City: Seattle, WA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (206) 654-3100

Address: 1300 1st Ave. (Central)

Description: This internationally renowned museum was created in 1931, when Seattle Fine Arts Society member Dr. Richard Fuller donated much of his extensive Chinese and Japanese art collection, along with a healthy endowment, so the pieces could be exhibited to the public. The SAM, as it’s known, continued to grow, and the 1978 Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibit drew 1.3 million visitors and put the SAM on the international map. In 1991 the current downtown SAM opened and now houses about 23,000 objects from across cultures, including paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, textiles, and more. An amazing rotation of temporary exhibits is constantly evolving at the SAM, from ancient woodblock prints to dramatic contemporary photography. On the first Thurs of every month, you can enjoy free admission all day to the SAM downtown. The museum is closed Mon and Tues; first Fri are free to seniors 62 and over, and second Fri are teen nights, with free admission from 5 to 9 p.m. for ages 13–19. Members and children 12 and under are always free.