boarding rooms. The tour guide was super fun, charismatic, knowledgable, and engaging. There was only one kid in the group but he loved it. The Bruce Lee exhibit is very cool and interactive. read more

We took Bruce Lee tour and it was very boring. Either he wasn't an interesting person or the tour is just plain boring. It wasn't even a show and tell. It was pretty much textbook tellings that he did this and he did that. Nothing you don't already know from googling. The most dreadful part was walking around Chinatown, standing in front of some buildings to hear about what Bruce Lee did that related to these places. We didn't get to go inside. Yep. Just standing outside and hear the tour guide telling stories. The last place we visited was the Capoeira class and it got nothing to do with Bruce Lee. $45/ticket is not worth it. read more

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i really enjoyed this museum. at 12.50 per adult, the price is very reasonable given that you have multiple displays as well as a guided tour. keep in mind that they HONOR the north american RECIPROCAL agreements that work with most museums (if you happen to have that level of membership!) dan is a great orator and storyteller. it was fun listening to him. the yick fung shop is utterly amazing. the preserved hotel is really unbelievable as well. it's worth stopping by after you stuff your face full of dumplings at the szechuan noodle bowl. read more

I've been to several museums and this was one of my favorites. The set up of getting to walk into what would be a 1910 style hotel where Asian Immigrants would come to start their American dreams and to see what it might look like and few like was just so fascinating. It made my kids realize how our ancestors may have sacrificed for them. We got to see the inside of a store and it has so many neat artifacts! Would recommend this to anyone interested in learning about Seattle's rich Asian immigrant population's experiences. We also happened to be there to catch the Bruce Lee exhibit which was very interesting as well. read more

Visited: JUNE, 2015 This museum is a great museum for American Asian history and culture. Located in Seattle Chinatown, it a pretty cool place to hang out. Coming down from Vancouver Canada, we went because of the Bruce Lee exhibit. We took the walking tour of Bruce Lee's hangouts - The tour it self wasn't what I expected. A few hours of walking to some places where Bruce Lee hung out and trained. The guide was a nice guy, but lack the speaking volume. We ended the tour with a meal at Tai Tung (Bruce's favourite restaurant). Back at the museum, camera weren't allowed in the exhibit. The exhibit was an excellent one with powerful and inspiration meaning. I'm not a huge Bruce fan, but my friend was - I still learned a few things of him. The other exhibit of the museum is all right. There is a second level with more exhibits and areas. read more

A promising museum for Asian American history that needs some polish to make it truly shine. My brother and I stumbled across the Wing Luke museum on the first Thursday of the month so it was FREE (August). Which worked out because since it just moved to this new location, half the exhibit space was empty (a work in progress sign). The other half was dedicated to the immigrant diaspora experience whether it be Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, etc. One room was dedicated to vintage artifacts dating from the original Chinatown and elsewhere: old passport documents (Chinese immigrants), barber shop razors (Indians), clam shuckers (Filipino workers), traditional wedding gowns (Chinese and Korean) and the original military uniforms for the Asian-Americans who fought in WWII (?!). That was pretty cool. I appreciated the big umbrella approach this place had and I learned ALOT about Seattle's history with its Asian immigrants. I loved the gift shop (would make for great Seattle souvenirs). Would definitely go back again if they attracted some cool exhibits. Lots of potential. The only thing missing was Seattle's most celebrated Asian (no disrespect to Wing Luke!): Bruce Lee. C'mon! read more

Lovely museum! Enjoyed the tour with Don very much. Bruce Lee exhibit was terrific also.

As an employee of one of Wing Luke's "sister" institutions in San Francisco, I am so, so jealous and inspired by this museum, the stories it tells, and the staff who bring them to life. I'm also very excited that they will soon have a new space in which to share these stories! Wing Luke interprets the history of Asian Americans in the Pacific Northwest, particular to the community in the International District. Permanent exhibits include "Densho", on Japanese American internment in WWII (focusing on the nearby Camp Harmony detention facility and Minidoka) and displays on the history and culture of the many ethnic groups who have settled in Seattle. Rotating exhibits have featured everything from adoption to domestic violence to Filipino American journeys... what makes this museum unique in the nation is that they tell an *Asian* American story, but this is also what makes the Seattle International District unique as well. The exhibit developers put so much care into making sure that the exhibits are accessible to visitors of all ages, and that they are interactive and relevant. Many artifacts are "out in the open" and galleries are staged to reenact a place -- WLAM feels very welcoming and contemplative. Kudos to the staff, volunteers, and board :) read more

