The Museum of Pop Culture's curving metal building at Seattle Center

Museum of Pop Culture

Photo: Sagar Dave via Google Maps

The Museum of Pop Culture, or MOPOP, is the building at Seattle Center that you cannot miss: a swirl of sheet metal by architect Frank Gehry, right next to the Space Needle, with the Seattle Center Monorail gliding straight through it. Inside, 140,000 square feet of exhibits across three floors celebrate the music, movies, games and stories that shape popular culture.

MOPOP started as a music museum, and that still shows in its deep collections on Jimi Hendrix, grunge and hip hop, but it has grown to cover science fiction, fantasy, horror and video games too. With more than 80,000 artifacts and plenty of hands on spaces, it works for music lovers, film buffs and gamers alike.

What You’ll See

  • IF VI WAS IX: a guitar sculpture built from more than 500 musical instruments.
  • Sound Lab: a hands on space where you can pick up electric guitars, sit behind a drum kit and play with samplers and mixing consoles.
  • Sky Church: the museum’s concert hall, which holds about 800 people and features an enormous indoor LED screen.
  • Music collections: the museum’s holdings include a major collection of Jimi Hendrix artifacts, lyrics and photographs, alongside material on grunge and hip hop.
  • Genre galleries: long running exhibitions dig into science fiction, fantasy, horror film and independent video games.

The Story Behind It

Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen founded the museum as a nonprofit, and it opened in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Science fiction joined the mix with the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, and the institution went by EMP Museum before becoming the Museum of Pop Culture in November 2016. In 2025 it refreshed its brand as MOPOP, in all capital letters.

The building is as much a part of the experience as the exhibits. Gehry has said his team began by collecting pictures of Stratocasters and bringing in guitar bodies, drawing on those shapes, and the result is often likened to a smashed electric guitar. The museum also organizes the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and the Sound Off! battle of the bands.

Tips for Your Visit

  • Give it time. The museum recommends planning for at least a few hours.
  • Ride the Seattle Center Monorail from Westlake Center downtown; it arrives at a terminal right next to MOPOP. Driving? The museum’s official garage is the 5th Avenue North Garage at 516 Harrison Street.
  • The museum is wheelchair accessible throughout, with six elevators and loaner wheelchairs at the main ticketing desk. Noise cancelling headphones and sensory bags are also available to borrow, and the museum offers sensory friendly programs with lower volume and light levels.
  • Outside food and drink are not allowed, so plan to eat at the Culture Kitchen cafe on site or before you arrive.
  • Bringing a stroller? Single strollers under 30 inches wide are allowed, umbrella strollers are encouraged, and tandem strollers are not permitted.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206.770.2700
Website: mopop.org
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps

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