This time, we will introduce the charm of Seattle through its unique museums. In addition to coffee and cafes, the city has many cultural attractions such as art, pop culture, and aviation.
Noriko Huntsinger, an editor and writer who has lived in Seattle for 15 years and has reported a variety of articles from the city, will introduce us to a trip around Seattle's unique museums.
Text: Noriko Huntsinger Edited by Kohei Sasaki (CINRA. inc,)
Don't miss the gigantic exhibition space with 175 airplanes, including life-sized jet planes.
Seattle Museum of Flight
July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the moon.
On that memorable day, the Seattle Museum of Flight will be exhibiting the spacecraft Columbia, which served as the command module for the Apollo 11 project (it will be on display until September 2nd as part of a traveling exhibition).
The Seattle Museum of Flight is located a little south of downtown Seattle, adjacent to King County International Airport, commonly known as Boeing Field.
The vast grounds overlooking Mount Rainier, which resembles Mount Fuji, cover an area of over 25 acres (approximately 100,000 m2), and the sight of a total of 175 airplanes and spacecraft, including real jumbo jets, on display on the floor and in the air is a spectacular sight. The history of mankind and flight is on display as it is.
The permanent Apollo Gallery also features the F-1 rocket engine from Apollo 12 and 16. This was discovered and retrieved from the ocean floor using personal funds from Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, which was founded in Seattle and still has its headquarters there. This is an exhibition that could only have been made possible in Seattle.
There are also many other historical airplanes on display that will delight enthusiasts, such as the world's first fighter plane, the Caproni Ca.20, of which only one was manufactured, and the Imperial Japanese Army's fighter plane, the Nakajima Ki-43 G7 Hayabusa.
For children or those who aren't particularly interested in airplanes, the hands-on exhibits are a great option.
The Aviation Pavilion, which opened in June 2016, features real planes that are familiar to us, such as the first generation Air Force One, the private plane for the US President, and the supersonic passenger plane Concorde. Not only can you actually enter the plane, but you can also have fun pretending to check in at the mini airport corner.
In the adjacent Space Gallery, you can even enter a model of the Space Shuttle.
In addition, the flight simulator in the Great Gallery offers a realistic piloting experience with a 360-degree rotating seat depending on the state of the plane you are piloting. Behind it is a kids' park themed on Snoopy, who flew to the moon as an astronaut on the Apollo 10 in 1969.
In the exhibition room called Red Barn, which is a replica of the wooden barn-like factory that was used when Boeing was first founded, you can also learn about the history of human flight starting from the Wright brothers.
Information devices in Japanese are available for rental. The museum is open until 9:00 pm on the first Thursday of every month, and admission is free from 5:00 pm (extra fees apply for special exhibitions and the flight simulator).
From downtown Seattle, take bus number 124 from Downtown Seattle 3rd Ave & Pike St Stop #433 and you will arrive in about 15 minutes.
If you are heading back to central Seattle on your way back, we recommend getting off the bus and strolling around Georgetown, a retro neighborhood lined with brick walls. You can also enjoy local Seattle delicacies, such as craft beer and chocolate.
The Museum of Flight | ||
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business hours | : | 10:00-17:00 (until 21:00 on the first Thursday of each month) |
Closed Day | : | none |
location | : | 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98108 |
web | : | http://www.museumofflight.org/ |
A pop culture museum created by a Nobel Prize-winning architect
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
Seattle Center, one of Seattle's major tourist attractions, is located a 10-minute monorail ride from downtown Seattle.
Built on the vast site of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, this spot is home to many facilities, including art galleries, museums, theaters, and stadiums. One that particularly catches the eye is the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP).
Founded by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, which is headquartered in the suburbs of Seattle, this museum, as its name suggests, exhibits items related to the history of pop culture, including rock music, science fiction, and fantasy movies.
The building was designed by Frank O. Gehry, a legendary architect who has been awarded the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize of the architecture world. The building, which is modeled after the parts of an electric guitar, is so bold that it makes you wonder, "How did they build something like this?" It's the very definition of rock.