Great muesum, great tours, awesome architecture. I have been here every time I've visited seattle. Top notch. Really. Also, tip- if you "check in"-through yelp... you get $2 dollars off read more

Great history lesson to those who are Interested. You can learn the roots of many Asian cultures and even what some did here in America a very long time ago. The Bruce Lee exhibit was very intriguing. Seeing that part of the museum was a great experience. Also the floating letters as you walk up the stairs to the other exhibits was a beautiful piece to that museum. Didn't have much time to stay there and read everything but I hope one day I can go back there to do so. read more

Was a good learning experience about seattle and Wing luke. If your looking to come here expect to be here for an hour or so. Our tour guide knew Bruce Lee. read more

Wing Luke Museum - Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Just 4-5 blocks from the King Street Station on Amtrak or the Chinatown/International District stop on the light rail - this is a must stop. It is also only 6-7 blocks from Safeco and Century Link Fields. I have visited over 75 museums, presidential residences, battlefields, monuments ... across the United States and the combination of the Wing Luke Museum and its surrounding neighborhoods is one of my top five favorites. The museum can be thoughtfully visited in 1/2 day with additional time for a neighborhood tour. It is a great accounting of the history of Asian-Americans in the Northwest. The Chinatown tour of the neighborhood cannot be missed and the relatively short tour of the remnants of Japan town was equally interesting. Our tour guide, Doan, provided great academic and historical information as well as significant perspective based upon her own personal experiences. She was happy to answer both historical and touristy questions.. Check the times for regularly scheduled neighborhood tours including tour based on the novel "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet". Additionally, Chinatown is a relatively compact neighborhood with many restaurants, markets, stores, and a fortune cookie company just up the hill from the museum. It is also a very short walk to Pioneer Square Lastly, the museum has two wonderful meeting/educational spaces. Our group of 36 teachers was very comfortable in both the theater and board room style space. This is a great place for educational groups, service groups, or business groups to go and learn read more

I have visited twice in the past two years. Not often enough since the museum features new exhibits in its beautiful facility along with its permanent collection. The museum does a wonderful job recognizing Asian history as it relates to the northwest immigration and the importance of the Asian people to the development of commerce and culture. It is moving and inspiring. Very nice staff and the tour guides are so knowledgeable. read more

If Asian history is of interest to you, this is the place. The exterior is very well kept and welcoming. Once inside, it's total fascination and a way to get lost in time for awhile. The exhibits are well maintained and easy to see. This is a cool place for museum lovers. read more

This museum offered more than I expected. Aaaannnd, they had a 3 year run of the Bruce Lee Exhibit! We got to see the 3rd year when we first moved here. The opening ceremonies were such a tribute! Martial arts demonstrations, interviews from his wife and daughter, and a cha cha flash mob. He was a cha cha master and that was his other thing outside of martial arts and breaking barriers for Asians in film. They have a small gift shop with cool nic nacs. I love the local jewelry designs and literature, a total blend of the exhibits, Seattle, and local artists. The other exhibits take into account stigmas and racism that we don't typically see in our culture. They also cover fashion and history of other countries. They definitely dive a bit deeper than you would ever get exposure to. A neat visit and totally fitting that it's in the International District. Also, they have free admission on first Thursdays of the month! read more

Excellent museum on the history on different Asian cultures. Happen to come across this place last minute due to the Bruce Lee exhibit. A little disappointed that the museum was a lot smaller that I thought. Also the gift shop was very tiny with limited amount of items. Not too pricey for only being $15 a person. You do get a discount if checking in on yelp. Also discounts to military personnel. It was nice to walk around and see the different rooms with all of the different exhibits. read more

