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Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum And Hall Of Fame
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Neighborhood: Queen Anne
325 5th Ave N
(between Thomas St & Harrison St)
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 770-2702
325 5th Ave N
(between Thomas St & Harrison St)
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 770-2702
Gelatine Lux coming Nov. 21, 2009
EMP|SFM is proud to present Gelatine Lux, an…
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- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
193 reviews for Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum And Hall Of Fame
Interestingly enough, I am not a big fan of museums. I do not enjoy walking around looking at little things and having to read every little sign with all the information about the object or the history. I do, though, enjoy learning all there is to know about people, places, objects and history in the museums. Hmmm.... so how can I do that. Either watch a movie/documentary or just get the audio guide. Perfect.
This place is has a nice combination of interactive stuff, history, fun facts, etc. I loved the muppet stuff and the Jimi Hendrix.
This was a fun couple of hours. As a Californian, I got to get a little more on the Seattle side of things and see all the Seattle talent. Pretty impressive.
Bitch bitch bitch--that's all these snide, snobby Seattleites do, so DON'T listen to them and be dissuaded from seeing what is a GREAT museum.
If you're a music lover, you'll be in heaven here, and the sci-fi part is awesome. Boring??? Well, if anyone finds this museum to be boring, then I'd like to know what they do find interesting.... hopefully not the "Belltown" yuppie zone, replete with coffee sipping upper income tax bracket yuppies everywhere you step--okay, anyway, I digress...
We got a discount on the tickets, so it was only $12 for each of us to get in, which is an awesome value. The exhibits had really awesome memorabilia and a lot of inside information about the Seattle and northwest music scene--both its rock, and jazz scenes--like I said, if you're a music lover and into finding out more about northwest musicological origins, then this museum will satiate your curiosity.
The interior of the museum is also impressive (again, I would like to see what would actually impress these Seattleites, since this doesn't), and had kind of a hip, low key kind of vibe--I was instantly taken.
If you are a musician, or simply a guitar lover, then you will also love it here--there is a wonderful exhibit that showcases all kind sof guitars, from a 18th century guitar, all the way to guitars that Eric Clapton played on the song, Layla, and a guitar played by Cobain. Yes, awesome.
The Jimi Hendrix exhibit kicked ass, and so did everything else.
The sci-fi exhibit was great! Who cares if some of the costumes and other objects were replications--they were still cool as hell. They had more than enough authentic, and original items there to make it wonderful--again, don't listen to the bitching Seattleites!
One of the most important things that I wanted to see in Seattle during my trip was the Science Fiction Museum And Hall Of Fame. I am a nerd, and I could not have left without seeing it. First, the architecture of the building is amazing and makes the experience that much better. We decided to check out the Experience Music Project first and save the Science Fiction Museum for second. The EMP really is very awesome and you get to see the history of popular music up close. Seattle is so well-known for its music scene that it only makes sense that a museum like this should be there.
Once we were done looking through the exhibits in the EMP, we moved to the Science Fiction Museum. Of course, I nerdgasmed everywhere as we saw props from tons of major sci-fi blockbusters and interactive kiosks and videos. Though it was kind of short, it was still amazing and I would highly recommend it to all my fellow nerds.
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I was forewarned about how the EMP is pretty disappointing and I must say I learned my lesson. HOWEVER, I thought the Science Fiction Museum part was AWESOME. As big as the EMP is - there aren't that many exhibits inside. The upstairs area where you can learn how to play the instruments is cool but the exhibits were defintaely lacking. It was really cool seeing all the different types of guitars though.
I was here mostly to see the exterior of the building anyway - it's definately... a sight.
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Yeah... i don't know what to say. Great building, horrible on the inside. Really, it's quite pathetic. I've been to science centers that were better in music history and experience than here.
From the outside it looks great, but inside, it's barren, boring, and missing any umph, if you know what I mean.
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Unless you are actually a musician and enjoy playing instruments, this place is a complete waste of time and money. I was expecting some sort of a music museum and instead we got just 3 exhibits, a stage which wasn't set up, and an incredibly cheesy schwag store.
The science fiction side of this place is the only thing I found interesting at all and I'm not a big science fiction guy.
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I was excited to go to the EMP/Science Fiction Hall of Fame but was fairly disappointed. At least when I went last year, it was a total loss if you weren't in love with Jimi Hendrix. The Hall of Fame was neat, but only once.
I went specifically to see the gehry building, which is AMAZING. i suggest you get up close to the outside of the building to see how the cladding fits together. awesome details!
we skipped the sci-fi & went straight to the EMP.
the beginning bee-bop was kind of snoozey (not my generation) but when we got to the NW/seattle influence - I had forgotten how many really great bands (famous & not as) came out of the area and really carved out a place in music history! take your time and READ the information card things, take time to absorb it, think about the history, & you will defs enjoy it as much as we did.
i loved seeing pieces specific to the seattle sound (even tho I was never that into it - i look bad in plaid) :
guitar remnants, set lists (handwritten list of songs played on a gig), handwritten notes, demo tapes with some goon from the band's handwriting. It's just fun to know that a band like nirvana played at some small crappy smoke filled venue to 30 people (fam & friends) when they were first starting, just like every other musician trying to 'make it'.
the guitar room is really amazing. am i into guitars? super no way. but if you pay attention & read the tags they have :
- one of the very first gibson prototypes!! it looked like something made in shop class by a very unqualified person.
- les paul guitar(s), which seemed so rele, as he just passed away and interesting to know how & where he fit into the history of the guitar
- all these old/vintage guitar & bass guys that aren't made anymore which often have correlating pics of oldies that played them.
- seeing the evolution of these machines is amazing. you won't find that in the museum in your city....minneapolis? yes, we have a ton of great art museums...but our 'fun' museum? yea, it's about flour and baking. no woo hoo.
plus! they have a film running - so you can actually HEAR what many of these intruments sound like (esp. lesser known/more rare pieces)
my fav part of the musem?
the part where you get to try instruments!! here's the deal, i suggest to use common sense & go early so you can actually fumble around without 500 other ppl in line behind you or vice versa.
again, take your time in the museum part, don't skim. It's small & doesn't take much time - but it really is chock full of really cool artifacts, history, and information.
then go upstairs and rock your OWN face off.
The exibit on the history of the electric guitar was good, otherwise a bit boring.
I will only go there on the first Thursday of each month from 5pm to 8pm because the admission is free and so as other educational entertainment. Otherwise, it is very costly to go with a family. The admission is $15 per person. You have to pay addition for other experience.
I really enjoyed the hands on music experience. The live band was a bonus.
After reading these reviews, I find it necessary to give you all a review that exludes the Muppet exhibit, which is only temporary, and won't be around for future Yelpers to see.
The major themes in this museum are Jimi Hendrix, history of guitars, and music history of the NW. The SciFi section is 80-90% from Paul Allen's exclusive collection. Be prepared to see lots of old books and costume reproductions. The music museum has a large section for experimenting with electronic music systems, but are always being banged on by school kids, so you hardly get a chance to try it.
I was a little underwhelmed. How can there be a music museum without discussing Elvis, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra? You won't find any of that here.
You will find a smaller-than-initially-appears collection of limited scope, for very expensive prices.
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The EMP and especially the Sci Fi museum are not your run-of-the-mill museums. I especially love the Sci Fi museum- it is so cool. I really like both museums because they are quirky, yet informational.
Definitely a great way to spend a rainy day in Seattle.
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I wanted to see the Jim Henson exhibit...for free. Like everyone else that weekend. So some friends and I went on the first Thursday of July, when the EMP is open to everyone.
It was packed...i felt like i was at a rave during some parts, waiting in line for a ride at Disney Land in others, and inside a crowded haunted house some of the time. I didn't mind waiting in the lines too much. I was just so damned excited to be there and see me some muppets that i didn't mind sharing my enthusiasm with everyone else.
The sci-fi section of the EMP is pretty rad. It feels like a futuristic haunted cave. If you're claustrophobic however, being smooshed in the crowd inside the windy, dark rooms might get you a little flustered. Also, please don't fart in here. There were more than a few silent-but-deadlies that made me want to claw the at walls for a crack to breathe out of.
The actual Henson exhibit is at the very end, but a very small climax. It's short and sweet, so take your time and try to push past people to read every little detail and see every little tuft of technicolored fur.
I wish there had been more muppets and Fraggles, and I won't tell you which ones were there - that would spoil it.
Be aware that there are THRONGS of children that come (or they did that day, anyway). I didn't mind too much, because i enjoyed Henson's stuff as a kid.
The best part? The hands-on puppet band show! You wait in line (not too long) to form a 4-5 muppet rock band in front of people. I HAD to do it. I felt like a weirdo waiting in line with 5-year-olds at first, but i totally annihilated the drums.
After we perused the whole the sci-fi side, my friends and i wandered over to the music section of the EMP. I thought it was boring...but then again, i don't play any instruments (with the exception of my puppet), and don't appreciate rock memorabilia like some do. What i DID appreciate was seeing MICHAEL JACKSON'S GLOVE in a glass case, and watching him perform on the giant Sky Church screen! The Sky Church connects the sci-fi and the music areas in the middle, and was the part of the experience that felt like a giant rave (or a rich kid's high school dance).
I felt bad after talking to one of their employees (they were all really friendly) about being one of the bajillions who only come/came on Free Thursdays. They've knocked down their prices a little because of it. For $12 as a student, i can go when it's less crowded...but i feel like i've already seen it and would only go back for free to rock out with my little muppet cock out.
*joy
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THE MUPPET SHOW TONIGHT!! When the trip came around to visiting Museums and given that Seattle launched the whole grunge movement, it was only fitting to go to the Experience Music Project.
I wasn't all that impressed with the EMP part. Yeah, it had a lot of guitars hanging all over the place. Perhaps if I was even remotely talented enough to play an instrument instead of having my guitar skills limited to what I can rock out on Rock Band, I may have enjoyed the hands on equipment more. I settled for the turn tables... Which I rocked out on, yo!
The real joy of this for me came with the Science Fiction Museum. I'm a nerd. A complete and utter nerd. You should have seen me drooling when I walked into this place. They had props and history of scifi from the early days. They also had a wall that mapped out why and how stories came to be. Showing the relationship to current events of the time to the fears that they created and in turn, popped up in the scifi books.
The atomic race/use of nukes spawned off fears of atom splicing gone wrong and thus you get giant ants, godzilla and other giant monsters of the 50's. The red scare brought about the monsters hidden in plain sight and so forth.
Going down the halls you saw props from various nerd centric shows. They even had a program that you could pick out space ships and find out more about them. They even had the Galaxy Express ship in their database. Who honors Futurama like that? Well, I guess Matt is from the Pacific Northwest after all.
The thing that topped me over to fully being in heaven was the Jim Henson Experience. That was utterly amazing in every way possible. Showing off some of his earlier work from before his muppet days. The ad company and ads he created and even had a muppet testing area where you could use muppets dressed like local musicians play out a few of the amazing songs that were featured in the muppets/sesame street days.
A great time to be had. Don't forget to stop by the gift shop. I had to pick up some Space Invader ice cubes.
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So I was on vacation in Seattle, visiting two of my friends who had just moved up there from my hometown of Orange, CA about four weeks ago. On my last full day before flying home (Monday, 27 July 2009), we decided to check out the EMP and Sci-Fi Museum. At $12 for college student admission, it was a steal. I didn't have my student ID with me, but they still let me in with student admission.
The air conditioning was wonderful. It was so hot in Seattle while I was there, and my friends don't have air conditioning in their apartment, so it felt great just to be in there.
The EMP was very interesting. There were definitely a lot of things to read, watch, and listen to. As Christina M mentioned, the history of the guitar exhibit was really interesting. They showed mainly guitars, but they did have a few bass guitars, which was pretty cool.
My favorite part of the EMP was the interactive section. My two friends and I managed to get into one of the booths with an acoustic drum set, bass guitar, and two other guitars. We got to jam for a good 20 minutes.
After that, we moved on to the Sci-Fi Museum. The first thing that I noticed was that a LOT of the exhibits were provided by Paul Allen. The second thing I noticed was that a majority of the exhibits were reproductions, not originals.
My favorite part of the Sci-Fi Museum was looking at the Armory exhibit and looking at the wide variety of weapons they had on showcase.
The Sci-Fi Museum leads into the Jim Henson exhibit, and all of that stuff was really interesting. There were storyboards everywhere and fuzzy walls that you just had to touch, even though you know countless thousands of people have done the same. Those walls have to be crawling with germs, but who cares? Not this guy.
We got to put on a puppet show for people, and that was a lot of fun. These two volunteer girls there showed us how it's done; there's a monitor on the floor that you can look at, so you can see what you're doing.
Also, just wanted to add that one of the girls volunteering had shaved her head, and although it usually looks really bad in my opinion, she pulled it off and looked super cute. I know it's not really related to the Sci-Fi Museum as a whole, but I had to point it out.
"How do you tell a girl 'you look really cute with your head shaved' without sounding creepy?"
Anyway, I highly recommend checking it out. The exhibits, I mean.
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I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about EMP, and for good reason. My sister and I decided that the best part of the museum is free: the entryway with a light show and music, and the two-story guitar tower. We are pretty sure they know this, and use it to draw customers in.
Other than that, the museum in general is really small. If you are really interested in playing around with creating and editing music, this might be worth your time (if you can handle fighting through he crowds). Otherwise, there is not much you can learn from the exhibits that you haven't seen before (or isn't on the internet/wikipedia).
As for the science fiction side, I admit- it was fun to phone home with ET and I can't get enough of the Jim Hensen exhibit. The unfortunate part is that no photography is allowed, and they are relatively strict about it- constantly surveying the most popular areas (i.e. Kermit, Bert & Ernie).
In all, if you are seriously out of ideas, EMP is worth a visit. Also, if you are really a music aficionado and love things like the history of guitars, you might really love EMP. Everyone else- save your money for the space needle around the corner.
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What's left to say after 158 reviews?
I'll leave it at : R-A-A-A-D!
Oh and Last Thursday of the month is FREE from 5-8pm, which saves you 15$.
Thank You so much EMP for letting me see Michael Jacksons white glove and jacket with my own eyes. God Bless the King of Pop. I left much more knowledgeable about the Seattle music scene, and much more smiley because I had a lovely time.
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We went on the FREE First Thurs of the month - July 2, 2009. Line wasn't too long from the Science Fiction entrance. We then on the elevator to the Jim Henson exhibit. I wasn't impressed and too crowded.
I didn't spend much time in either places EMP nor Science Fiction so I can't say too much.
If u really like guitars then the EMP might be interesting to you, otherwise only go on the FREE day. I liked the pic I took w/ the tower of guitars.
Somehow the museums are connected - ask someone that works there how to get to the other part of the museum without exiting!
I exited thinking u can just walk to the other side, but it was too crowded so they made me wait all over again in another line - so bogus.
Strange art designs for EMP/Sci-Fi. The monorail goes thru it and stop right outside which is nice.
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I seen the Experience Music Project Museum on the travel channel once, so i made sure i went there when i was up in Seattle.. It was really cool! They had a whole spot where you could learn how to play different instruments, and you could even record your own CD! haha The Science Fiction Museum was really cool too! The only thing i didn't like about these museums was that you wern't allowed to take pictures! =(
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Today was the 4th time we've been here in 2 years - the 11 year old loves this place! I think it's ok. Today was FREE Museum pass day and the last 3 times we've gone with school groups for $6 per person(I think). If I paid $30 for the 2 of us to get in - I don't think it would be worth it. The exhibits are nice, she loves to play the instruments and sing on stage. It's fun for a couple of hours - so find a coupon and head over! I would like to try the audio tour sometime.
The EMP is a bore. The idea is cool and the space it's situated in is amazing, but the exhibits are nothing special. Permanent exhibits are great, but without much replay value. "Northwest Passage" is a thorough history of the music that's come out of our area -- there are a lot of cool artifacts for local music fans (like me!) to see. Then, the "Guitar Gallery," traces the evolution of guitars from the 1700's to the first Fender Stratocaster and etc. They also feature...
The "Sound Lab" is a noisy room filled with stations where you (or you + friends) can try playing guitars/drums/keyboards/mixing etc. This is obviously, lots of fun -- but always super crowded.
And then there is "On Stage" where you can pretend to play instruments on a hot replica stage and buy a DVD of it -- which is really cute in theory, but with the advent of games like Rock Band, not worth the $30 for a DVD of the experience. Or the $10 for a poster with your picture on it. Or the wait in line.
The rotating exhibits are really hit or miss. If you're super into Jimi Hendrix, you're in luck because it seems like every third exhibit is about him. If not, make sure you check the EMP website to see if whatever they've got interests you, without the bonus of a rotating exhibit that you actually care about at the EMP the value of your experience really sinks.
The best thing about the EMP is the sky church, which is an awesome space to see a concert at -- but it happens all too infrequently.
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The real gem of Seattle Center is the SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM! The space is jammed with costumes, robots, and props from movies and pop culture that make it fun for everyone, even people who aren't into Sci-Fi things.
Permanent exhibits include Homeworld which includes the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, a look at famous sci-fi stories, and the history of Sci-Fi. Then, there are multiple galleries of different sci-fi memorabilia -- weapons, robots, space-suits, etc. Pretty neat!
My favorite part of the SFM is the space ship bay, which features a giant window/screen with the spacecraft from all your favorite movies flying by and several interactive consoles where you can see clips and check out more details about each one (including the Planet Express ship from Futurama!)
The rotating exhibits are always cool -- recently it was a look at Jim Henson's creations which feature a mix of his sketches and an awesome collection of puppets and old muppet clips -- as well as a stage where you can put on your own muppet show! AWESOME. In the past, they've had even more movie memorabilia (including a big old Alien from ALIEN!!) and more robots and things. Fun fun fun.
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I had really high hopes for this museum.... and for the most part I was a happy camper. But I was disappointed on some items... and since that's all people really care about....
The music exhibit was amazing.... but I was unaware that it was pretty much a Seattle music exhibit.... I was expecting some more music memorabilia from non-Seattle artists.
The sci-fi museum was cool... until you read the plaques next to the exhibits and they all said "Fans rebuilt model". There was very little stuff that was actually used in the movies.... and the stuff that was "rare" was way too nerdy for me... lots of comic books, sci-fi books, etc.
The interactive stuff was full of kids so I didn't get to play with any of it.... but I did realize that this is not a museum for kids... they will be totally bored.
I was lucky enough to be here for the Jim Henson exhibit... and I was dissapointed by it. There were tons of Jim Henson drawings, and pictures, but there were only a few Muppets. I was expecting to see all my favorite Muppets. How hard would it be to have a few extra Muppets there?
Even with my whining I still really enjoyed myself. It was worth the price of admission... but I'm a HUGE music nerd, sci-fi nerd, and Muppet fan... I could see casual fans being bored.
And definitely not a place where kids will be entertained.
