Museum of Popular Culture (MoPop)

 

We took a lunch break and sampled a few delicious hot dogs from Dog in the Park. Two standout choices were the Seattle Dog, topped with creamy cheese and sautéed vegetables, and the Chicago Dog, featuring tangy yellow mustard, sweet relish, a crunchy pickle, and spicy peppers.

Kerri explored the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop), a vibrant hub filled with an impressive collection of memorabilia from the worlds of film, music, and more.

The hoverboards from the Back to the Future trillogy

A Darlic from Dr. Who.

Proton pack from Ghost busters

Hahn Solo from The Empire Strikes Back.

The museum is housed in an architecturally striking building, wrapped in a bold, brightly coloured exterior. One of its most distinctive features is that the Seattle monorail passes directly through the heart of the structure.

Chihuly Garden and Glass Gallery

 

Located at the base of the Space Needle, the Chihuly Garden and Glass gallery is a vibrant showcase of Dale Chihuly's spectacular glass artistry. The exhibit features an impressive range of colourful, hand-blown glass sculptures, each piece uniquely intricate and captivating.

Inside the gallery, you'll find a breathtaking collection of intricate and dramatic glass sculptures. Each installation showcases Dale Chihuly's mastery of colour, form, and light, transforming the space into a mesmerizing world of flowing shapes and vibrant hues. The artistry and craftsmanship on display are truly captivating, making every room a visual feast.

The outdoor garden at Chihuly Garden and Glass offers a perfect harmony of nature and creativity, where striking glass sculptures are thoughtfully integrated into the lush landscape. These vibrant, organic forms appear to grow naturally among the plants, creating a surreal and enchanting environment that blurs the line between art and the natural world.

Seattle Centre Monorail & Space Needle

With our 10 a.m. time slot to visit the Space Needle booked, we found ourselves with about an hour to spare. Luckily, the Seattle Center Monorail started running at 9, so we took advantage of the opportunity and hopped aboard for a quick and scenic round-trip ride to the downtown area and back.

The Monorail, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, still carries the retro charm of its era. The Alweg rail cars feature a sleek design reminiscent of a 1950s diner, complete with that nostalgic, space-age aesthetic that was all the rage at the time. Riding it feels like stepping back into a stylish slice of mid-century history.

In my experience, monorails often feel underwhelming, and this ride was no exception. While the retro design makes for some great photo ops, the journey itself was short, with not much to see along the way. Overall, it felt more like a novelty than a worthwhile activity, and honestly, a bit of a letdown in terms of both time and money.

Alright! 10 a.m. rolled around, and it was time to get serious! Standing at 184 meters tall, the Space Needle is another creation from the 1962 World’s Fair, but unlike the monorail, it has truly earned its status as a world-famous landmark. Sleek, futuristic, and instantly recognizable, it’s easily one of Seattle’s most iconic and enduring tourist attractions.

pon reaching the Space Needle’s observation deck, you're rewarded with stunning 360-degree panoramic views of Seattle and its breathtaking surroundings. Its hilltop location adds an extra layer of elevation, giving visitors an even more expansive perspective of the cityscape, Puget Sound, and distant mountain ranges.

Some of us had more trust in the engineering than others.

We spotted several Kenmore Air DHC-3 Turbo Otters gliding by at eye level as they made their final approach onto Lake Union below. Watching these seaplanes cruise past from the Space Needle’s viewing deck added an extra thrill to the experience.

Down at the base, in the ground-floor gift shop, visitors can also check out a detailed LEGO model of the Space Needle built to a 1:40 minifigure scale, an impressive tribute to the real thing.

Olympic Scupture Park

 

We got an early start today with a full agenda ahead. Today there have been clear skies and comfortable temperatures, so we’re taking advantage of it while we can. Since most attractions in Seattle don’t open until later in the morning, we kicked things off with a visit to the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Olympic Sculpture Park is a scenic green space nestled along the shores of Elliott Bay, located just outside the heart of downtown Seattle. The park showcases an ever-changing collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures, with installations rotated periodically to keep the experience fresh. During our visit, one of the featured pieces on display was Father and Son (above).

One of the most visually captivating sculptures we encountered was Echo. This towering piece bears a subtle resemblance to the iconic Moai statues of Easter Island, giving it a mysterious and monumental presence that draws attention from across the park.

Another intriguing piece we came across was titled Incredible Bench—an abstract sculpture whose name is arguably even more abstract than the artwork itself. Its unconventional form challenges traditional notions of what a bench should be, adding a playful yet thought-provoking element to the park's collection.

My personal favorite from the visit was The Eagle. What makes this piece truly stand out is how dramatically its appearance shifts depending on your viewpoint. From one angle, it might resemble a soaring bird; from another, it transforms into an abstract burst of energy.

A significant part of what makes the park so special is its stunning natural setting. Winding pathways invite visitors to walk, jog, or cycle through the space, all while enjoying sweeping views over Puget Sound. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the majestic Olympic Peninsula, adding a breathtaking backdrop to the artistic experience.

Wildlife is abundant around Olympic Sculpture Park, adding a lively touch to the serene atmosphere. During our visit, we spotted a pair of gray gulls combing the shoreline in search of their morning meal, a charming reminder of how nature and art coexist seamlessly in this vibrant space.

We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a small pod of harbor porpoises gliding through the waters just off the park’s shoreline.

We also saw a flock of Canada Geese on the move, their distinctive honking echoing through the park. Their presence brought back warm memories of our time in Calgary, where their seasonal migrations were a familiar sign that the long, harsh winter was finally giving way to spring.

Olympic Sculpture Park is uniquely intersected by a busy railway corridor, used by both BNSF freight trains and Sounder commuter trains.