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Seattle art museum

Seattle Art Museum

1300 First Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
206.654.3100 & TTY 206.654.3137

COVID-19 Update
Come back to SAM! Seattle Art Museum is open again. All public events continue to be virtual until further notice, but our commitment to the vitality and availability of art is ongoing. Learn More »

Located downtown, one block from Pike Place Market, global art collections, temporary installations, and special exhibitions from around the world bridge cultures and centuries.

The Seattle Art Museum acknowledges that we are located on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people.

Map & Guide
Large Print Map
Bing Map

HOURS

Seattle Art Museum is open again!

Please note: On October 16–18, the museum is open exclusively to SAM members to preview City of Tomorrow: Jinny Wright and The Art That Shaped a New Seattle.

MONDAY
 CLOSED
TUESDAY
 CLOSED
WEDNESDAY CLOSED
THURSDAY* CLOSED
FRIDAY 10 AM – 5 PM
SATURDAY
 ​10 AM – 5 PM​​​​
SUNDAY
 ​10 AM – 5 PM​​​​
*SAM is open for First Thursdays, 10 am–5 pm

Tickets

To allow for physical distancing, capacity is limited and ticketing is timed. Everyone must get tickets online in advance to secure your preferred day and time; if limited capacity has been reached tickets will not be available.

The cost of admission to Collections and Installations is suggested. Suggested admission means visitors may choose to pay what they want. We hope you will consider paying the full suggested admission of $19.99 for adults to support the museum during this difficult time. If you choose to pay what you want, please contact SAM’s Customer Service Center in advance at 206.654.3210 from 10 am-5 pm Wednesday–Sunday.

For a contactless experience, print out your ticket at home or download to a smartphone.

Get Tickets  Become A Member

FREE & Discounted TICKETS

First Thursdays
SAM Collections & installations FREE TO ALL
Special exhibition
 $9.99 and under

FIRST FRIDAYS
SAM Collections & installations FREE TO SENIORS
Special exhibition
 $7.99 FOR SENIORS

SAM wants everyone to experience the art in our galleries and we have many opportunities for discounts and free days. Find more ways to get discounts to SAM.

Holidays

Closed

WED Nov 11 2020
Veterans Day​​​​​​​​​​​​​

THU Nov 26 2020
Thanksgiving Day​​​​​​​​​​​​​

THU Dec 24 2020
Christmas EVE​​​​​​​​​​​​​

FRI Dec 25 2020
Christmas Day​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Open

Mon Sep 7 2020
Labor Day


Parking

Russell Investment Center Garage
DISCOUNTED FRI–SUN ONLY

Three or more hours of parking for $8.

Request a discount voucher at the SAM Ticketing Desk. When exiting the garage insert your voucher after your ticket for the discount to apply. Entrance is on Union Street between First and Second Avenues adjacent to the SAM building. View more information here. Garage height limit is 6' 8".

Monday – Friday 6 am – 10 pm
Saturday 9 am – Midnight
Sunday 10 am – 10 pm

This is an ADA-accessible garage; it has an elevator that will deposit you around the corner from the museum’s main entrance or inside the museum.

Drop-off areas for visitors with special needs are available near the Seattle Art Museum. See Accessibility for more information.

3rd and Stewart Garage
DISCOUNTED EVERYDAY PARKING

Up to four hours for $10.
Over four hours, all hours revert to full price.

Request a discount voucher at the SAM Ticketing Desk to apply as you leave the garage. The garage is 4 blocks from SAM’s 1st Avenue and Union Street entrance, with the entrance on Stewart Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Monday – Friday 6 am – 10 pm


Directions

The museum entrance is located on 1st Ave and Union St.

View the Seattle Art Museum in relation to the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Asian Art Museum on this map.

By Car

Heading north: I-5 to Seneca St exit (#165), west on Seneca St to 1st Ave, and turn right (north) on 1st Ave. SAM will be on your right between Union and University Streets.

