Yes! SAM wants everyone to experience the art in our galleries and we offer many ways to visit the museum for free or at a reduced rate. Learn more about discount programs available at SAM.

Yes, SAM is now a Seattle C3® attraction! It’s easy to save up to 31% off admission to Seattle’s top 3 attractions. First, purchase Seattle C3® online for instant mobile ticket delivery. Next, present your C3® ticket at the Ticketing Desk in the Brotman Forum to receive your SAM ticket for entry—no advanced reservations are required.

Seattle Art Museum: There is a single price for admission at Seattle Art Museum’s downtown location. This is not a suggested donation nor is the Pay What You Wish option available.

Seattle Asian Art Museum: SAM has an operating agreement with the City of Seattle for the Seattle Asian Art Museum art deco building located in Volunteer Park. As part of this agreement, admission pricing at the Seattle Asian Art Museum is suggested. Visitors here may pay what they wish for entry. This option is only available to purchase onsite.

SAM offers many ways to visit the museum for free or at a reduced rate Learn more about discount programs available at SAM.

We have streamlined the ticket purchasing experience at our downtown location to a single “Admission” ticket. This ticket includes access to everything currently on view in the museum. On “Free First Fridays” seniors previously needed to pay a $7.99 surcharge to view the touring exhibition. Going forward, all seniors will be able to experience everything currently on view in the museum for a single ticket price of $5, the first Friday of every month.

SAM offers many ways to visit the museum for free or at a reduced rate Learn more about discount programs available at SAM.

Buying tickets online in advance is highly encouraged, plus it saves you money! Save $3 when you purchase tickets online at least one day in advance of your visit. Admission increases if you wait until the day of your visit to purchase tickets online or onsite. Tickets are released online the first Thursday of every month on a rolling basis.

If you do not have an account already, you will be prompted to create an account with a login and password in order to check out online.

Please contact SAM’s Customer Service Center through our online form to request your print-at-home tickets be sent to you via email.

Please start by checking your email account’s junk/spam folder. Be sure your email account is set up to receive emails sent from "ticketing@seattleartmuseum.org." If you still have not received a confirmation, please contact SAM’s Customer Service Center through our online form.

Backpacks, large bags, or items larger than 11″ x 15″ are not allowed in the galleries and must be checked. Coat check is free at Seattle Art Museum, and Seattle Asian Art Museum has a free self-check, so please plan accordingly.

At the Seattle Art Museum, only the First and Union entrance is currently open. The south entrance (the Hammering Man entrance) and the South Hall are temporarily closed to the public. At the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the main entrance is open.

Occasionally SAM needs to close galleries or limit access at our locations in order to install new exhibitions or rotate sensitive artworks. This isn’t something we like to do often but, when it happens, we hope you’ll bear with us because the result will be new art for you to enjoy.

Current temporary closures:

• Seattle Art Museum: The American art galleries on the third floor are closed to install American Art: The Stories We Carry which opens October 20, 2022. Adjacent galleries are open and accessible but may close occasionally as the installation progresses.

Wheelchairs and strollers are available upon request on a first come, first served basis, and will be cleaned after every use.

Check our calendar to see when tours are happening.

Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they want, until the close of the museum, once they have entered the galleries.

Benches and other seating are provided on each floor of the museum for your comfort.

SAM strives to be accessible for all visitors and provides a variety of support services to assist with your visit. More information can be found here. Service animals are the only animals welcome in the museum.

Report your lost article and we will let you know if it turns up.

Yes! Discounted admission rates are available for groups of 10 people or more. Reservations are required. Learn more

Yes! There is no minimum number of people for a guided tour. The tour fee in our group rates section applies to groups of 1 to 20 people.

Group admission cannot be combined with other discounts, including reciprocal membership from other institutions.

If anything comes up that may delay your visit, please call our Customer Service Center at 206.654.3210 as soon as possible. For guided tour reservations, we cannot guarantee your tour if you are more than 15 minutes late.

We currently do not have dining packages, but we hope to offer them soon!

Groups are not recommended to visit on First Thursdays at Seattle Art Museum or Last Fridays at Seattle Asian Art Museum. The galleries get very crowded which does not make for a good group experience.

If your only availability falls on a First Thursday or Last Friday, we can book a limited number of groups on a first-come, first-served basis, self-guided only. Please email us to inquire about availability.