We do a huge family reunion in Seattle every year for 4th of July. Since the family is so large, my uncles will just drop all of us off downtown, and we find our own things to do. Being it was pre-yelp days, my cousin took me to EMP, and we had a great time a few years ago.
This last year we had an hour of free time, while my uncle went to find oysters for the bbq, so we decided to give it another shot.
For the price of one admission, you now get to see the Science Fiction Museum, EMP, and the Jim Hensen collection. We still had a great time, but an hour wasn't enough time to fully explore the museum like we should have. We just rushed through all of the exhibits.
The science fiction museum was really nerdy. It was some star trek or star wars stuff. I'm not really sure. Hot chicks don't generally know star trek. lol! But there was a window where you were at the control of the ship, and you could look out into space. That was pretty cool.
The Jim Hensen exhibit was cool. They had fabric from the muppets, so you could see how they feel. They also had a hands on exhibit, where you get to be a muppet, while playing a song with a band. We saw throwbacks such as the muppets from Fraggle Rock, and some of his even earlier creations and sketches. Way cool.
The EMP's hands-on area was way too crowded. I think it was because it was a holiday weekend, or maybe it's because we only had an hour there, and didn't have the patience to wait for each exhibit. So we walked away not getting to be hands-on with anything.
At the entrance to EMP, they had Michael Jackson's glove and jacket. **cry**
I would recommend this to my friends, but I would give it a full day, or at least 4 hours, to fully enjoy all the museum has to offer.
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We heard this was worth a stop on our visit to Seattle.
I'm not sure i'm ready to forgive the person that told us that yet...
$12 w/ a student I.D for the EMP and the Sci - Fi Museum.
We cruised through the EMP section in less than an hour. The most time spent was in the room with instruments you could learn to play.
Best feature was the guitar sculpture... watching it play was awesome.
The Sci - Fi museum was pretty cool. Best part were the Star Wars characters and the Muppets. We played a song as our own rock band. Hilarious. Artwork was super cool.
I don't think it was worth the money - I think our time could easily have been spent somewhere else just as enjoyably.
I'm a fan of SciFi and Music and this museum was great. Not only was this museum a two for the price of one but it was very interesting. I loved the exhibits. The SciFi museum featured movies such as Star Trek, Terminator, Matrix, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Flash Gordon, etc. Some movies you probably wouldnt expect in a SciFi museum. The music museum featured a Jimmy Hendrix exhibit and basically a timeline of music and how Rock & Roll started, hip hop, grunge (which originated in Seattle) and other things. And the museum was easy to get around. They even had a cool guitar "exhibit". I recommend this museum to everyone.
The last time I came here for first Thursday, I would've given this place three stars. This time.....meh. It was really crowded (which might have been my own fault for arriving at 6:30 instead of right at 5). Last time I went, the Science Fiction museum had the queen alien from Aliens. This time I couldn't fiind it. Where did it go? Is it gone? Am I crazy and just missed it (it was hard to miss because it was freaking huge).
Anyway, we mainly went for the muppet exhibit, which probably would've been more fun if it hadn't been so crowded. It was neat to see some original muppets, and Kira's dress from the Dark Crystal, but I wish there had been more of them. One thing that was really cool about the exhibit was the Jim Hensen originally sketches that were done with marker on notebook paper. Did you know that Oscar the Grouch was originally going to pink, instead of green?
As for the music part of the museum...it all LOOKS very cool, but I just feel like its lacking in substance. Also, the sound lab is cool except for the fact that you have to wait in line to jam on instruments that you probably have at home and could do for free.
Basically, I'm glad I've only been here on first Thursday when it's free. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't pay for this place.
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i'll admit, i went for the frank gehry building. i'm a big fan of asymmetry.
the sci fi museum: don't see why it's a big deal. maybe it is to some. i was happy to see a stillsuit from david lynch's movie dune. i didn't realize how many sci fi novels there are. i'm not planning on reading any, but the amount of futuristic media is amazing. i'm a non-fiction kinda guy.
i was underwhelmed by the museum's attention to rock, country, blues and northwestern musicians. located in an internationally recognized building, in a heavily touristed city, i would have thought that attention would have been given to music in general. the attention to 60's era music seems a little short sighted and for me, boring. even the gift shop offerings are centered on hendrix, the doors, jefferson airplane, the beatles...... much in the museum seemed a little "one note" if you will.
there is a part of the museum with documentaries and interviews of musicians. there was not one musician i cared to check out. where was k.d.lang, nat king cole, the cure, etta james, squirrel nut zippers, old blue eyes. guess i expected the "experience music project" to encompass a more broad spectrum of last century music.
so, i'm glad my expectations were all about the building.
although the building itself is spectacular, the content is not worth $15 bucks. my four stars are simply because i enjoyed being there. i wouldn't have spent much time perusing the exhibits if i had known what it contained.
i did enjoy the guitar exhibit.
my bad. i see the experience music project was a pet project of paul allen. now i see why the content contains what it contains. for someone who thinks "outside the box", his musical appreciation is kinda narrow minded.
architecture - outside the box
musical content - small particle of the world's music represented.
