6 Best Sights in Seattle, Washington

This large gallery that consistently presents sophisticated and thought-provoking contemporary work is perhaps the best reason to take a trip to the U-District. Exhibits pull from many different genres and include mixed media, photography, and paintings. Richard C. Elliott used more than 21,500 bicycle and truck reflectors of different colors and sizes in his paintings that fit into the sculpture alcoves on the exterior walls of the museum; in another permanent installation, Light Reign, a "Skyspace" from artist James Turrell, an elliptical chamber allows visitors to view the sky. More than a few people have used this as a meditation spot; at night the chamber is illuminated by thousands of LED lights.

Sculptor Jonathan Borofsky's several-stories-high “Hammering Man” greets visitors to SAM, as locals call this pride of the city’s art scene. SAM's permanent collection surveys American, Asian, Native American, African, Oceanic, and pre-Columbian art. Collections of African dance masks and Native American carvings are particularly strong. SAM's free floors have the best attractions for kids, including an installation of a massive tree-like sculpture hanging from the ceiling and the Chase Open Studio. If you're interested in checking a special exhibition, consider buying tickets in advance as they can sell out.  The listed admission price to see the museum's general collections and installations is suggested pricing, though the museum charges fixed pricing for tickets that include special exhibitions.

A real feather in Bellevue's cap, this museum presents sophisticated exhibits on craft and design, with a focus on regional artists. Past exhibitions have included High Fiber Diet—focusing on underexposed media in contemporary art—and Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art. The dramatic puzzle-piece-looking building, which stands out in Bellevue's somewhat uninspired downtown core, is worth the trip alone. In late July, the museum hosts the BAM ARTSfair, a prestigious, high-end street festival. Workshops for kids, teens, and adults are also offered regularly.

In addition to its beloved permanent collection—predominately 19th- and 20th-century pastoral paintings—the Frye hosts eclectic and often avant-garde exhibits, putting this elegant museum on par with the Henry in the University District. No matter what's going on in the stark, brightly lighted back galleries, it always seems to blend well with the permanent collection, which is rotated regularly. Thanks to the legacy of Charles and Emma Frye, the museum is always free, including parking.

Prints, masks, drums, sculptures, baskets, and jewelry by local Native artists fill the space of this elegant Belltown gallery near Pike Place Market. Alaskan and Arctic art is also on display, including beautiful sculptural pieces carved from ivory, wood, and soapstone.

Nestled among the grand homes of North Capitol Hill sits this 45-acre grassy expanse that's perfect for picnicking, sunbathing (or stomping in rain puddles), and strolling. You can tell this is one of the city's older parks by the size of the trees and the rhododendrons, many of which were planted more than a hundred years ago. The Olmsted Brothers, the premier landscape architects of the day, helped with the final design in 1904; the park has changed surprisingly little since then. In the center of the park is the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM), housed in a 1933 art moderne–style edifice. It fits surprisingly well with the stark plaza stretching from the front door to the edge of a bluff, and with the lush plants of Volunteer Park. The museum's collections include thousands of paintings, sculptures, pottery, and textiles from China, Japan, India, Korea, and several Southeast Asian countries.

The Victorian-style Volunteer Park Conservatory greenhouse, across from the museum, has a magnificent collection of tropical plants. The five houses include the Bromeliad House, the Palm House, the Fern House, the Seasonal Display House, and the Cactus House.

A focal point of the park, at the western edge of the hill in front of the Asian Art Museum, is Isamu Noguchi's sculpture, Black Sun, a natural frame from which to view the Space Needle, the Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains.