Seattle Washington is a great place to visit
for many reasons. Whether you are a nature lover or more into the things that
define a civilization such as shopping malls, museums, and one Starbucks,
Seattle has a little bit of everything to offer its visitors. In fact, visitors
could quite easily find that they have done and spent all that they should have
rather early in their travel time if they aren't careful.
Below you will find a few great things to do
on your trip that won't require robbing the children's college fund in order to
pay for. I'm all for paying good money for good fun, but if I can find good fun
for free, that means there's more money left for things that would have
otherwise been off limits because of prohibitive costs. So go ahead and plan
the dinner train, you can make up the cost by eating breakfast from a box two
mornings in a row or spending an afternoon in one of Seattle's many great
parks.
If you'd rather find indoor activities that
are free, here are a few suggestions:
1) Frye Art Museum. Not only is the art top
of the line, but the architecture is glorious as well. Through January of 2007,
the Frye Art Museum is host to a very unique sound sculpture called Trimpin:
Klompen this exhibit is comprised of 120 wooden Dutch shoes that literally
dance before your very eyes. This exhibit is only one of many great exhibits
that are sure to delight everyone in your group. This museum focuses on
contemporary art from the 19th century to the present.
2) Museum and Arts Center. This particular
museum is located about 50 miles outside of Seattle but might be worth the
drive, especially if you enjoy taking in the scenery of the area. The fact that
the museum is free is sometimes enough to make it worth the drive. Among the
many exhibits that you or your children may find interesting is an exhibit of
mammoth and mastodon in addition to a video on the mastodon excavation. In addition to this exhibit there are other
exhibits that feature local artists and pioneer and historical displays.
3) Bellevue Arts Museum. This museum is only
free on the first Friday night of every month. In addition to free admission
and great art, there are live music and lectures from 5:30-9:00 pm. I feel this
bears mentioning here because there are times to visit when this is free and I
feel that this is a culturally significant activity that the entire family can
enjoy.
4) Seattle Asian Art Museum. This museum is
free on the first Thursday and the first Saturday of each month. Currently
there is an exhibit of exquisite Buddhist art that represent the influences of
Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Korean, and Japanese artistic interpretations.
5) Wing Luke Asian Museum. This museum also
offers free admission on the first Thursday of every month. Here you will find
art and exhibits that are devoted to the Asian Pacific American culture. There
is also a multimedia station that allows visitors to hear interviews with
Japanese American citizens who were forced into internment camps during WWII. I
think this is a museum that should be on everyone's to do list whether you can
make it on one of the free days or not. There is a lot to be learned here and I
hope that you will be up for the lessons.
While these museums are for the most part
smaller museums, they still represent a significant contribution not only of
art, but history to the world of art and artists. Even if the cultural
offerings of the many museums aren't that appealing to you on a personal level,
the benefits to your children might be surprising-especially when you consider
the fact that you didn't have to pay a dime for admission.
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