The Museum of POP Culture or MoPOP may be the most interesting museum you’d ever visit. There’s nothing quite like it in all the land.
A leading-edge nonprofit museum based in Seattle, Wash., MoPOP offers visitors a look at the “ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary pop culture.”
The museum has a combination of pop culture collections, exhibitions and educational programs that appeal to patrons of all ages.
Explore 80 Years of Superheroes at MARVEL
The current “can’t miss” attraction is the MARVEL: Universe of Super Heroes exhibit. MARVEL includes more than 300 pieces of artwork, costumes, and props from the comics and movies such as Captain America, The Avengers, Jessica Jones and many more.
Marvel’s 80-year history is documented in art, artifacts, and interactive exhibits. For instance, Iron Man Tony Stark’s laboratory gives visitors a full immersion into the life of a Marvel character. The scene is set up just as in the comic book. It includes a “soundscape” from composers Hans Zimmer and Lorne Baffe to fully engage the visitor.
The exhibit also features themed sections for favorite Marvel characters including Spider Man, Black Panther and Doctor Strange.
If You Have A Couple of Hours…
“The featured ‘not-to-miss’ attraction of the museum would be Marvel,” says Joseph Bondi, marketing associate for MoPOP. “I always highly recommend visiting our evergreen exhibits, which are our Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and our Science Fiction Hall of Fame exhibits. Additionally, I recommend our music-focused galleries - Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
“I would say my personal favorite part of the museum is our horror exhibit, Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film. Our curators do an amazing job of immersing guests through our galleries.”
Section of the Scared To Death exhibit inside the MoPOP museum. [Photo/Museum of Pop Culture-Seattle]
Family-Friendly Attractions
MoPOP offers exhibits for a wide audience, including families. If you’re traveling with your kids, some exhibits may be more family friendly than others. Bondi recommended that everyone see MARVEL, but he also told us about some other great options to get the whole family engaged in the exploration of pop culture.
“Our Sound Lab is popular amongst families because of its multimedia installations that allow visitors to jam out in soundproof rooms,” he says. Visitors can play an assortment of instruments such as guitars, drums, and mixing stations. This is particularly exciting for younger children.
The Indie Game Revolution exhibit allows visitors to not only learn how a new breed of gamers is leaving their mark on the gaming industry, but they also get to play the games. “Our Fantasy and Infinite Worlds exhibits also receive a lot of attention due to its nostalgia and family-friendly nature,” adds Bondi.
MoPOP also offers family friendly events such as Pop+ (a look at the evolution of hip-hop music) and several classes for kids throughout the year. Check out the Programs and Education tab on their website at for more information on special events and programs.
When to Visit
MoPOP hosts multiple events throughout the year that can draw large crowds such as a new exhibition opening or special programming. Most of these happen on the weekends, so if you’re looking for a little space, it’s probably best to visit during the week.
“Pop+, Campout Cinemas, MoPOP Matinees and Learning Labs are all popular events on weekends,” Bondi says. “In addition to our monthly events, we have an array of community and educational events that draw in the community.”
Community Events:
· Sound Off! This is MoPOP’s premier Battle of the Bands for musicians 21 and under. It supports the local music scene and gives artists from all backgrounds a chance to showcase original music in a large venue, to connect with peers and industry professionals, and to take the next step in their music careers.
· The Residency – This summer intensive hip-hop artist residency focuses on creative songwriting, performance techniques, and beat production for young adults ages 16-19.
· Seattle Mini Maker Faire – This is a meet up of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and love sharing what they do. The museum gives them a venue to showcase their wares and allows visitors to interact with local makers.
· Pop-Con – This is an annual mixer event for musicians, academics, critics, and dedicated fans.
· Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival, -- This festival brings together industry professionals in filmmaking and the genres of science fiction and fantasy to encourage and support new, creative additions to the cinematic arts.
Bondi says these are all weekend events and visitors can find more information under their MoPOP’s Programs + Education section of the website.
Dress Up to Visit
MoPOP visitors are welcome to visit the museum in costumes, but there are some guidelines. Costumes must fit through single doorways. They can’t contain pyrotechnics, smoke or helium balloons. The museum doesn’t allow costumes with functional weapons or body paint in place of a costume. There are several guidelines for swords and costume-specific weapons (non-functioning) on the MoPOP website.
Explore Seattle and MoPOP with the CityPASS
MoPOP is part of the Seattle CityPASS, which is a discount program for five city attractions. It gives you a chance to see the best of Seattle attractions and is good for 9 days (after the first day of use). City Pass attractions include the Space Needle, the Seattle Aquarium, the Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, MoPOP OR the Woodland Park Zoo, and Chihuly Garden and Glass OR the Pacific Science Center.
Bondi also recommends that MoPOP visitors checkout Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll, Fremont Market (only open Sundays) and the Sculpture Park, where you can see a great view of the Olympic Mountains on a clear day.
Parking and Tickets
Culture, Destinations, Entertainment, Museum, Open Road, Washington