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Things to do in Seattle

Burke Museum

The natural history and culture museum on the University of Washington campus: the only real dinosaur fossils on show in Washington, Northwest Native art, and working labs you can watch through the glass.

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The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
Families with dinosaur fans, natural history lovers and anyone interested in Northwest Native art.
Time to protect
Allow about two hours for all three floors, plus a meal at the café.
Cruise-day fit
The Burke is in the University District, well north of downtown, so it's a stop for the day before or after a sailing, not boarding morning. Big bags have to go in a locker, so it's easier once your luggage is at the hotel or on the ship.
From the terminals
It's a ride from either terminal: Pier 66 by way of downtown, or Pier 91 across the north side of the city. Allow a good half hour each way in traffic.
Before a flight
The 1 Line runs straight from SEA to U District Station, about a three-minute walk from the museum. By car it's a long drive north through the city, so leave plenty of time to get back to the airport on a flight day.

Getting to the Burke

Parking on campus is limited, so the museum suggests other ways in when you can.

  1. By light rail

    U District Station on the 1 Line is about a three-minute walk, and the train runs straight from the airport.

  2. By car or ride

    There's a drop-off on the south side of the N1 lot, in front of the main entrance. Parking is limited; you may find pay-by-the-hour spaces in the N1 lot next door.

  3. By bus or bike

    Many buses serve the University District and stop within a block or two. The Burke-Gilman Trail is half a mile south, with bike racks by the entrance.

Book a ride to the Burke →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    The Burke is on the northwest corner of the University of Washington campus, between 15th Avenue NE and Memorial Way NE. A group of teenagers who called themselves the Young Naturalists started it in 1885.

  2. 02

    Some of its working labs are behind glass, so you can see into them as you walk through the galleries.

  3. 03

    Floor 3 is Fossils Uncovered: the only real dinosaur fossils on display in Washington state, including one of the best-preserved T. rex skulls in the world, plus Ice Age mammals that roamed Washington. Our Material World, on archaeology, is on the same floor.

  4. 04

    Floor 1 has Northwest Native art, anchored by a 35-foot canoe, a welcome figure, totem poles and house posts, and Culture is Living, where community members from across the Pacific tell the stories behind hundreds of objects.

  5. 05

    Floor 2 is Amazing Life, on how the variety of life evolved and how it's still changing.

  6. 06

    Backpacks and large bags aren't allowed in the galleries. Free lockers hold bags, food and drink while you look around.

  7. 07

    Off the Rez Café serves fry bread and other dishes made from local ingredients, with a patio. Admission is free on the first Thursday of each month, so expect crowds and book ahead.

  8. 08

    All galleries, restrooms and museum spaces are built to ADA standards, with all-gender restrooms and changing tables on every floor.

Hours and holiday closures change. Check the Burke's site for current hours, exhibits and tickets before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours and tickets for the Burke Museum

Well-reviewed tours and tickets, with current prices. Check a date to see open start times, then book with Viator.

Tours are sold and run through Viator; booking opens viator.com in a new tab, and Viator confirms the final price and time. Seatac may earn a commission.

Book tickets and tours

Pick a ticket time that leaves room for the ride back. Timed entry, guided tours and city passes all work; check the live price and times for your date.

  • Tours and activities

    Seattle tours and tickets

    Guided tours, attraction tickets and day trips around Seattle, including options near the Burke Museum.

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Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. You can also buy direct on the Burke Museum hours and admission page.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4303 Memorial Way NE

Starting from

Your fare is worked out for the exact trip on the next step, before you pay. Want the car to wait while you visit? Book by the hour.

Cruise day: the Burke Museum between the ship and your flight

Off the ship with a few hours before your flight? Book the ride from the pier and the ride on to the airport now, so each driver knows where you are going.

  1. Step 1

    Ride from the pier

    It's a ride from either terminal: Pier 66 by way of downtown, or Pier 91 across the north side of the city. Allow a good half hour each way in traffic.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit the Burke Museum

    Allow about two hours for all three floors, plus a meal at the café.

    Tickets and tours

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    The 1 Line runs straight from SEA to U District Station, about a three-minute walk from the museum. By car it's a long drive north through the city, so leave plenty of time to get back to the airport on a flight day.

    Burke Museum to the airport

Big bags

  • Pier 66: Same-day bag storage is available. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.
  • Pier 91: Same-day bag storage in the Crew Center, north of the Ground Transportation Center. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.

Stored bags mean a stop back at the pier before the airport. To keep them with you instead, book a car by the hour and the driver waits with your luggage.

Planning the whole cruise trip? Keep the Burke Museum on it with the rides around it.

Plan the whole cruise trip

Not sure which pier? Find your ship and pier or compare Pier 66 and Pier 91.

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