Art museums in Seattle include the downtown Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum, while the Burke Museum offers a North Seattle stop with art and cultural collections. You can build a day around the museums’ monthly free-entry schedules, or choose a single museum based on what you most want to see.
- Downtown art: Seattle Art Museum (SAM).
- Asian art: Seattle Asian Art Museum.
- North Seattle: Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, on the University of Washington campus.
- Recurring free entry: SAM, Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Burke Museum have free admission on the first Thursday of each month.
Choosing museums for your interests
Choose SAM or the Seattle Asian Art Museum for an art-focused visit, and the Burke Museum for a wider mix of art, natural history and culture.
The Seattle Art Museum is the downtown location in the Seattle Art Museum system. For a different focus, the Seattle Asian Art Museum has its own first-Thursday free-entry schedule, and also offers free admission on the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to SAM’s published program.
The Burke Museum is on the University of Washington campus and brings together dinosaurs, fossils, Northwest Native art, plant and animal collections, and cultural objects from around the world. Its breadth makes it a distinct alternative to a day focused on downtown art galleries. The Burke Museum visit guide covers this North Seattle museum in more detail.
A practical museum-day order
A practical plan is to pick one museum area first, then add another stop only if its location and opening pattern fit your day.
For a downtown art day, start with SAM and add the Seattle Asian Art Museum if its schedule suits your plans. Their first-Thursday free-entry hours differ: SAM is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., while the Seattle Asian Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The later closing at SAM gives you a longer window there, but the Asian Art Museum’s hours make it the earlier stop if you are visiting both that day.
To include North Seattle, plan the Burke as a separate campus visit rather than assuming it sits in the downtown museum area. The National Nordic Museum is another North Seattle cultural stop; its location and focus are covered in this guide to Seattle’s National Nordic Museum.
Admission, free-entry options and passes
For a no-cost museum day, the clearest recurring option is to plan around the first Thursday of the month.
SAM and the Seattle Asian Art Museum offer free admission to everyone on the first Thursday of each month. SAM’s Free First Thursday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Burke Museum is also free on the first Thursday and stays open until 8 p.m.
The Burke Museum’s last admission is at 4:30 p.m. Hours and admission arrangements can change, so check the official site before you go. The Burke Museum recommends public transportation when possible.
These recurring free-entry days are useful to know when weighing a Seattle museum pass, but the facts here establish the museums’ free schedules rather than the terms of a pass. Check the participating museums’ official admission information for current ticket and pass details.
How do you get from North Seattle to downtown?
The Burke Museum is in North Seattle, while SAM is downtown, so treat them as separate parts of the day and allow for the trip between them.
From Crown Inn, the Burke Museum is about a 10-minute drive, and Seattle city centre is about a 12-minute drive. The hotel’s motel rooms in Seattle are a North Seattle starting point for either end of the outing.
If you are combining a campus museum with downtown, check the transport options and museum hours before setting your order. That matters especially when you are planning around the different first-Thursday closing times.
The Burke Museum’s campus location and public-transport recommendation make transit worth considering; the Northgate Station transit guide explains the North Seattle connection.
FAQs
Which museums in Seattle are free on the first Thursday?
SAM, the Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Burke Museum offer free admission on the first Thursday of each month. Their closing times differ, so check each museum’s current visitor information when planning.
What can you see at the Burke Museum?
The Burke’s collections span dinosaurs and fossils, Northwest Native art, plants and animals, and cultural objects from around the world.
Is the Burke Museum downtown?
No. It is on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, while SAM’s location is downtown.
When is the last admission to the Burke Museum?
The last admission is at 4:30 p.m. Check the official site before your visit in case its information changes.