Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
The Basics
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.
Things to Know Before You Go
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.
How to Get There
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.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
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.
Things to Do Near the Museum of Pop Culture
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.
- Space Needle
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
- Chihuly Garden and Glass
- Seattle Center
- Pacific Science Center
- Belltown
- Olympic Sculpture Park
- Myrtle Edwards Park
- Elliott Bay
- Seattle Cruise Port
- Kerry Park (Franklin Place)
- Queen Anne Hill
- Original Starbucks
- Hard Rock Cafe Seattle
- Pike Place Market