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Home >> Seattle Offers World-Class Museums
Seattle Offers World-Class Museums
By: Matthew Paolini
Seattle's reputation as one of America's wettest cities isn't actually deserved. With yearly rainfall of slightly more than three feet, the Emerald City actually lags forty-three American cities, including New York City, where nearly four feet of rain falls on average each year. But while New York City cloudbursts have their fair share of heavy downpours, precipitation in Seattle more often takes the form of gray, persistent drizzle.
Luckily, Seattle residents and visitors touring the city as part of a grand tour of the American Northwest can still find plenty to do on Seattle's rainy days. Topping my list of indoor activities is a visit to one of Seattle's numerous first-rate museums. Here's a quick look at three of the city's must-see attractions:
1. Seattle's Museum of Flight is the West Coast's biggest air and space museum. In addition to more than 50 full-size airplanes, some flying in formation in the museum's Great Gallery, there's a new exhibit called Space: Exploring the New Frontier. Opened to the public on June 10, 2007, the Space exhibit tracks the milestones of space exploration from rocket pioneer Robert Goddard to the Apollo lunar missions, the Space Shuttle and robotic landers on the Moon, Mars and other planets. Open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
2. The Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center is another of the Emerald City's museum gems. Focused on the maritime history of Seattle and Puget Sound, the Odyssey Center features four main exhibits and galleries that take an in-depth look at the ships, habitat, fishing industry and trade connections that make Seattle and the Puget Sound area the focal point of the Pacific Northwest. The museum is closed on Monday but opens Tuesday through Sunday at either 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.
3. Another Seattle museum that pays homage to the city's maritime traditions is the ever-popular Seattle Aquarium. Newly expanded and renovated as part of a 41 million dollar facelift, the Aquarium is justifiably proud of its Window on Washington Waters exhibit. This is a 120,000-gallon water wonderland accessible to visitors through a imposing 17-foot by 39-foot viewing window and is filled with everything from salmon and vibrant rockfish to sea anemones and dozens of other forms of marine life.
While Seattle isn't America's wettest city, there are still lots of gray days on the city's horizons. Luckily, there are many wonderful museums that can both educate and entertain visitors on one of Seattle's overcast days. |