Masks are no longer required to enter the museum, but visitors are encouraged to wear them for their personal safety and comfort.

The vaccine verification requirement to enter the museum is no longer in effect per Public Health—Seattle & King County. COVID-19 safety protocols change and evolve rapidly, please refer to our Visit pages for the most up-to-date information.

Physical distancing is recommended. Please pay attention to physical distance between you and other visitors and staff. Keep your group together and try to remain six feet away from others.

Enhanced cleaning of high-touch surfaces will be conducted throughout the day; hand-sanitizer units are stationed throughout the building.

During the pandemic, SAM closed a few public areas of the museum to reduce overall visitor footprint so we could operate and provide access to our galleries. Some areas remain closed to all visitors—these include:

Seattle Art Museum: The south wing of the museum—including South Hall and South Hall restrooms, the Grand Staircase, Chase Open Studio, the Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center, the Bullitt Library, and some family spaces.

Seattle Asian Art Museum: The Education Studio, Community Gallery, Chen Community Meeting Room, and the McCaw Foundation Library.

All visitors need a ticket to visit SAM. You may secure your complimentary member tickets and purchase tickets for your guests online or onsite. Please note the following:

• Online: Tickets are available here. Print your tickets at home, show your tickets on your phone, or pick up your tickets at Will Call before entering the galleries.

• Onsite: Go to the ticketing desk and show your membership card or photo ID and our representatives will print out tickets for you.

Please note, guest passes and the 40% off discount on your guests can only be used onsite.

No! Your free member admission includes admission to special exhibitions.

If you purchased a membership online, you have a SAM account. On the log in page, click on "Forgot Password" to recover your password. Use the email used to purchase your membership to log into your account. If you purchased your membership onsite or by mail, please allow up to a week for your membership to be reflected on your online account.

Please contact the SAM Customer Service Center using the online form, by calling us at 206.654.3210, or emailing membership@seattleartmuseum.org if you:

• Purchased your membership over a week ago and don’t see your membership reflected on your online account.

• Would like to create a second login to access your joint membership account.

• Don’t remember what email is attached to your account.

• General online account issues.

Once logged in, you should see your current membership level and expiration date listed at the top of the page. Tickets will always appear as full price when you are selecting them. Make sure you are logged into your member account and your free member admission will reflect in your cart during checkout.

Patron, Friend, Fellow, and Contributor Circle members receive one-time use guest passes to share with friends and family, good for free admission. Guest passes are valid for the length of your current membership. Your paper guest passes will have been mailed to your address when you joined or renewed your membership. Two year members receive two years’ worth of guest passes, double the single year amount, at the beginning of their membership. You do not need to be present for guest passes to be used.

• Patron: 4 guest passes

• Friends and Fellows: 6 guest passes

• Contributor Circles: 10 guest passes

All membership levels receive 40% off museum admission for a limited number of guests every visit. Members no longer receive $5 discount passes in the mail. Patron-level members and above are allowed to bring two guests for free each visit.

Patron-level members and above receive guest passes when you purchase or renew your membership. To redeem guest passes, the person using them should present them at the ticketing desk to exchange for tickets. You do not need to be present for your guest passes to be used. Please note, guest passes are separate from the member benefit of two free guests every time you visit SAM.

Yes, $5 discount passes will be accepted through December 31, 2023. Don’t forget, members get 40% off museum admission for a limited number of guests every visit!

Upon arriving at SAM, show your participating museum membership card with reciprocity designation for the Metropolitan Reciprocal Membership Program, the Western Reciprocal Membership Program, or other participating institution at the ticketing desk. Members of reciprocal institutions receive free admission to SAM for cardholders and up to two guests including special exhibitions, 10% discount at SAM Shop, and discounts on select program and lecture tickets. Reciprocal member tickets can only be reserved in-person at the ticketing desk to confirm reciprocal status. Check out this page for more information on reciprocal admission and participating museums.

SAM participates in the Metropolitan Reciprocal Membership Program and the Western Reciprocal Membership Program. We also have agreements with a handful of individual museums. Be sure to check the list of institutions participating in the reciprocal admission programs before visiting. We encourage you to contact the museums you are planning on visiting in advance to confirm reciprocal benefits.

Digital card holders: Present your active digital membership card and photo ID to participating organizations for free admission.

Plastic card holders: Present your active SAM membership card with reciprocal logo and photo ID to participating organizations for free admission. SAM no longer provides reciprocal stickers.

