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Seattle Art Museum

Photo of Seattle Art Museum's Brotman Forum featuring the ticketing desk and large wooden sculpture of a tree hanging from the cieling.
Exterior view of Seattle Art Museum's entrance.
A variety of three people standing in a white room in front of a big sculpture that is twice their size, the sculpture is abstract, made of metal, red at the base and has yellow and black parts at the top.
two people watching a big projected screen
The front of the Seattle Art Museum, cropped in on a huge black Hammering Man Sculpture
a close up of a white sculpture of a goat
Installation view of visitors walking through a modern art gallery.
A blong curly haired person, cropped out but standing in front of a navy blue wall and a painting of cherries
Photo of products and people shopping inside SAM Shop.
a close up shot of a plate with a lobster roll and clam chowder, in the background a few pinky drinks in short glasses

Seattle Art Museum

1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

One block from Pike Place Market, see exhibitions and art from around the world and across the centuries.

Map of all three Seattle Art Museum locations.
Map of all three Seattle Art Museum locations.

Hours

Monday–Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday–Sunday

10 am–5 pm

Free First Thursday

10 am–8 pm

Closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
SAM Shop & Gallery is open during museum hours. Find MARKET Seattle hours here.

Parking vouchers are required to receive discounted rates. Be sure to get yours at the Ticketing Desk.

Russell Investment Center Garage
Saturday & Sunday only
Up to four hours for $10

The garage entrance is on Union Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. This is an ADA-accessible garage with an elevator that accesses the museum's second floor. When exiting the garage, insert your voucher after your ticket to apply the discount.

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.

3rd & Stewart Garage
Wednesday–Sunday
Up to four hours for $10
Over four hours, all hours revert to full price.

The garage is four blocks from SAM, on Stewart Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. Drop-off areas for visitors are available on the south side of Union Street and the east side of 1st Avenue near Union Street, between 9 am–3 pm.

Directions

Enter at First Avenue and Union Street

What’s on at Seattle Art Museum

Museum Tickets

Admission includes access to all exhibitions at the museum.

Ticket Types

Advance

Day of

SAM Members
FREE!
FREE!
Adults
$29.99
$32.99
Seniors (65+)
$24.99
$27.99
Military (with ID)
$24.99
$27.99
Student (with ID)
$19.99
$22.99
Teens (15-19)
$19.99
$22.99
Children (14 & Under)
FREE
FREE

Free First Thursdays & First Fridays

On First Thursdays, admission is FREE to all. On First Fridays, admission is $5
for Seniors.

Group Visits

SAM offers reduced admission to groups of 10 or more. Learn more

Discounts

Free and reduced admission is available. Learn more

See it first. See it free.

Become a SAM member and enjoy free admission at all three locations!

What to know when you visit

Illustration of a coat hanger.

Free coat check

Backpacks, large bags, or items 
larger than 11x15 inches are not allowed
in the galleries.

Illustration of a camera.

Photography

Take pictures! No flash, non-commercial photography and videography is welcome except by “No Photography” icons.

Illustration of  a hand with the pointer finger extended.

Please don’t touch!

Touching harms the art, so please stay at least 12 inches away from the surface of any object.

Smartphone tours

Enjoy audio and interactive content on your own device for free. visitsam.org/explore

Illustration of a baby bottle.

For families

Strollers and breastfeeding are allowed everywhere. Strollers are available at Coat Check. Bottle feed in the Brotman Forum or the Knudsen Family Room. Children 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Illustration of a pencil.

Get creative

Use pencils to sketch and write in the galleries. Pens, paints, and pastels are not allowed.

Accessibility

SAM strives to create an enriching experience for all visitors and provides accessibility options at all of our locations.
  • Shop in person & online

    Find original art, uncommon objects, contemporary home decor, inspiring toys, locally crafted jewelry, art and design books, and more—all at SAM Shop & Gallery.

    shop now
    a collection of brightly color bowls from an aerial perspective
  • Eat at MARKET

    Taste the culinary bounty of the sea at the Fishmonger & Eatery’s newest location.

    see menu
    Top-down view of three plates of crab rolls and french fries.
  • Bullitt Library

    Schedule an appointment to access thousands of books, exhibition catalogues, journals, videos, and ephemera on art history and SAM.

    learn more
    a person in library stacks placing a book on a shelf.

Take a tour

Visit FAQ

During the pandemic, SAM closed a few public areas of the museum, some remain closed to all visitors—these include:

At the Seattle Art Museum, only the First and Union entrance is currently open. The south entrance (the Hammering Man entrance) and the South Hall are temporarily closed to the public.

The south wing of the museum—including South Hall and South Hall restrooms, the Grand Staircase, Chase Open Studio, the Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center, the Bullitt Library, and some family spaces.

Occasionally SAM needs to close galleries or limit access at our locations in order to install new exhibitions or rotate sensitive artworks. This isn’t something we like to do often but, when it happens, we hope you’ll bear with us because the result will be new art for you to enjoy.

SAM remains a mask-friendly space. Visitors are encouraged to wear masks for their personal safety and comfort. We also ask visitors experiencing flu, cold, or similar symptoms to visit another time.

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public setting. SAM can’t guarantee you won’t be exposed to COVID-19 during your visit; by visiting SAM you accept this risk of exposure.

We do not require timed ticketing for our current exhibitions. Due to popularity, there may be a brief wait to enter Calder: In Motion, The Shirley Family Collection. Please plan accordingly.

Host your gathering here

Wow your guests—SAM’s three locations offer unique and art-filled venue experiences.