Whittle away the pre-Thanksgiving doldrums with a trek to a distinctive Seattle landmark.
Take a day trip with the family to explore the evolution of music at Experience Music Project and the history of science fiction at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, housed in the EMP building.
| Both museums sit in Frank O. Gehry’s distinctively rock ‘n’ roll-inspired building.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, through May 26. Where: 325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle (at Seattle Center) Admission: SFM only, $12.95, $10.95 military with ID, $8.95 seniors with ID and ages 7 through 17; EMP only, $19.95, $15.95 military and seniors with ID, $14.95 ages 7 through 17; SFM and EMP combined, $26.95, $19.95 military and seniors with ID and ages 7 through 17. Information: 877-367-5483, www.emplive.org, www.sfhomeworld.org. |
The Frank O. Gehry-designed building sits in the shadow of Seattle’s Space Needle and houses 140,000 square feet of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia and out of this world exhibits. Visitors receive an interactive, hands-on experience at both museums.
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame opened in June 2004. A 13,000-square-foot area houses the museum and its permanent exhibits. The lobby and “Homeworld” areas introduce visitors to the art of science fiction, its creators and its influence on invention and discovery.
Upstairs at Level 2, visitors enter a series of environments that place them in the heart of iconic science fiction settings. “Fantastic Voyages” uses a space ship as a backdrop and explores different themes such as responding to alien environments and problem-solving abilities in such harsh situations.
“Brave New Worlds” provides opportunities to explore our ideas about culture and society and view each era of science fiction’s ideas about utopian and dystopian societies.
“Them!” confronts visitor’s fears of the unknown and explores aliens and the unknown from various angles.
Museum artifact highlights include Star Trek memorabilia, signed first editions of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy, film and television artifacts, and science fiction artwork. Hundreds of rare artifacts and memorabilia from the worlds of art, literature, film and television are displayed.
Experience Music Project opened in June 2000. The museum lets visitors become rock stars for a day. Visitors can learn to play guitar, jam to a crowd of screaming virtual fans or even sing a tune. The museum’s permanent, rotating collection features more than 100,000 music artifacts, including shattered Jimi Hendrix guitars, hand-written Kurt Cobain song lyrics and instruments, gear and outfits from Northwest bands Heart, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Each musical genre is explored and displayed in a way that visitors can easily understand. Travel through time and discover the history of punk, hip-hop, rock ‘n’ roll and more.
The “Northwest Passage” exhibit presents a series of stories highlighting the development of the Northwest musical scene, from a small, isolated community to what became the center of the rock universe during the grunge years to today’s lively independent scene.
A current exhibit, “Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956-1966,” explores a distinctly American body of work. It follows Dylan from Minnesota to Greenwich Village’s folk scene. The exhibit features more than 150 artifacts, including Dylan’s 1949 Martin 00-17 guitar, handwritten lyrics, rare concert posters and signed albums. Four exhibit films exploring different facets of Dylan’s career accompany the exhibit.
Michael O’Leary / The Herald
above: Roots &Branches, comprising 600 guitars and other instruments, emerges from EMP’s second level, in the center of the museum galleries. Created by Seattle artist Trimpin, the sculpture represents the collision of forces that created rock ‘n’ roll.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