In fact, Seattle is also famous as a city of music, and the guitar god Jimi Hendrix, also known as "Jimi Hendrix," was born in Seattle and is one of the people who has made his mark in rock history.
Nirvana, the legendary band that became a worldwide hit in the early 1990s, also hails from Seattle, and their leader Kurt Cobain remains a charismatic figure among young people today.
Inside the museum, there are many exhibits displaying treasured items related to this great name in the rock world.
And in the science fiction and fantasy film section, you'll also find costumes and props actually used in the filming of Star Wars and ET.
There is also a section that uses installation art to recreate the worlds of fantasy and magic from classic films and TV shows, such as "The Wizard of Oz" and "Harry Potter," and there are plenty of attractions that will captivate children, including an impressive dragon.
Like Microsoft, there is also a games section provided by Nintendo of America (a subsidiary of Nintendo), which is based in the suburbs of Seattle, and from October 2019, a special exhibition of the globally popular game Minecraft is scheduled to begin.
For those who don't have time to take their time to look at the exhibits, we recommend the cafe inside the museum, which offers a special seating area from which to view the meticulous design of the building from the inside.
Right next to the museum is the free playground "Artists At Play," perfect for parents and children to stop by. The giant jungle gym designed by local artists and the slide that lets you experience the same speed as a roller coaster are popular and are always crowded with children.
If you visit Seattle Center in the summer, be sure to bring swimsuits for your children. In the center of the grounds is the International Fountain, a large fountain with fun light and music displays, where children can splash around for free.
MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) | ||
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business hours | : | 10:00-17:00 (until 19:00 in summer) |
Closed Day | : | none |
location | : | 325 5th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109 |
web | : | https://www.mopop.org/ |
Artists At Play | ||
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location | : | 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109 |
web | : | http://www.seattlecenter.com/locations/detail.aspx?id=170 |
International Fountain | ||
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location | : | 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109 |
web | : | http://www.seattlecenter.com/locations/detail.aspx?id=8 |
There are plenty of Instagrammable spots. A museum of light woven with glass plants
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Chihuly Garden & Glass, located in the same Seattle Center as MoPOP, is a popular museum that houses the works of Dale Chihuly, a glass artist who was named America's first National Living Treasure (National Living Treasure by the Institute for Human Potential, University of North Carolina) in 1992. It is also famous as a popular "Instagrammable" spot.
In 1971, Chihuly established the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle to train the next generation of glass artisans. Since then, Seattle has flourished as a city of glass art.
His colorful, vivid works, with their unique forms, are so original that you'll know it's Chihuly at a glance.
The museum is filled with works that are lit up in the darkness and works that sparkle in natural light, taking advantage of the property of glass that its appearance changes depending on the light.
There are glass artworks that look like flowers growing in clusters on the ceiling, and glass that pop up in beautiful gardens, making it seem as if the glass is alive.
If you are Japanese, you can't miss the mysterious works "Ikebana and Float Boat" and "Niijima Float," which were inspired by Ikebana and a trip to Niijima. There are also demonstrations by glass artists.
You are free to take photos as long as you don't touch the artworks. Professional photographers are always on hand, and you can download photos taken by them for free from the website.
Outside the museum, you can see the Space Needle, a landmark tower in Seattle that was renovated in 2018. The 184m-tall Space Needle has a unique observation deck with glass on both the front and bottom, and a rotating skeleton floor, giving you the feeling of walking in the air. Be sure to climb it.
