Aside from finding the houseboat from “Sleepless in Seattle,” dropping in to the Wizards of the Coast office building to pet the dragon in the lobby, or attending the University of Washington because you saw the campus in “21 & Over” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” how can you immerse yourself in pop culture in Seattle?
From an entire museum dedicated to your favorite sci-fi shows and movies to an homage to pinball, here are some of the Puget Sound area’s wealth of places to enjoy pop culture.
Museum of Pop Culture
Since its inception in 2000 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP has had a commitment to the science fiction and fantasy zeitgeist. Nerds at heart and lovers of distant worlds will want to check out MoPOP’s permanent exhibits on sci-fi and fantasy.
Explore within a recreated spacecraft and interact with your favorite shows and movies from “Star Trek” to “Blade Runner” in the immersive “Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction” exhibit. Take a dive through the annals of sci-fi history in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Or visit the hands-on installations in the “Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic” exhibition where you’ll learn about world-building and mapmaking.
Check back into MoPOP on March 17 for its newest exhibit exploring the whimsical world of LAIKA, the animation studio behind “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” “The Boxtrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” and “Missing Link.”
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Tuesday, closed Wednesdays; 325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle; $25-$31; 206-770-2700; mopop.org
Funko HQ
In 2017, Funko, the company behind bigheaded, big-eyed collectible pop culture figurines — or Pops — unveiled a 17,000 square foot headquarters in Everett. This store is more than a store. It’s a Funko-themed homage to pop culture.
While Funko HQ isn’t a museum, it’s a must-visit for any fan. The store is divided into different elaborate “worlds” pertaining to their Pop figurines. The Gotham section, for instance, houses all the Batman and DC Pops inside a full human-sized Batcave. The Marvel section places visitors inside an Avengers-defended New York City. The Harry Potter world uses storefronts straight out of Knockturn Alley. And watch out for Godzilla destroying Tokyo if you venture into the anime realm.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; 2800 Wetmore Ave., Everett; free; 425-783-3616; funko.com
Washington State History Museum
The Washington State History Museum in Tacoma has been documenting Washington’s past since 1891. Sometimes, even history can have a pop cultural bent.
“SKATE” (through Aug. 30) is the museum’s newest exhibit, examining roller skating’s history in Washington dating back several decades and discussing the sport’s role in political and social movements. During the pandemic, roller skating saw an unprecedented renaissance. In the thick of stay-at-home orders, people dusted off their skates in a bid to pass the time. Roller skating is part of pop culture past and present whether it’s roller derby, roller disco, or simply skating around a rink with your pals.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma; free/children 5 and under, $11/members of the military, students and adults over 65, $14/adults 18-64; 888-238-4373, washingtonhistory.org
Original Selfie Museum
The Original Selfie Museum is not really a museum. It’s more of a photo studio art space. In the Selfie Museum, you and your phone have free reign over the professional sets and props.
The only reason this counts as a pop culture thing is because what is more “of the moment” than an installation of art designed for you to not only be part of it, but document it? After all, the Original Selfie Museum is “the most Instagram-able place in the nation,” according to its website.
12 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday; 92 Union St., Seattle; $25-$29; 206-487-4500; originalselfiemuseum.com
Seattle Pinball Museum
The Seattle Pinball Museum pays homage to the history of pinball by keeping over 50 machines up and running. Pinball is living, kinetic art with many of the games inspired by pop culture.
The museum’s constantly rotating collection spans from 1934 to as recently as 2020. Fans of “Stranger Things,” “Mars Attacks!,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Toy Story 4” and many other franchises can spend however long they want playing the games from their favorite shows or movies.
The museum serves a vital function in preserving pinball past and present. Since its invention during the Great Depression era, the game of pinball has been through a lot. Initially considered a form of gambling, multiple cities banned pinball from the 1940s until the 1970s. Cities lifted pinball bans right as video games came on the scene. Ever since the 1970s, pinball has faced a constant fight for relevance.
Noon-6 p.m. Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; 508 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle; $17/children 7-12 and adults 65 and older, $20/adults; 206-623-0759, seattlepinballmuseum.com
Seattle NFT Museum
Buying NFTs (non-fungible tokens) became all the rage in 2021. That hype helped spawn the NFT Museum in Seattle.
The Belltown museum consists of screens showcasing digital art. Techy, weird and confusing, how do NFTs and art mix? The blend enables the museum to display nontraditional artwork. That’s pretty neat.
When you go, check out “Gen XX,” a new exhibit opening Feb. 18 of generative art from all-female artists. Generative art is art created by a nonhuman system like mathematics or computational systems and honed by the artist. These human-machine collabs like Licia He’s code-created fish scales or Monica Rizzolli’s blend of algorithms and painting breed futuristic fever dreams.
Noon-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; 2125 First Ave., Seattle; $15 suggested donation; seattlenftmuseum.com
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