Heading south: I-5 to Union St exit (#165B), west (toward Puget Sound) on Union St to 1st Ave. SAM will be on your left between Union and University Streets.

From I-90: Heading west, merge onto I-5 North; take Madison St exit (#2C). Turn left on Madison and right on 1st Ave. SAM will be on your right between Union and University Streets.

By Public Transit

Visit the Metro website for a complete guide to Seattle's transit system and a map of nearby bus stops.

Sound Transit Link Light Rail University Street Station exits onto 2nd Ave, one block east of SAM's entrances.

By Bike

See the SDOT interactive bike map for all levels of riders. Multiple bike racks are available on-street and public racks can be accessed by ramp or elevator on Union between 1st and 2nd Avenue on the first parking level of the Russell Investment Center Garage.

By Ferry

Boats from West Seattle, Bremerton, and Bainbridge, Blake, Vashon, and Vancouver Islands disembark within walking distance from SAM.

Hotels

Planning a visit to Seattle? Take advantage of special offers from our hotel partners.

Learn More​

ShopS

Open during museum hours; admission required for entry at this time

At SAM Shop, you can purchase books, locally made jewelry, textiles, ceramics, Native carvings, a​nd children’s toys. And SAM Gallery presents a stellar selection of original art from contemporary Northwest artists for rent or purchase.​​​​​​​

Museum members receive a 10% discount at SAM Shop​!

Learn More​​​

Taste

TASTE is currently closed.

Whether you’re visiting the Seattle Art Museum or simply enjoying a day downtown, TASTE is the perfect place to rest and recharge with a nourishing snack or meal. The bright, welcoming space has a lounge, a dining area, espresso bar, and artwork curated by SAM Gallery integrated throughout. Available via counter service, the menu focuses on local and seasonal high-quality ingredients and includes a wide variety of freshly made grab-and-go options. The full café menu and grab-and-go items are available from 11 am–3 pm and from 5–9 pm on Thursdays, if busy. From 3–5 pm, enjoy hot soup, espresso, and pastries along with grab-and-go items. SAM members receive a 10% discount.

Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 11 am – 5 pm
Thursday 11 am – 9 pm
Friday – Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
Learn More ​​

Public Tours

We are not currently offering tours.

Tour times and topics vary throughout the year. Tours are FREE with museum admission.

A Closer Look: Highlights from SAM's Collection
View creatively installed galleries and discuss outstanding artwork from SAM’S collections.

In Focus Gallery Talks
These 30-minute gallery discussions focus on a single gallery, allowing the visitor to experience works of art in-​depth. Topics rotate regularly.

My Favorite Things
Seattle's highly opinionated visual artists, dancers, curators, critics, and more are invited to select their favorite works of art in SAM's galleries to discuss during these 30-minute tours. What they choose is always a surprise.​

Special Exhibitions
Explore the special exhibitions on these 60-minute tours designed to illuminate themes and present diverse perspectives on the art on view.

Art Beyond Sight Tours
The Art Beyond Sight program provides monthly tours of the museum’s collection to visitors with low or no vision. Find more information regarding accessibility at SAM here​.

View Calendar

Schoo​l Tours

​​Are you ​an educator? You can find school tour information here.​

Group Visits

Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more when visiting the permanent collection.

For K-12 visits and school tours, please find more information here.

Private Tours

Enhance your group’s visit with a one-hour private tour, led by a knowledgeable guide who can provide an insider’s view of the museum. Tours may be customized to focus on a specific exhibition or highlight of the collection at any of our three locations. Groups pay a flat-rate tour fee in addition to discounted admission. Three weeks' advanced notice is required to request a private tour, and three business days for self-guided tours. Each private tour can accommodate up to 30 people.

Discounted Group Ticket Rates for the Permanent Collection

Adults $17 (REG. $19.99)
Seniors (65+) $15 (reg. $17.99)
Students (with id)
 $11 (reg. $12.99)

JOHN AKOMFRAH: FUTURE HISTORY
MAR 5 – MAY 3
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE: ABSTRACT VARIATIONS
MAR 5 – JUN 28

Tickets to John Akomfrah and Georgia O'Keeffe  include access to all SAM collections and installations.