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For me, not worth the $15 admission.
The first time, I really tried to stick it out as long as I could - we managed to spend a little under two hours here. The second time, I didn't spend more than 50 minutes in here...
Definitely cool architecture of the building, but unless you're a huge fan of playing music or Jimi Hendrix, I'd wait until the *free* admission offered from 5-8pm on the first Thursday of every month.
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EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT: This is a really epic museum. Even if you're not a huge music fan, it's really impressive to see the sculpture made out of guitars, or watch and listen to the interviews in the interactive part of the museum. I really could have spent a lot longer in there, but we were trying to make time, so we didn't get to linger too long. Getting the Seattle Pass was totally worth the money!
SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM: Well, it was really dorky, but I found myself really digging some of the stuff they had there. It really is a Star Wars/Star Trek person's dream, but they have lots of obscure stuff thrown in.
Great learning experience of Seattle's music scene and history. I was amazed of the large collection of authentic mementos they had in this museum: Jimi Hendrix' guitars, Michael Jackson's silver glove, Sir Mix-A-Lot's leather jacket, Kurt Cobain's written lyrics, just to name a few. Definitely had a great and moving experience learning about Jimi Hendrix and the life he lived. I was amazed at the handwritten lyrics, drawings, and dismantled guitars they were able to obtain for the museum. The galleries were well put together, with a chronological display of grunge music to hip hop history. The also had an extensive display of guitars, drums, and amps. Their guitar statue was insane, which was made of several types of guitars, spiraling from the first floor through the second, and all the way up to the ceiling. The interactive music gallery was fun: recording studio booths, digital drums, beat matching, turntables, etc. The gigantic LED-screens were amazing, televising several music videos and prerecorded live concerts. The museum is a gamut of sound and light. Very enjoyable for the family, educational and a great hands-on experience and learning for curious future and present musicians. Visited on October 9, 2009.
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This was another place we visited on the City Pass. I would probably not visit this on it's own, paying full price, but as a part of the City Pass we found it an interesting place to visit.
It is a typical museum, lots of stuff to read and look at. The Science Fiction Museum was interesting, but my favorite part of both museums was the history of the guitar in the EMP. We also saw the Jim Hensen exhibit and loved seeing the Mahna Mahna puppets as well as Rowlf and Kermit. Awesome! We accidentally went through the exhibits backwards because we saw the Jim Henson exhibit first, but it was still very cool to see some of the memorabilia.
The EMP was also great, but being able to see both made this museum worth it for me. I'm not sure I would see one or the other all by itself, but having both made for a fun afternoon.
Two for one deal?! Sci-fi plus music?! Not bad.
I was slightly disappointed in the SFM because I thought there was going to be more, more, more. Instead, it was only a few displays of items and some mostly just toys of the movie/show. I couldn't geek out.
EMP on the other hand wow'd me. I loved the display near the entrance of all the guitars, banjos, etc. There was more interactive things to do here. They have a room where you can just relax and/or look up artists in their catalogue online. Their displays were interesting too. You can check out the evolution or different types of instruments and who used which. The play area: hands on instruments zone. You can go into a "sound booth" and test out your "skills". Only problem, it's not really sound proof. I can hear you sing Parcus. Want to rock it to the max? Their rock band experience is right for you. Depending on what package you pick, the costs will vary. Make up a name to your band, pick up instruments to "play" (if you don't know how to play, they will adjust it to play for you, but all you have to do is strum it or they can set it to allow you to play all the way) and they'll do the rest. They even give you a ticket stub to your concert. It's slightly embarrassing because everyone outside waiting to do this is watching your "act" on a screen. YEAH! But I will say, I'm glad I was coerced to do it because it was so much fun.
It was worth my AAA-discounted $11 admission for these reasons (starting with most enjoyable):
MUPPETS!
On display until August 16, 2009. Be a Muppetteer and sing along to Mahna Mahna (do doo do do doooo do do do do). Fondle the Muppet pelt walls without inhibition. Fall in love again with Jim Henson, this time for his socially conscious genius.
SOUND LAB
Find out how much you suck at learning instruments, but love playing around with them anyways. Wait out a group of obnoxious tweens for a chance in the voice booth to belt out both Heart and Stevie Wonder. Then remember why you carry Purell in your purse at all times after touching all the instruments and looking around to realize you and about fifty other people and children just gangbanged them in the last 30 minutes.
SOUND AND VISION
After Sound Lab has reduced your attention span to a mere 5 minutes, go from computer to computer watching micro documentaries about your famous artists.
SKYCHURCH
Watch your nieces and nephews or your own kids (or other people's kids if you're a creeper) twirl and squeal under the biggest changing screensaver you've ever seen.
