The Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle.
My favorite museum in Seattle is the Museum of Pop Culture (the MoPop). Ignore the fact that it looks like the Space Needle took of its clothes at the end of the day and just piled the laundry on the floor beside it and the fact that there is almost no parking in Seattle Center. It is a cool place to visit.
I believe the MoPop was originally called the EMP (Experience Music Project) and featured a lot of music and music experiences but some time in the however long it has been open it has expanded to show exhibits of all sorts of pop culture things and that makes it a lot more exciting for those of us who are less musically inclined.
Like most museums the exhibits switch around every now and again so be sure to check what’s happening on their website. When I last went, they were still doing a Jim Henson exhibit featuring some of the Muppets, scanned images of his writer notebooks, and Sarah and Jareth’s costumes from the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies and I really love the Muppets so this was a primary motivator for wanting to go when I did. I had the chance to stand in the middle of the museum basking in all of the glittery wonder of Sarah’s ballgown from the Labyrinth and make the same tired joke three times about the wall being carpeted in genuine Muppet skin. For me that is a fun thing, I love getting to recycle my jokes and learning new things, especially about artists and creators. I’m pretty sure that exhibit has moved on but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great things to see there.
The MoPop is so named because they specialize in Pop Culture. The entertainment pieces of our lives that are shaped by our culture and, in turn, shape our culture. All of the exhibits are well done and interactive. So, if those are things you get excited about it is a place you should visit.
No food or drink is allowed in the museum itself, it’s like they don’t want us plebeian fools to destroy their highly curated exhibits or something, but there is no need to worry. The MoPop is located at city center and has a lot of restaurant choices around, including one on the lower level that has THE BEST tator tots you will ever eat.
Over all it is one of the coolest places I have gotten to visit in Seattle and, no matter how much time you do or don’t have in Seattle it should be on your list.
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