Seattle Art Museum (SAM)

Tickets are required to enter the Seattle Art Museum, and the cost of tickets to special exhibitions, which include all galleries, is higher. Some city tours include the Seattle Art Museum; since the vast collection can be overwhelming, visiting with a guide can be a good way to ensure you see the museum’s highlights.

• The Seattle Art Museum is a must-visit for art lovers and those interested in Native American culture.

• Wheelchairs, baby carriers, and strollers are available at the SAM coat check.

• Museum admission includes various hour-long tours of the collection.

• The Seattle Art Museum is fully wheelchair-accessible.

• The Asian Art Museum in Capitol Hill and the open-air Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront are also part of the Seattle Art Museum.

A block from Pike Place Market and the docks, the downtown Seattle Art Museum is easily reached by public transit. The University Street light rail station is one block away, and many buses stop nearby. Driving means contending with downtown traffic, but museum visitors can get discounted rates at the parking garage on 3rd and Stewart by requesting a voucher before leaving the museum.

Open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm, the Seattle Art Museum also has evening hours each Thursday until 9pm. The museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas, and admission is free the first Thursday of every month. Several different public tours, free with admission, are given, most frequently on weekends; check the calendar for details.

With free admission for children 12 and younger, the Seattle Art Museum is a great kid-friendly attraction in downtown Seattle. The whole museum is stroller accessible—you can take advantage of the loaners from the coat check—and there’s a family room on the third floor stocked with toys and books when you need a break from quiet museum spaces. Check the museum website for scheduled activities for children.

Yes, the Seattle Art Museum is worth visiting. Housed in a light-filled building near Pike Place Market, it's among Seattle's top attractions. Permanent collection highlights go from Native American artwork to decorative arts, Islamic art, and artifacts from across the ancient Mediterranean. Well-curated rotating exhibits change frequently, rewarding multiple visits.

It's wise to book Seattle Art Museum tickets in advance. The museum has limited capacity, and tickets do sometimes sell out. Booking in advance also saves money because ticket prices increase for same-day admission. If you're attending a special event at the Seattle Art Museum, booking ahead is essential.

Some visitors walk through the Seattle Art Museum in an hour. Still, it's nice to have more time. Two or three hours are enough to explore the permanent collections and rotating exhibits. You'll need additional time to visit the museum's 9-acre (3.6-hectare) Olympic Sculpture Park on the Seattle waterfront.

Yes, you can take photos and videos in the Seattle Art Museum. The museum welcomes photography and videography for personal use unless a no photography icon indicates otherwise. It's best to leave your tripods, selfie sticks, extension cords, and artificial lighting at home because they're not allowed in the museum.

Admission to the Seattle Art Museum includes discounted parking at a garage on Stewart Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. To get discounted parking, request a voucher at the Seattle Art Museum ticketing desk as you leave the garage. Additional un-discounted parking is available at the Russell Investment Center Garage.

You need at least an hour to visit the Seattle Art Museum. That's enough for a quick look at the permanent collections spanning art from Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, and beyond. To see the rotating exhibits, set aside two or three hours—some visitors spend even longer at the museum.