Chihuly Garden and Glass | ||
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business hours | : | 10:00 - 19:00 (until 20:00 on Wednesdays to Saturdays) |
Closed Day | : | none |
location | : | 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109 |
web | : | https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/ |
Space Needle | ||
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business hours | : | 9:00-22:00 (until 23:00 on Fridays to Sundays) |
Closed Day | : | none |
location | : | 400 Broad Street, Seattle, WA 98109 |
web | : | https://www.spaceneedle.com/ |
A must-do if you visit Seattle: The world's largest factory tour, certified by Guinness
Future of Flight Aviation Center - Boeing Factory Tour
The last place I'd like to introduce is the tourist attraction "Boeing Future of Flight" located about 50km north of downtown Seattle. Since it's a little far away, I recommend that you book an optional tour in advance through a Japanese travel agency.
The Future of Flight Aviation Center is a museum where you can enjoy the history of Boeing through life-size replicas and interactive exhibits. The facility is packed with exhibits not only of airplanes, but also of spacecraft that Boeing has been involved in.
Particularly interesting is the International Space Station (ISS) simulation experience corner. When you enter a life-size replica of the experimental module called "Destiny," you can enjoy a view of the blue Earth through the window at your feet.
There is also a simulator for a space elevator that would connect Earth to space, as well as a model of a futuristic airplane, and as its name suggests, the museum is filled with exhibits that give you a sense of the future.
But the main attraction is a tour of the Boeing Everett Factory, located next to the Future of Flight. Boeing was founded in Seattle (now headquartered in Chicago), and the factory is still in full operation.
This 90-minute tour takes you around the factory, which is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest building in the world and covers an area of 1,025 acres, roughly the size of 89 Tokyo Domes.
Participants can store their bags in one of the free lockers at the Future of Flight and watch a film about the history of Boeing before boarding a bus for the drive over the highway to the factory.
You move around the large factory on foot, then go through a long tunnel and elevator to reach an observation deck with a panoramic view of the enormous space.
At the manufacturing site, where more than 30,000 people work in shifts, aircraft parts are scattered around like half-finished plastic models. It's a rare sight to see huge cranes moving and parts of aircraft flying back and forth in the air.
Please note that the Boeing Tour requires a reservation and has limited seating. Children under 122cm tall cannot participate in the tour.
If you're a plane enthusiast, you'll also want to check out the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum at nearby Paine Field.
Like MoPOP, this museum displays historical fighter planes and tanks that were collected by Microsoft founder and billionaire Paul Allen. All of the aircraft have been restored to working order, and the Japanese "Zero Fighter" is also on display. Admission is free after 2 p.m. on the first Thursday of October through March.
Boeing Future of Flight | ||
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business hours | : | 8:30 - 17:30 (Boeing tour: 9:00 - 15:00) |
Closed Day | : | none |
location | : | 8415 Paine Field Blvd, Mukilteo, WA 98275 |
web | : | https://www.futureofflight.org/ |
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum | ||
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business hours | : | 10:00~17:00 |
Closed Day | : | Mondays between Labor Day in September and Memorial Day in May |
location | : | 3407 109th Street Southwest, Everett, WA 98204 |
web | : | https://flyingheritage.org/ |
I want everyone to enjoy Seattle, a city that is kind to everyone.
Seattle is actually the closest mainland US city to Japan. It's a city that's neither urban nor rural, but just right, and yet it has museums of a rare quality that are rare even on a global scale. This is because it is sponsored by huge corporations such as Boeing and wealthy people who regularly make the rich list as a place with which they have a connection.
Each museum is barrier-free. They are equipped with ramps, elevators, and restrooms for parents and children, so parents can confidently enjoy the museums while pushing oversized strollers. This is true not only for museums, but wherever you go. Seattle is a city that is friendly to parents and children.
Seattle has several direct flights from Japan, is a departure point for cruises to Alaska, and is also a neighboring city to Canada. Summer is especially comfortable, with bright blue skies until around 9 p.m., making it the best season for travel. Why not visit once?
Huntsinger Noriko
She has worked for publishing companies in Tokyo and Seattle, and has around 20 years of experience as an editor and writer. Based in Seattle, she writes for numerous media outlets, mainly on travel, food, art, lifestyle, child-rearing, and interviews. She also works as a translator.
Facebook: @norikoarticles
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.