Pop Culture in Seattle

We all know Seattle’s well known for its of software and coffee, but is also responsible for some serious American popular culture, ranging from music to sci-fi. The Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project (EMP) offers 140,000 square feet dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in popular music. By blending interpretative, interactive exhibitions with cutting-edge technology, EMP captures and reflects the essence of rock 'n' roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and the blues, as well as rock's influence on hip-hop, punk and other recent genres. Visitors can view rare artifacts and memorabilia and experience the creative process by listening to musicians tell their own stories.

Also housed in the same stunning building you’ll find the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame, the first of its kind in the world. The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame spans 13,000 square feet and includes artifacts that represent science fiction’s influence on popular culture, including interactive exhibits and replicas from a wide range of art, film and literature.

Why should you visit the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum? Where else could you see Janis Joplin’s feather boa, Elvis’s motorcycle jacket and memorabilia from the Battlestar Galactica under one roof?

Museum of Flight

The Museum of Flight showcases its collection of more than 150 historic air and spacecraft and related artifacts in unique and inspiring exhibits. There is something for everyone to experience in these dynamic displays presenting events that have carried us from Kitty Hawk to the Moon. The gallery is something to behold... more than 25 planes in one room, including jets and commercial airliners, vintage planes, a couple of flight simulators, etc. Sit in the cockpit of a real fighter jet. And outside, you can actually tour an old Air Force One...the same one that Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, as well as VIPs such as Nikita Khrushchev and Henry Kissinger rode.

The Museum of Flight is located just 10 minutes south of downtown is a definite must see for any aviation or space enthusiast.

Olympic Sculpture Park

Just minutes from the Pike Place Market is the Olympic Sculpture Park located on the Seattle waterfront. The nine-acre park was at one time an industrial site that has been transformed into open and vibrant green space for art. This park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience 20-plus groundbreaking, large-scale sculptures in an awe-inspiring outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.

Seattle Center home to the 1962 World’s Fair.

While you’re in town visit the Seattle Center the site of the 1962 World’s Fair and home to the iconic Seattle landmark, the Space Needle and the International Fountain. The spectacular fountain was built as a modernist water sculpture. With over 20 Spouts, the fountain goes through programmed cycles of shooting water patterns, accompanied by recorded world music.

The bounty of fresh produce and local goods at the friendly Pike Place Market has caused countless people to fall head over heels in love with Seattle

The Pike Place Market is located right downtown and remains the single best place in the city to find fresh produce and seasonal specialties like Rainier cherries, Washington asparagus, fresh king salmon, and northwest hazelnuts. A world class food grazing experience: don’t leave without trying a Dungeness crab cocktail, a fresh-baked piroshky or cinnamon roll, and, of course, coffee from any number of vendors, including the original Starbucks. Be sure to see Rachel, the bronze piggy bank, located near the entrance; the famous fish-throwers at Pike Place Fish Company and the kitschy and out-of-the ordinary shops on the lower level.

Rare Pablo Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Museum of Art

You have a rare opportunity to see a collection of Picasso’s work at the Seattle Art Museum. The exhibition presents iconic works from virtually every phase of Picasso’s legendary career. The collection has traveled from the Musée National Picasso in Paris and features 150 extraordinary paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs, representing the artist’s personal collection—works that the highly self-aware artist kept for himself with the intent of shaping his own artistic legacy. You can check the exhibit out at the Seattle Museum of Art located just a few blocks from the conference hotel.

Washington State is the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions.

Visit Washington’s first cooperative tasting cellar at The Tasting Room. Located just four blocks from the conference hotel, it features some of the state’s best artisan and hard-to-find wines. All of the featured wineries are winemaker-owned and have very limited production. Wine lovers of all backgrounds and experience levels may taste from these boutique wineries while enjoying the ambience of a European-style wine cave in Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market.

rock star

Indulge your inner rock star!

You can be on stage at the Experience Music Project.


Reminder: On Tuesday night at the Annual Meeting, napcrg'ers can enjoy a reception and wine tasting at the Space Needle, followed by an after party at the Experience Music Project.
See you there~

Tues night after party at EMP - exhibitions

The Experience Music Project has several permanent exhibitions you must check out!

The Guitar Gallery is sure to be a favorite.