In case you haven’t noticed, the weather outside is frightful here in Washington. That being said, staying cooped up inside gets dull pretty quickly. Luckily, we have plenty of warm, cozy museums to occupy your time, and on certain days, some of them won’t cost you a thing to visit. Here are seven state museums you can visit for free.
- Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle
Frye Art Museum Facebook Admission to the Frye Art Museum is always free, and it’s well worth exploring. It’s open Tuesday - Sunday from 11 - 5, Thursdays from, 11 - 7, and closed on Mondays.
- Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St., Vancouver
RSNN / TripAdvisor The Clark County Historical Museum is operated by the Clark County Historical Society. The rotating exhibits are fascinating, and if you visit on the first Friday of the month, admission is free.
- Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue Arts Museum Facebook Not only is admission to this museum free for everyone on the first Friday of each month, it’s always free for children under 6 and museum members. In addition to the fantastic art exhibits, the museum also offers engaging educational programs for people of all ages.
- Klondike Gold Rush Museum, 319 2nd Ave. S, Seattle
dedicatedtraveller / TripAdvisor This free museum and historical park is filled with all kinds of interesting exhibits relating to the Gold Rush era and Seattle’s connection to it. It’s open daily from 9 - 5, and various programs are offered in the summer.
- Blackman House Museum, 118 Avenue B, Snohomish
Claudette / TripAdvisor This charming museum is housed in one of the oldest buildings in town. Although it’s only open on weekends from 12 - 3, but admission is always free.
- Bremerton Bug Museum, 1118 Charleston Beach Rd. West, Bremerton
BJDealer / TripAdvisor Want to try something a little different? This quirky spot has an incredible collection of both live and preserved bugs, and it’s always free to explore. Although they’re typically open every day from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., they will close if the snow makes the roads too treacherous.
- Bing Crosby House Museum, 508 E Sharp Ave., Spokane
Bing Crosby House Facebook Not only is the house Bing Crosby grew up in still standing in Spokane, it’s located on the Gonzaga University Campus – and it’s now a free museum. Inside you’ll find the Crosby Collection, which includes photographs, audiovisual recordings, paintings and artwork, books, original manuscripts, memorabilia, research material, and so much more.
Nearly every major museum in Washington has some kind of free or discounted day, so make sure you call your museum of choice before you go to see when you should go. It’s so great to have so many legitimately fun and free things to do here.
Frye Art Museum Facebook
Admission to the Frye Art Museum is always free, and it’s well worth exploring. It’s open Tuesday - Sunday from 11 - 5, Thursdays from, 11 - 7, and closed on Mondays.
RSNN / TripAdvisor
The Clark County Historical Museum is operated by the Clark County Historical Society. The rotating exhibits are fascinating, and if you visit on the first Friday of the month, admission is free.
Bellevue Arts Museum Facebook
Not only is admission to this museum free for everyone on the first Friday of each month, it’s always free for children under 6 and museum members. In addition to the fantastic art exhibits, the museum also offers engaging educational programs for people of all ages.
dedicatedtraveller / TripAdvisor
This free museum and historical park is filled with all kinds of interesting exhibits relating to the Gold Rush era and Seattle’s connection to it. It’s open daily from 9 - 5, and various programs are offered in the summer.
Claudette / TripAdvisor
This charming museum is housed in one of the oldest buildings in town. Although it’s only open on weekends from 12 - 3, but admission is always free.
BJDealer / TripAdvisor
Want to try something a little different? This quirky spot has an incredible collection of both live and preserved bugs, and it’s always free to explore. Although they’re typically open every day from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., they will close if the snow makes the roads too treacherous.
Bing Crosby House Facebook
Not only is the house Bing Crosby grew up in still standing in Spokane, it’s located on the Gonzaga University Campus – and it’s now a free museum. Inside you’ll find the Crosby Collection, which includes photographs, audiovisual recordings, paintings and artwork, books, original manuscripts, memorabilia, research material, and so much more.
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