Yes! SAM members have exclusive access to Member Previews, Conversations with Curators, Member Appreciation Days, and more. Upcoming opportunities will always be announced in the bi-monthly Member Enews as well as appear in the Upcoming Member Events section on our website. Some events may allow you to bring a limited number of guests. Check individual events for more information on if guests are allowed and ticket pricing.

Membership benefits are nontransferable. Whether ordering your tickets online or picking them up at the desk, you will be required to present your active SAM membership card and photo ID along with your ticket before entering the galleries. The name on your ticket must match your photo ID or you will be denied entry. If your membership level includes guest passes, you may share those and do not need to be present for them to be used.

You can join SAM’s AutoRenewal program when you purchase a membership or renewal using a credit card on-site, by mail, or over the phone at 206.654.3210. The credit card you use will be automatically charged in the month your membership expires. Currently, you cannot opt into SAM’s AutoRenewal program when you purchase your membership or renew online.

To update your credit card information or to opt in/out of SAM’s AutoRenewal program, contact SAM’s Customer Service Center at 206.654.3210. Please do not email us your credit card information.

Memberships are revocable licenses issued subject to SAM’s visitor policies and this Ticketing & Membership policy. SAM reserves the right to terminate such licenses, and to refuse or revoke membership, refuse admission to SAM, and/or remove any person, without refund, whose conduct SAM deems inappropriate, who fails to comply with SAM’s rules, visitor policies, or this ticketing and membership policy, and/or who abuses member privileges.

Memberships are valid at all SAM locations. Memberships begin on the date of purchase. Membership cards and privileges are non-refundable and non-transferable. Membership cards and privileges are intended for noncommercial use by individual members and are valid only for the person(s) named on the membership account. Membership benefits may not be resold, exchanged, or refunded. Purchase of an annual membership does not entitle purchaser to renewal in a subsequent year.

Digital membership cards will be sent to the email address used to purchase your membership. Open the email on your mobile device and follow the instructions to download the card to your smartphone wallet. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions on how to download your digital membership card to your smartphone wallet. We've also written the instructions for you here! Android users may need to install Wallet Passes from the Play Store prior to download.

If you don’t receive an email or you delete the email, please contact the SAM Customer Service Center using the online form, by calling us at 206.654.3210, or emailing membership@seattleartmuseum.org.

All members will receive an email with a link to their digital card. The email will only be sent to the primary member. You can forward the email or use the share feature of the wallet app to ensure that secondary cardholders receive their digital membership card.

For iPhone users:

• Open your SAM membership card in the Wallet app. At the top right side of the screen, tap on the "..." icon and select Pass Details.

• At the top right side of the screen, tap on the share icon (box with arrow pointing up) to send the card via text message or email to the secondary card holder. We recommend you use the Mail option.

For Android users:

• Search for an "i" icon at the bottom of your card.

• Once you tap on this icon, you will see a button that says "share pass". Tap on this button.

• You will see sharing options like Mail, SMS, etc... Use one of those options to share your card. We recommend you use the Mail option.

Once downloaded, your digital cards will live in your smartphone's wallet.

Dual-level and higher memberships have the option of having two named members on their membership cards. If you do not have a second named member, the name on your card will appear as “Your Name and Guest”. You will receive a single digital card that can be used for you and a guest. If you also selected to receive a plastic card, you will only receive one card. Please remember that these can only be used when the primary named member is present.

Yes! You only need to download your card once. After your membership renewal has been fully processed and if automatic updates are turned on in your smart wallet app, your digital card will automatically update with your new expiration date and any name changes you requested. The settings in your phone’s wallet may need to be adjusted to allow for automatic updates. Please allow up to a week for processing.

You will only receive new digital cards if you change your membership level or upon request. If you need your digital card resent to you, please contact the SAM Customer Service Center using the online form, by calling us at 206.654.3210, or emailing membership@seattleartmuseum.org.

You can still visit the museum anytime by showing your photo ID at the Ticketing Desk to verify your membership status. If you need a replacement plastic (Patron-level or above only) or digital card, please contact the SAM Customer Service Center using the online form, by calling us at 206.654.3210, or emailing membership@seattleartmuseum.org.

Online: Find the level that is right for your recipient and choose the "Gift" option. SAM members should use this page to receive 10% off your gift membership purchases.

Phone: Call us at 206.654.3210, open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.