Adults $24 (REG. $29.99)
Seniors (65+) $22 (reg. $27.99)
Students (with id)
 $15 (reg. $19.99)

SAM Members and children 12 and under are free but need to reserve a ticket with the group. Please include member name and membership number in your order.

SUBMIT A REQUEST

Cancellation Policy

  • The final guest count and payment are due 10 days prior to your reservation.

  • Please note that after that time, no changes or refunds can be processed.

  • You will be charged for at least 10 people in order to meet the discounted group rate.

Questions about group visits?

Email​ or call 206.654.3112.​​​​​​​​

Plan a Venue Experience

Wow your guests by hosting your next function at the Seattle Art Museum. Easily transformed to reflect your personality and vision, SAM will make your next occasion a masterpiece with its spectacular exhibitions and stunning interiors.

We offer a variety of room options, accommodating groups of 15 to 1,500 people.

Learn More​​

ACCESSIBILITY

The Seattle Art Museum strives to be accessible for all visitors and provides a variety of support services to assist with your visit.

Learn More

Libraries

For the safety and well-being of our visitors, the Bullitt Library and Educator Resouce Center have been closed as part of our ongoing response to the coronavirus.

Bullitt Library

The Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library is a research library that supports study on general art history as well as on objects in SAM's collection in the areas of African art, American art, Australian Aboriginal and Oceanic art, classical, ancient Mediterranean and Islamic art, decorative arts, European art, modern and contemporary art, Native American art, Northwest art, and photography. The Bullitt Library also supports research on objects and themes associated with exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum. Located on the fifth floor. FREE and open to the public. ​

Hours

Monday – Friday 10 am – 4 pm​​​

Available only by appointment. Please email or call 206-654-3220 to arrange your visit.

Learn More​​​

Educator Resource Center

The Education Resource Center (ERC) is a free lending library for educators and families covering art history and art education, as well as interdisciplinary topics such as cultural studies, STEAM, and language arts. The ERC supports inclusive and engaging art experiences through resources for families, educators, and youth at the museum, in the classroom, and at home. A picture book reading space that is part of the ERC is open during all museum hours. Located on the second floor at the top of the Grand Staircase.

Hours

Thursday – Saturday 11 am – 4 PM
First Thursdays
 11 am – 6 PM

The ERC is free and open to the public.
Please email or call 206.654.3186 with questions.

Learn More​​​

Visitor Po​licies


Lost and Found

Do you think you may have lost something? Report your lost article using this form, and we will let you know if it turns up.

Photography​

SAM allows photography in most areas. Feel free to photograph friends and family and your favorite works of art, but please do not photograph any work with this symbol:


A select number of galleries/works include this notice, which means that photography is not allowed. Please note that photography is allowed only for personal, noncommercial use, with the following restrictions:

  • No tripods or selfie sticks

  • No f​lash photography

  • No movie or video cameras

For press and other special photography, including filming and video projects, please contact SAM Public Relations. For images of works of art owned by SAM, please see Image Rights.

SAM reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises or to reproduce images of objects in its collection.

Cell Phones

Some special exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum feature a cell phone audio tour that lets you use your personal cell phone to access information on select works of art. Outside of that special circumstance, we ask that you silence your cell phone while in the galleries. Cell phones may be used at the Olympic Sculpture Park, in the Asian Art Museum's Fuller Garden Court, in the Seattle Art Museum's Brotman Forum and South Hall, and in SAM Shops and Taste.

Sketching in the GAlleries

Sketching with pencil and charcoal is permitted in all galleries of the museum devoted to SAM's collection. The use of ink, fountain pens, or watercolors is prohibited.​​​​​​​

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question? Find answers to our most frequently asked questions.

View FAQ

The Seattle Art Museum acknowledges that we are located on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people.