Visitor Information
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Seattle Art Museum Downtown |
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Hours
February 14–April 29
Tuesday–Sunday: 10 am–5
pm
Thursday & Friday: 10 am–9 pm
Monday: closed (except for Members Mondays)
February 20–24
SAM Downtown has extended hours Presidents Day Week:
Monday–Thursday: 10 am–9 pm (Friday, Feb 24 is Remix—we’ll be closing at 6 pm and reopening at 7:30. Get your tickets now!
Starting April 30, the museum will resume normal hours:
Wednesday–Sunday: 10 am–5
pm
Thursday & Friday: 10 am–9 pm
Monday & Tuesday: closed
Tickets
Special Exhibition Ticket Prices
Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise
February 9
–April 29, 2012
- $23 adults
- $20 Senior (62+), Military (with ID)
- $18 (students with ID) and youth (13–17)
- FREE for children 12 and under
- FREE for SAM members
- $3 off Thursday and Friday 5–9 pm
Includes access to the SAM collections and installations. Tickets may be purchased online or at the museum. Sorry, no discounts or special passes will be accepted for Gauguin and Polynesia.
SAM Collections and Installations
Suggested General Admission Prices
(Does not include entry to Gauguin and Polynesia)
- $15 Adult
- $12 Senior (62+), Military (with ID)
- $9 Student (with ID), Teen (13–17)
- FREE for children (12 and under)
- FREE for SAM Members
Includes access to the
SAM collections and installations cell phone audio guide.
Teen Tix
SAM is part of Teen Tix, a free arts access pass that allows teenagers to purchase $5 rush tickets to theater, dance, music and visual arts events. Teens must present this pass in person to get a $5 ticket at the SAM Ticketing Desk. To get your pass, sign up at www.seattlecenter.com/teentix.
Free Days
All free day programs are for SAM collections and installations access only and do not include access to Gauguin and Polynesia. Gauguin and Polynesia will, however, be discounted on these days.
- First Thursdays: Free to all
- First Friday: Free to seniors (age 62+)
-
Second Fridays, 5–9 pm: Free to teens (ages 13–19) with ID
Members are always FREE. Join SAM.
Holidays
Open on the following holidays:
- Presidents Day, Monday, February 20, 2012
- Easter, Sunday, April 8, 2012
- Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4, 2012
- Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11, 2012
- Day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 23, 2012
Closed on the following holidays:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 16, 2012
- Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2012
- Labor Day, Monday, September 3, 2012
- Columbus Day, Monday, October 8, 2012
- Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22, 2012
- Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24, 2012
- Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2012
- New Year's Eve, Monday, December 31, 2012
- New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Directions and Maps
The museum entrance is located on First Avenue on the corner of Union Street.
Maps
- Walking or driving directions courtesy of Microsoft Bing
- Biking directions or bus recommendations courtesy of Google Maps (bike racks are on every corner of the block)
- SAM Downtown in relation to the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Seattle Asian Art Museum
- Map of the galleries (PDF)
Directions
- Heading North: I-5 to Seneca Street exit (#165), west on Seneca Street to First Avenue, and turn right (north).
- Heading South: I-5 to Union Street exit (#165B), west (toward Puget Sound) on Union Street to First Avenue.
- From I-90: Heading west, merge onto I-5 North, take Madison Street exit (#2C). Turn left on Madison and right on First Avenue.
Parking
Gauguin & Polynesia Parking Special
February 7–April 29, 2012
3rd & Stewart Garage
Up to 4 hours for $6
Request a discount voucher at the SAM Ticketing Desk to apply as you leave the garage. Be aware of your time limits—if your stay is over 4 hours, no discount will be applied. The garage is about 4 blocks from SAM’s 1st Avenue and Union Street entrance, with entrance on Stewart Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Please note this is a different garage than the one that offered a discount for the Picasso exhibition.
Entrance is below the SAM building on Union Street between First and Second Avenues.
206.264.8444
Monday–Friday: 6 am–10 pm
Saturday: 9 am–midnight
Sunday: 10 am–10 pm
This is an ADA-accessible garage; it has an elevator that will leave you around the corner from the museum’s main entrance or inside the museum. More information....
Drop-off areas for visitors with special needs, other paid parking lots and metered parking are available near the Seattle Art Museum. See real-time downtown parking information courtesy of the city of Seattle.
Bike Racks
Need to park your bike? There are bike racks on the corners of First Avenue and Union Street, Second Avenue and Union Street, Second Avenue and University Street and First Avenue and University Street.
Bus Information
Contact the following transit systems for detailed rider information:
Metro 206.553.3000
Sound
Transit 206.398.5000
Community
Transit 206.353.7433
Visitors with Disabilities
Museum facilities are wheelchair accessible and we offer a variety of services for the visually and hearing impaired. More Information...