This museum is fantastic -- if anything it deserves 5 stars for what it does for/with the International District and the Seattle community at large. For those of you who don't know -- this museum isn't based off of your typical "museum model." The Wing Luke hires people directly from the community with skills and assets that are needed -- not necessarily people with "Museology" skills of experience. A large part of their collection is not permanent, but on loan or donated from the local community as well. They do not have a cafe in order to encourage patronage at the plethora of restaurants and shops in the ID, but they do have a gift shop in order to bring a little more retail economy to the area. Events to draw in the "local stranger" (aka Seattle resident who have never been there) are held fairly regularly. And of course, as their new longer name indicates, the exhibits focus mainly on the stories of Asian American experience. You get a wide range of objects here -- art; contemporary of all sorts and more classic pieces, historical artifacts, personal histories, exhibits created by local children in the area, etc. The building itself is incredible and full of awesome local history. It was a hotel/boarding house back in the day, catering mainly to immigrants and their families when they first came to the Seattle area. The Wing Luke made this history part of their museum by maintaining a large portion of this historic hotel -- which makes up for the most fascinating exhibit in the museum if you ask me. It is not normally accessible however unless you go on the Historic tour. They are run hourly so there is no excuse to NOT go, and really you should. They also go on street tours which, from what I understand, involve food. So hit that up also folks! Also available to the public is the Gary Locke library which is an excellent resource to students, genealogists, historians, or anyone who may have a passing interest in Asian American experience here in the Pacific Northwest. This place is such an asset to the ID and Seattle as a whole! I can go on and on about how lovely it is inside and the great work they do with and for the community, but just go for yourself people. See what this awesome museum has to offer. read more

The tour was very good definitely recommend you take it if you come visit. The museum is very clean and well organized. You can get cultural information from different Asian backgrounds not just Chinese. I enjoyed waking through the exhibits there's information on each wall. read more

Wing Luke Museum - Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A small, but very interesting museum. Staff are very friendly and informative. We took the free museum tour, that was included with our ticket. The tour guide took us to an old import/export shop next door which is now owned by the museum and an old immigrant hotel. Really enjoyed this tour. The Bruce Lee exhibit was also very good. It was very interesting to learn about Wing Luke, and as an Asian immigrant, I am thankful to Wing Luke for all he achieved for the rights of Asian immigrants in Seattle, hear! hear!. read more

As an Asian-American, going to the Wing Luke museum was one of the greatest learning experiences of my entire life. There's an extensive collection, and an eclectic mix, of historical artifacts and modern exhibits. Not only does the museum provide great insight on what life was like for Seattle's Asian community in the city's early days, but it also serves as an important cultural institution for a racial group whose own history has, by and large, been ignored in the context of the history of our very nation. read more

Seattle has such an interesting history, especially regarding Asian Americans. The exhibits take about an hour and a half to go through if you're a normal person. I read every word on every description, so it took me over two hours. Really loved the Bruce Lee exhibit! One of the most interesting aspects of the museum was the hotel tour. The museum was built in an old hotel that used to be occupied by Asian immigrant workers. The tour guide also goes into a lot of the history of nearby buildings and family associations. You really learn a lot. Definitely a highly recommended hidden gem in Seattle. read more

We are big fans of Bruce Lee. That's why we signed up for the Bruce Lee Chinatown tour. The tour guide was knowledgeable about the Chinatown area and developments but what we were expecting was Bruce Lee related and not Chinatown and its developments or history. If we want to learn more insights of Chinatown, we would have signed up for a Chinatown tour. 'a meal of Bruce Lee's favorite dishes at a neighborhood restaurant' was one of the selling point. The worse part of the tour was the lunch. The food at Tai Tung was very oily and salty. Frankly speaking, we do not think it was anywhere close to Bruce Lee's favorite dishes! After that lunch, my friend and I experienced diarrhea and was sick for 2 days. As for the "Do you know Bruce?" exhibits in the Wing Luke museum, the exhibit was interesting, but very much smaller than we thought it would be. For that price, we were very disappointed to find that there were no cameras allowed or souvenirs given from the tour, where it is a tour on Bruce Lee. For tourist like us, it is not worth to pay that price, where the tour is across a span of 3 years and you only get to see parts of it, unless you have intention to return to Seattle for the next 2 years. It was a bad experience for us and we were in Seattle for 7 days, out of which 2 days was ill due to the food we ate. read more

Beautiful place. This is definitely one of my favorite places to see in Seattle. Also, great staff and really cute store. :) I would visit again read more