THINGS THAT MIGHT ADD VALUE TO YOUR ADMISSION FEE:
- Science Fiction Museum, if you're into that sort of thing
- Roots and Branches sculpture, especially if you can snap an unsanctioned photo underneath it
- On Stage, if you want to wait in line, then shell out either $10 for a poster or $30 for a DVD
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An interactive Music museum for music lovers, newbies, and enthusiasts, it is a destination for those who want to know more, how to, or how it all began.
The cost for being a mock rocker, or eyeing costumes of famous musicians and superheroes is $20.00. There is an adjoining Science Fiction Museum which can be visited for an addl. $7.00. The highlight of the Sci-Fi museum is the "Interplanetary Lounge" where one can view famous ET's like the bad queen from the "Aliens" movie.
If you have secretly harbored the desire to create or be in a music video, be a pop dj, or play onstage in a rock band, you can do it all here in the interactive "Sound Lab" and "On Stage". There are sound proof rooms here, so you can take your date in there and woo him/her with your impressive singing or jamming on the instruments provided. You can spin records in the DJ Hallway, or you can perform under the lights and fog, infront of screaming fans in "On stage." What makes this so fun is that other visitors in the museum can watch your band live on TV.
The rest of the experience takes you through a history of guitars, Michael Jackson's silver lame glove, a Kurt Cobain V-neck sweater, original Batman and Robin costumes, the birth of grunge in the northwest, and the history and evolution of music, accompanied by computer touch-screens and ear phones.
One truly gets to experience music in all its forms and variations here, but I believe the exhibits hold more interest for persons that are involved with music on a personal level, i.e. studying music or being a musician. I found myself passing quickly through the guitar gallery and northwest passage, as well as the roots and branches galleries (which cover music history.) To me, the highlights were the interactive, hands on stations where I could experiment and discover that I have no talent for music.
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Don't make the same mistake I did and listen to people that suggest the EMP is not worth your time. If you love music and music of all kinds, then this is a must see museum.
We had a couple of hours to burn before heading to the airport so we stopped here. For once in my life, this is a museum I could have easily spent the whole day exploring. I love music over TV so I should have know this would be the place for me...
The first part is famous Washington musician memorabilia from Quincy Jones, to Ray Charles to Heart to Sir-Mix-A-Lot to of course...Nirvana, Pearl Jam etc. I just love taking in this kind of detail. This part reminded me of the displays at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas. Then....
...enter the Guitar room. Guitars on display from the 30s on up while a big screen plays the greats from acoustic to electric with a seating area to just kick back and take it all in. Loved it! Unfortunately, because time was short...we had to keep moving. Next...........
....OMG the Hendrix room. WOW. WOW. WOW. Then upstairs...
..here is where you get your chance to be a rockstar! They have individual rooms where you can have 10 mins in a private booth and have a quick lesson in guitar, drums, vocals, mixing, ETC. Not possessing very much musical talent...mixing was a hit for me and I actually learned something about the boards. WOW.
Finally, I loved the area for just listening where you could have a seat and chose from various artists speaking on their work. I had to cut short a very interesting piece from RUN DMC on how they came to re-do Aerosmith's Rock this Way. Who would have knew the story behind it!
There was SO much more to do. I'm sorry to say this was the extent of what we were able to do. Next time....more time here for sure!
PS-This place is the brain child of the Microsoft co-founder. Kinda cool since across the street is the area being built for the new Bill and Melinda Gates visitor center!
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The lovely Miss Delilah R. tipped me off in her review about the fact that this place is open for *free* on the first Thursday of the month. She also said some other magic words--"live band" and "robots" especially caught my eye.
Honestly, I wasn't that thrilled with the music portion. Call me lame, but I'm not a huge rock and roll fan and don't think I could recognize a single Jimi Hendrix song. So although it was cool to see all the memorabilia, I didn't feel compelled to really absorb all the information about the zillions of different guitars they had on display. We didn't get a chance to check out the live band; in fact we sort of missed the fact that they were actually playing.
The coolest part of the whole place, the Sound Lab, was of course packed because everyone wanted to have time to play instruments hands-on. When we finally snagged a guitar station, there was too much pressure to hurry up and move on to really enjoy it. I guess that's what you get when you're cheap and only go when all the other cheap people in the city will be there too.
I really did enjoy the Sci Fi portion, which surprised me. Paul Allen must really have had a sweet set-up in his home, because 95% of the stuff in there had a little plaque that said, "From the Paul Allen Family Collection". Hundreds of books, costumes from movies, laser guns, etc. etc. Hugely nerdy.
Also hugely nerdy was my reaction to the Robot Room. Am I the only one obsessed with them? It all goes back to my love of The Jetsons I guess. But something about seeing a couple hundred mini robots all up in a row made me slightly giddy.
Anyway, if you've got $20 to spare, go here on a regular day. Or if you're a bit strapped for cash, wait for the 1st Thursday of the month and bring your patience along with you.
