5 Best Sights in Seattle, Washington

Boeing, the world's largest builder of aircraft, was founded in Seattle in 1916. This facility at Boeing Field, between Downtown and Sea-Tac airport, houses one of the city's best museums, and it's especially fun for kids, who can climb in many of the aircraft and pretend to fly, make flight-related crafts, or attend special programs. The Red Barn, Boeing's original airplane factory, houses an exhibit on the history of flight. The Great Gallery, a dramatic structure designed by Ibsen Nelson, contains more than three dozen vintage airplanes. The Personal Courage Wing showcases World War I and World War II fighter planes, and the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery is home to the NASA Full Fuselage Space Shuttle Trainer.

One of the only museums in the United States devoted to the Asian Pacific American experience provides a sophisticated and often somber look at how immigrants and their descendants have transformed (and been transformed by) American culture. The evolution of the museum has been driven by community participation—the museum's library has an oral history lab, and many of the rotating exhibits are focused on stories from longtime residents. Museum admission includes a guided tour through the East Kong Yick building, where scores of immigrant workers from China, Japan, and the Philippines first found refuge in Seattle (check the schedule, as this is the only way to see this section). The museum also offers weekly guided tours of the neighborhood along rotating themes.

A tiny yet delightful free museum illustrating Seattle's role in the 1897–98 Klondike Gold Rush, this gem is located inside a historic redbrick building with wooden floors and soaring ceilings. Walls are lined with photos of gold miners, explorers, and the hopeful families who followed them. Interactive components include ranger talks and gold panning demonstrations.

MOHAI—short for the Museum of History and Industry—anchors the southern edge of Lake Union inside the striking 1942 Naval Reserve Armory, once a training base for WWII recruits. The space itself feels like a love letter to Seattle’s inventive streak: the vast atrium soars with suspended planes, boats, and classic cars, all drawn from the museum’s deep collection of artifacts. The ground floor houses the Bezos Center for Innovation, an engaging, hands-on gallery where kids (and adults who think like them) can explore the city’s legacy of creativity, from Boeing to biotech. The overall effect is both nostalgic and forward-looking—a place that celebrates how Seattle’s restless energy keeps shaping the world.

Focusing on telling the history and stories of African Americans in the Northwest, this museum housed in an old school building tells stories through a diverse collection of well-curated and insightful photos, artifacts, and compelling narratives. Past exhibits have included Xenobia Bailey: The Aesthetics of Funk, and The Test: The Tuskegee Project about the first African American aviation units in the U.S. military to serve in combat. One gallery is dedicated to the work of local artists.