SAM SHOP
Tuesday–Sunday: 10 am–5
pm
Thursday & Friday: 10 am–9 pm
Monday: closed
(except for the four Members Mondays: February 27, March 19, April 2nd and April 16th)
The SAM SHOP is located in the North Building on the First Floor next to the SAM TASTE Restaurant. Visitors can enter from the street level on First Avenue or from Sarkowsky Hall at the new museum entrance.
Museum members receive a 10% discount at all SAM SHOP locations. Contact the store at 206.654.3120.
More Store Information...
TASTE Restaurant
Open for lunch, happy hour and dinner
Valentine’s Day, Feb 14: 11 am–9 pm (lunch & 3 course prefix)
Tuesday: 11 am–6 pm (lunch & happy hour)
Wednesday–Saturday: 11 am–9 pm
Sunday: 11 am–5 pm (all day brunch)
Monday: closed
Make a reservation online
TASTE punch cards are here.
TASTE Restaurant & Events nourishes its community of guests with great food made from the best local ingredients in an inviting atmosphere, while minimizing the impact on our environment. Enjoy an array of small and large plates from our weekly changing seasonally inspired menus created by our Executive Chef Craig Hetherington and a list of our excellent NW focused wine (PDF) and beer lists.
Check out TASTE on:
TASTE website
TASTE blog
Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library
Wednesday–Friday: 10 am–4 pm
Although primarily geared to support the museum staff, docents and educators, the library is open to members and the general public. The library offers a number of resources to aid you in your research or educational endeavors.
- Art from Here: Collection Highlights
Enjoy an introduction to a wide range of works made by artists either living in or originally from the Pacific Northwest. Discover the art that makes SAM unique.
- In Focus Gallery Talks
These 30-minute gallery discussions focus on a single gallery, allowing the visitor to experience works of art in depth. Topics rotate regularly. - New @ Noon
Featuring works of art new to the museum or freshly back on view, New @ Noon gallery talks are 20-minute discussions focused one or two works of art. - My Favorite Things
Special guests—including visual artists, dancers, curators, critics and more—are invited to select their favorite works of art in SAM's galleries to discuss during these 30-minute tours. - Special Exhibitions
Explore the special exhibitions at SAM Downtown on these 60-minute tours designed to illuminate exhibition themes and present diverse perspectives on the art on view. - Tea Ceremony Demonstrations
Experience chado, “the way of tea,” in the superbly crafted teahouse located in the Asian Galleries. The time-honored living art brings a fresh paradigm for thoughtful and harmonious living.
Private Tours
SAM offers docent-led tours for private groups. Private tour groups pay a flat-rate tour fee in addition to discounted admission. Tours are 60 minutes in length and need to be scheduled at least three weeks in advance. To schedule a private tour, please fill out our private tour request form. Questions? Please call 206.344.5260 or email groups@seattleartmuseum.org.
Group Rates
Planning to bring a crowd? Groups of 10 or more get a discount with advanced reservation. Call 206.344.5260 or email groups@seattleartmuseum.org. Please visit our group visits section for more information.
Plan an Event
Plan your next event at SAM Downtown. A variety of stunning spaces are available to serve small and intimate gatherings as well as large gala celebrations.
More Information...
Lost and Found
Do you think you may have lost something at the Seattle Art Museum? Report your lost article using this form, and we will let you know if it turns up.
Hotel Partners
Planning a visit to Seattle? Take advantage of special offers from our hotel partners.
For Artists
Slide Review by Curators
SAM curators regularly review artist submissions in the form of slides and DVDs. Materials may be sent to the Curatorial Department, Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Avenue,
Seattle, WA 98101-2003. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your material returned. Due to the volume of submissions received, please allow at least 6 weeks for a response.
Learn more about the art councils and council events.
The Annual Betty Bowen Memorial Award Competition takes place each spring, juried by the Betty Bowen Committee, which includes local artists and SAM curators.
Links to art-funding resources.
Photography
SAM allows photography in most areas. Feel free to photograph friends and family and your favorite works of art, but please do not photograph any work with this symbol:
A select number of galleries, including the Simonyi Special Exhibition Galleries, include this notice, which means that photography is not allowed in those galleries.
Please note that photography is allowed only for personal, noncommercial use, with the following restrictions:
- No tripods
- No flash photography
- No movie or video cameras
For press and other special photography, including filming and videotape projects, please contact the SAM Public Relations office at pr@seattleartmuseum.org. For images of works of art owned by SAM, please see Image Rights and Reproductions.
SAM reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises or to reproduce images of objects in its collection.
Check out SAM on Twitter and
Facebook
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