I didn't expect to enjoy this museum as much as I did. I definitely recommend taking a tour - I happened to take mine with the namesake's nephew who was ridiculously knowledgable about all things Asian American. I also really enjoyed the fashion and paper art exhibit. The fashion exhibit not only showcased the well-known names like Derek Lam, but also local artists, which I found very cool. Well worth a visit! read more

As a second generation Asian American this museum holds a lot of meaning to me. Even though all the members of my family emigrated after WWII, the exhibit on the relocation camps (might as well say concentration camps) can still send shivers down my spine, as it will for anyone, Asian or not. The diversity of the International District is celebrated here, and believe me, it's diverse. This is a terrific museum and one everyone should visit. read more

I love this place. I been here twice. Once at the old building and once at the current building. There is so much to read and so much history to learn. The dispays are always interesting and fun to look at. The only thing I would say that's bad is that the place is not big enough. read more

Absolutely one of the finest museum experiences I've ever had. I needed to kill time before a flight and ended up staying for four hours. As someone with a normal limit of two hours for museums, they are doing it right! I came in for the Bruce Lee exhibit and thought this was a tiny place, but it's maze-like and they use the space beautifully. Everything is well spaced and comfortable while still being packed. Not only was the Bruce Lee exhibit more than I was hoping for, I hit the Korean-American experience exhibit and was blown away. All the art gallery spaces are lovely and well laid out. But, the star is the guided tour of the historic spaces, included in admission. Our guide was the very best I've ever had in any museum, I wish I could remember his name. Plus, the staff in general were just the bees knees. Super friendly, super helpful, super at everything. I'll definitely be back. read more

Great museum, but most of all amazing staff. The tour guides went above and beyond to accommodate our group (2 adults and 7 children). Very interesting to see old Seattle history and hotel! read more

i'm pretty bias since this is my culture and i'm an asian american studies buff (if there is such a thing). seattle has a large asian american community currently and with a rich history. i think this museum does a great job at sharing the story and experiences of the old and with the new- which is important as we learn about our past and where we have come, and where we are now. Experiences of the NEW is what surprised me and something i find lacking in the other Asian American museums i have visited. For example, when i went they had contemporary issues of LGBT Asian Americans. it is a small museum and asian americans make up a HUGE group of ethnicities but they do a great job trying to give a break down of the history in U.S. and the local connection with Seattle. -FREE first thursdays and third saturdays. read more

What a delightful museum experience! I am grateful that such a museum exists and the Asian American story is not a forgotten one. My boyfriend and I visited on a particularly rainy day but even the weather couldn't keep us from making a stop here during our Seattle travels. The two most notable activities were the Bruce Lee exhibit and the hotel tour. Our tour guide, Shea, was very knowledgeable and open to our questions and feedback. The hotel tour was a time of reflection and tribute to the sacrifices of early Asian settlers in Seattle. Our total time at the museum was about three hours which included the hotel tour and multiple exhibits including one featuring Asian-Americans in sports. Give yourself ample time to take everything in. I have a newfound appreciation of Seattle's rich Asian heritage and history. Keep up the great work, Wing Luke Museum and keep telling the stories! read more

More a community center featuring personal assemblages, rather than a museum showcasing Asian artists or providing an historic perspective.

This place you can learn a lot about Asian history. If you in Seattle and are Asian you should stop by and pay some respect to these idols. Amazing footage and people. So interesting and so much antiqued behind it. For $20 you can spend a couple of hours there. I only went there because I am a Bruce lee fan, however there are other people you should learn about Asian culture. read more

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I am a huuuge Bruce Lee admirer! I loved learning everything about him that i didnt know or that you can't see online. I thought it was going to be a lot bigger than it was; but am in no way complaining! Seeing the things he personally trained with and how he did it was amazing. Seeing his best friend Taky Kimura talking about him and knowing that intrain with him makes me feel like I've almost met Sifu Bruce. Can't wait till they open the Bruce Lee Action Museum!! Highly recommend if your a fan of Bruce Lee. read more

We took a group of college students. We were split into two groups, and each group thought that the tour was one of the best ones they had ever experienced. Obviously, this is just not one guide but a pattern of institutional excellence. read more