Onsite: Stop by the ticketing desk at Seattle Art Museum or the Seattle Asian Art Museum and we will help you in person.

Please note, gift memberships take 2-3 weeks to process. Contact us at membership@seattleartmuseum.org to receive a digital membership welcome letter to gift to your recipient in the meantime.

SAM members should use this page to receive 10% off your gift membership purchases. You will need to be logged in to your member account to receive the discount. You can also purchase a gift membership with your discount onsite or over the phone at 206.654.3210.

Your recipient’s membership packet and membership card will be mailed to their address within three weeks of purchase. Currently, digital membership cards are not an option for gift membership purchases. Once the gift recipient has received their membership packet, they may request a digital card by contacting the SAM Customer Service Center using the online form, by calling us at 206.654.3210, or emailing membership@seattleartmuseum.org.

Contact us at membership@seattleartmuseum.org to receive a digital membership welcome letter to gift to your recipient.

Your membership packet with your card will be mailed to your address. You can still visit SAM before your packet arrives by presenting your photo ID and the name of the person who gifted you the membership at the ticketing desk.

Currently, digital membership cards are not automatically sent to gift membership recipients. Once you’ve received your membership packet in the mail, you may request a digital card by contacting the SAM Customer Service Center using the online form, by calling us at 206.654.3210, or emailing membership@seattleartmuseum.org.

Contact the Venue Experiences department by email or by phone at 206.654.3140. Space is available to reserve on a first-come, first-served basis up to 12 months in advance.

You are welcome to view the museum and PACCAR Pavilion public spaces any time during public hours. You do not need an escort and you’re not required to pay admission to preview the location for a future event. Please email us to double-check that the spaces you would like to view are not booked for an event during the time you want to visit.

We partner with Shooby Doo Catering to provide exclusive catering at all SAM locations. All food and beverage arrangements must be made directly with Shooby Doo Catering.

College dance events, auctions, and political events are not permitted at SAM. High school reunions and proms, however, are permitted.

Please take advantage of SAM's online collection. It provides access to the nearly 25,000 objects in our holdings. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please email us at research@seattleartmuseum.org.

See a selection of SAM's recent acquisitions or email us at collection@seattleartmuseum.org.

Please contact libraries@seattleartmuseum.org. If you need label text for an object not on view or you can’t find what you need with the libraries, please contact collection@seattleartmuseum.org.

For scholarly papers and other publications, the Image Rights Department can license images of artworks and historic images of exhibitions and events.

SAM curatorial staff cannot offer such services. Electronic resources for appraisal, authentication, identification, and research have been identified by the library staff for public use.

The Seattle Art Museum does not accept unsolicited submissions of art except through the annual Betty Bowen Award.

If you are a collector who would like to offer works of art from your collection to the museum, please follow the guidelines below.

• Please provide us with as much information as possible about the work, including artist, date, medium, size, and provenance information (history of ownership).

• Please include an image of the work of art (or multiple images, if offering multiple works).

• Please state explicitly if you are offering these works for loan (temporarily sharing them with the museum for display), for sale (please include your asking price and date by which you need a decision), or for donation.

• Please note that the museum cannot identify, authenticate, or appraise your collection.

• Send your material to the Seattle Art Museum Curatorial Department via email, or to 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. Please note that the museum cannot return materials sent by mail.

Please note: The process of reviewing your images may take several weeks. It may not be possible to reply to every submission. We cannot make studio visits, see the work in person, or make visits to private collections during the initial phase of the review. If there is sufficient interest from a curator, we will contact you about any further steps.

The Seattle Art Museum has three libraries. Two research libraries: the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library (Seattle Art Museum) and the McCaw Foundation Library (Seattle Asian Art Museum), and a lending library for educators: the Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center (Seattle Art Museum). The research libraries’ combined collection is over 45,000 volumes. The Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center has over 4,000 resources.

Yes, please view hours and visit information here. Appointments can be made for either library via email.

The Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center (ERC) is also closed until further notice.

Most of the services we provide are free. Occasionally, there are very minimal charges. Patrons are assessed a fee of $0.10 per page for photocopies after the first 10 pages. Additionally, patrons must pay fees for postage (if applicable) and any other charges incurred by library staff on behalf of the patron. The majority of research requests cost less than $5.

When possible, library staff can help you find helpful information about an object. We can also provide contact information for appraisal organizations that can appraise, authenticate, or positively identify art.