Museum of Pop Culture Museum

Address: 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA

Website: https://www.mopop.org/

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mondays

Admission: Adult admission (check site for current price)

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is a cultural museum in Seattle dedicated to contemporary popular culture, with particular emphasis on music, science fiction, and related media. Its sculptural building was designed by Frank Gehry and is located on the Seattle Center campus next to the Space Needle.

Permanent and temporary galleries cover topics such as rock and pop music history, sound and recording technology, video games and interactive media, and science fiction. The museum includes large-format spaces for performances and events and maintains educational and research programs.

MoPOP was founded by Paul Allen and opened initially as the Experience Music Project; it has since broadened its remit to encompass multiple strands of pop culture while keeping strong music-collection components. The museum also houses the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

The museum is situated at Seattle Center in central Seattle.

• Architecture and location: The museum building was designed by architect Frank Gehry and sits on the Seattle Center campus adjacent to the Space Needle.
• Founding and focus: Founded by Paul Allen and originally opened as the Experience Music Project, the institution emphasizes music, popular culture and interactive exhibits.

What to See#

• Sky Church: A multi-purpose interior space used for concerts, talks and large-scale video and light shows integrated into the museum’s exhibitions.
• Music and interactive galleries: Hands-on and sound-focused exhibits, including the interactive Sound Lab and displays of rock and pop instruments within the museum’s music collections.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, a permanent display housed within the museum that honors creators in those genres.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is at Seattle Center next to the Space Needle. From downtown, take the Link Light Rail to Westlake Station and transfer to the Seattle Center Monorail (from Westlake Center) which terminates at Seattle Center - MoPOP is an easy 3-7 minute walk from the monorail stop. You can also reach Seattle Center directly by several King County Metro bus routes; driving from downtown is only a short distance (around 1-2 km north) but parking is in Seattle Center lots and can be busy during events.

• Use the Seattle Center Monorail from downtown to reach MoPOP and avoid parking congestion; mid-afternoon on weekdays usually has lighter galleries and better access to interactive exhibits.
• Give yourself time for the Sound Lab and interactive stations and check MoPOP's calendar in advance-some headline exhibits and live-program events are timed and require separate reservations.
• Don't miss the exterior architecture and nearby Space Needle sightlines-walking the short route between MoPOP and the Needle gives better photo angles than staying solely inside.