Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

Visiting the Museum of Pop Culture offers the chance to skim through pop culture history or go deep into your favorite topic, whether you’re pounding out a drum solo or getting an up-close look at the original Death Star model fromStar Wars. The museum combines two earlier museums—the EMP (Experience Music Project) and the Science Fiction Museum—into a single experience that could easily take up an entire day.

Tickets to the Museum of Pop Culture can be booked individually or as part of a money-saving CityPASS that also includes other Seattle highlights. When visiting, start by picking out a few exhibits that you don’t want to miss; it’s a great way to ensure you’ll have plenty of time to experience the things that interest you most.

• The Museum of Pop Culture is a favorite stop for pop culture fans of all ages.

• While strollers are allowed in the museum, selected exhibits can only be accessed with umbrella strollers.

• The museum is wheelchair-accessible, with audiovisual assistance at many exhibits.

Located in the Seattle Center, the Museum of Pop Culture is close to the Space Needle and other top attractions. Street parking and parking garages are located in the area surrounding the Seattle Center, which is also easily accessible by public transit. Many bus routes stop close to the museum, and MoPOP is a short distance from the Seattle Center Monorail Station that connects to Westlake Center.

The Museum of Pop Culture is open daily from 10am, closing at 5pm during winter months and at 7pm from spring through early fall. Coming just after opening or in the late afternoon means fewer visitors; the popular studio pods in the Sound Lab can attract a crowd, so take advantage of quieter hours to visit these.

Since the Seattle Center concentrates top Seattle attractions into an easily walkable area, it’s a great spot for ticking off a list of sites without extra driving or parking. Favorites include the Space Needle, the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, and the Monorail.

Most people spend about two hours at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), but some superfans spend much longer. If you want to explore each one of the museum’s substantial permanent collections—whose artifacts range from science fiction to hip hop, grunge, and Jimi Hendrix memorabilia—plan for around half a day.

The permanent collections at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) showcase artifacts of rock-and-roll music, hip-hop, film, and science fiction. Highlights of the vast collection range from the electric guitar Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock to Run DMC’s 1985 Kangol hat and Nirvana’s original contract with Sub Pop Records.

Pets are prohibited at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), so you must leave Spot home. Service animals are permitted in the museum, however. If you’re visiting the Museum of Pop Culture with a service animal, check them in at the lower lobby information desk before entering.

Yes, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is accessible. Wheelchairs are available at the main ticketing desk, and the museum’s biggest music venue, Sky Church, has wheelchair-accessible seating throughout. Noise-canceling headphones are also available for visitor use; after-hours, sensory-friendly programming features access to museum galleries with lowered sound and lighting.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) prohibits outside food and drink. The museum’s cafe and bar, Culture Kitchen, has a casual menu of sandwiches, soups, pizza, bowls, snacks, and a small kids’ menu. You don’t need tickets to the museum to visit the cafe.

If you’re hoping to avoid crowds and save money, the best days to visit the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) are Tuesday and Wednesday. On those days, galleries are often quieter, and ticket prices are slightly lower. On some weekend days, though, special movie showings are included with entry.