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Accessibility

A museum visitor sits on a bench facing two paintings with a service dog by their side.
About

The Seattle Art Museum strives to provide an enriching experience for all visitors. If you require accommodations that are not listed below, please contact us before your visit as we may require advance notice.

What to know

For specific questions please email us at customerservice@seattleartmuseum.org or call 206.654.3210.

Accessibility across SAM locations

Restrooms

Accessible restrooms and stalls are available at all SAM locations.

Caretakers benefits

Health aides and caretakers receive free admission when accompanying their care recipients.

Service animals

Trained service animals are welcome at all SAM locations.

Visual aids

Magnifiers are available at Coat Check at the Seattle Art Museum and the Ticketing Desk at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Courtesy of Visit Seattle, EnChroma color blind glasses are available for loan at Coat Check at the Seattle Art Museum. A valid photo ID must be left with Coat Check staff for loans. Certain exhibitions feature braille labels as part of the interpretive materials.

Doors

Electronically assisted doors are available at the public entrances at all SAM locations.

TTY

A TTY (Text Telephone) is available upon request at Seattle Art Museum. Please ask Coat Check staff for assistance. The TTY is sanitized after each use. 206.654.3137

ASL

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is available for museum events upon request with two weeks' notice, subject to availability of ASL interpreters. Please email or call 206.654.3210 (voice) for more information.

Maps & social narratives

Large print (18 point) special exhibition labels are available at the exhibition entrance. You can download a large print museum map for the Seattle Art Museum and social narratives here.

Breast feeding

Visitors are welcome to breastfeed infants anywhere in all three of SAM’s locations. Bottle feeding is not allowed in galleries, please bottle feed in the Brotman Forum or the third floor Knudsen Family Room at the Seattle Art Museum or in the Fuller Garden Court at the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Wheelchairs

All three SAM locations are wheelchair accessible. Courtesy wheelchairs are available for loan at Coat Check at the Seattle Art Museum, the Ticketing Desk at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the Information Desk inside the PACCAR Pavilion at the Olympic Sculpture Park. A limited number of 18” and 22”-wide wheelchairs are available at the Seattle Art Museum. A valid photo ID must be left with Visitor Experience staff for loans.

Verbal descriptions

Verbal descriptions of select objects at all three museum locations are available for smartphones. Information on how to activate the tour is available on the object’s museum label. Courtesy smart devices and wired headphones are available for loan at the Seattle Art Museum's Coat Check and the Seattle Asian Art Museum's Ticketing Desk. A valid ID must be left with Visitor Experience staff for loans.

Closed captioning & transcripts

Videos in the permanent collection galleries have closed captioning. If a video does not have closed captioning, printed transcripts are available. Please ask a SAM representative for assistance. If an audio tour accompanies a special exhibition, printed transcripts of the audio tour are available at the entrance of the exhibition.

Foldable stools

Lightweight, foldable stools are available for loan at Coat Check at the Seattle Art Museum and the Ticketing Desk at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. A valid ID must be left with Visitor Experience staff for loans.

Strollers

Single strollers are available for loan at Coat Check at the Seattle Art Museum and the Ticketing Desk at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. A valid ID must be left with Visitor Experience staff for loans.

Earplugs

Disposable earplugs are available at Coat Check and the Ticketing Desk at the Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Art Beyond Sight tours

SAM is not currently offering public Art Beyond Sight tours. If you are interested in the availability of a paid Art Beyond Sight tour, please email us or call 206.654.3210.​​​​​​​​ 

Drop-off area & parking

Seattle Art Museum

Three-minute load/unload zones for vehicle drop-offs are located adjacent to the museum’s main entrance on the south side of Union Street and on the east side of First Avenue near Union Street (available only between 9 am–3 pm).

Designated accessible parking for vehicles bearing a valid disability parking permit is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Russell Investments Center Garage.

A 10-minute, no-charge grace period is available for drop-off or pick-up in the parking garage. After 10 minutes, regular rates apply.

The entrance to the parking garage is on Union Street between First and Second Avenues. The parking garage is ADA-accessible; its elevator operates between the garage levels, the street level, and inside the museum's 1st and Union entrance. Garage height limit is 6'7".

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Accessible parking spots are clearly marked in the Volunteer Park parking lot in front of the Seattle Asian Art Museum. A drop off area is also available in front of the museum. Ramps are available on either side of the stairs leading up to the main entrance.

Olympic Sculpture Park

A three-minute passenger load zone is located on southbound Western Avenue before the Broad Street intersection. 

There are three accessible paid-parking spots in the Olympic Sculpture Park garage located on Broad Street. An elevator is located in the parking garage for easy entrance to the Pavilion and the park. Regular rates apply.

Exterior of Seattle Art Museum downtown, while cars driving by.

Related programs

Community Family Fun Workshops Presented by PNC Bank

Community Celebrations

SAM Open House

Internships

Community Galleries

Listen to verbal descriptions

Verbal descriptions are available on your Smartphone for select objects in our collection at all three locations.

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