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I heard nothing but bad things about this place--horrible things.
"It's a fucking bore." "In & Out in five seconds"
You know what? I had a damn fine time in here!
Sure--the Jimi Hendrix Collection was a bit of a letdown--but blame The Hendrix Foundation for their greed...not Paul Allen or the rest of EMP.
It is an odd--absurd mix of a museum. You have the Amazing Jimi Hendrix and some of his belongings...........a super weird Sci-Fi museum with the most random stuff--like the Original Death Star (see what it REALLY is for yourself)...........and when I was there--an original Kurdt Cobain Guitar and the demo tape Nirvana sent to Sub-Pop Records.
I wandered every square inch of this spot inside and out--and loved every second of it. Sure--it COULD be better. And I agree--it ISN'T the be all end all Jimi Hendrix Experience...........but do yourself a favor.
If you feel like running this place down stand in the hall and watch the huge display project a GIANT FUCKING JIMI HENDRIX rocking out at The Monterey POP Festival. If you still feel like bitching--then fuck you--for you have no taste in the first place.
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Well, EMP I was going to give you three stars but the free factor every first Thrs. of the month got you 1 starred up.
Ok, so I get all the schlack that this place gets based on it's investors and I understand all the PC stuff behind it but it is a pretty great museum, especially when it's free...every first thrs. of the month. Did anyone else know about that!? I didn't. Yea, you can get into EMP, SAM and even go on an art walk all for free on the first Thrs. of every month.
Am I digressing? I think I am.
So, seeing as I got to come here FREE (ok, done...really) I enjoyed my time here immensely. I oggle at the guitar pyramid every single time. What can I say? I'm easy. The live band playing some numbers as I walked in wasn't too shabby either. I've got a lot more exploring to do here and I can't wait to check it off of my to do's.
And the SCI-Fi part of the museum was off the hook. They have the "doom" button and if you press it well, there is the implied "doom" of course but more so in catchy theme music played through speakers surrounded some planet thing. I know I sound ridiculous but I love pushing that button. It's addictive. I have a problem with cheap and red buttons that cause impending doom.
Go here.
(It's free every first Thrs. of each month). And done.
Wait, I'm back. I forgot about the Robots. Gosh I'm excited. THERE'S A WHOLE ROOM FULL OF ROBOTS. And there's some incased too. There are even two robots arguing with each other. AND there's even a big screen that plays snipits of the Jetsons and Blade Runner, you know...so those under privileged kids can get a dose of what they missed out on and book their buttocks to Blockbuster as soon as they leave the premises! Robots. Gats. ROBOTS!
That's all. I think.
I'll be back.
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I found myself torn on the EMP. If I had been into the highly interactive components of it (listening to video recorded stories by a small subset of actors, producers, and artists, recording my own experience with art ala a reality TV confessions booth, or the admittedly really cool sound lab) I would have been a very happy camper as you can certainly kill a lot of time and play with a lot of toys. But I went for the museum aspects, looking for in-depth presentations on all styles of music, and instead found a tightly focused two room presentation on a limited number of bands and an even more limited number of styles. Not a waste of time in any way, but I'd completed the rooms in less than an hour and was convinced that I'd missed the rest of it.
I liked the SFM, although I must agree with others that "museum" is a bad descriptor, and Paul Allen's Geeky Fan Memorabilia Basement is a much better idea to hold in your head as you roam the multi-level display, taking in the great props, visual displays, and barrage of lights and sounds that hit impact your senses at every turn. Quick note to first-timers, when you get to the Death Star and you press that "do something" button, it's just going to turn a light on inside - nothing else, you don't need to keep pressing it.
We were also there for the Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibition, which had been the biggest draw for one of us three. For the most part, the items they do have on display are fun, informative, and for some of us old enough to remember, quite a few times we turned to each other and said things like "oh my gosh - that's right! He was orange to begin with!" I have to give props to whoever's idea the mini interactive puppet show rock concert was, as it really provides a great interactive experience for the little ones as well as the shutter-happy parents. We were somewhat surprised at what is missing and how the exhibit focused on just a few characters and missed huge cultural expectations. For instance, where is even a picture of the entire Muppet Show cast? Those of us that Mr. Waldorf & Statler's biggest fans want to know.
Ending opinion: Great destination for families. Bring those Guitar Hero enamored kids and let them loose for the afternoon.
How to describe this......
.......It's like finding a four leaf clover.
I have never been to a museum like this before. Completely devoted to the music born out of Seattle. I had no idea so many legendary artists came out of the NorthWest. The Jimi Hendrix exhibit was a sacred experience.. Seeing a strat he had wrote all over in pieces on display was inspiring.
One of the coolest parts was a huge screen stage area that divides the EMP from the SFM. We were graced with Hendrix's performance at Woodstock of The Star Spangled Banner on 4 story's by atleast 100 feet of awesomness!!!
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