Seattle Chinatown >> Seattle Community News >> Seattle Museum
7/30/2007 Seattle-- Seattle's
reputation as one of America's wettest cities isn't actually deserved. With
yearly rainfall of slightly more than three feet, the Emerald City actually lags
forty-three American cities, including New York City, where nearly four feet of
rain falls on average each year. But while New York City cloudbursts have their
fair share of heavy downpours, precipitation in Seattle more often takes the
form of gray, persistent drizzle.
Luckily, Seattle residents and visitors touring the city as part of a grand tour
of the American Northwest can still find plenty to do on Seattle's rainy days.
Topping my list of indoor activities is a visit to one of numerous
first-rate
Seattle
Museums. Here's a quick look at three of the city's must-see
attractions:
1. Seattle's Museum of Flight is the West Coast's biggest air and space museum.
In addition to more than 50 full-size airplanes, some flying in formation in the
museum's Great Gallery, there's a new exhibit called Space: Exploring the New
Frontier. Opened to the public on June 10, 2007, the Space exhibit tracks the
milestones of space exploration from rocket pioneer Robert Goddard to the Apollo
lunar missions, the Space Shuttle and robotic landers on the Moon, Mars and
other planets. Open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the
exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
2. The Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center is another of the Emerald City's museum
gems. Focused on the maritime history of Seattle and Puget Sound, the Odyssey
Center features four main exhibits and galleries that take an in-depth look at
the ships, habitat, fishing industry and trade connections that make Seattle and
the Puget Sound area the focal point of the Pacific Northwest. The museum is
closed on Monday but opens Tuesday through Sunday at either 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.
3. Another Seattle museum that pays homage to the city's maritime traditions is
the ever-popular Seattle Aquarium. Newly expanded and renovated as part of a 41
million dollar facelift, the Aquarium is justifiably proud of its Window on
Washington Waters exhibit. This is a 120,000-gallon water wonderland accessible
to visitors through a imposing 17-foot by 39-foot viewing window and is filled
with everything from salmon and vibrant rockfish to sea anemones and dozens of
other forms of marine life.
While Seattle isn't America's wettest city, there are still lots of gray days on
the city's horizons. Luckily, there are many wonderful museums in Seattle that can both
educate and entertain visitors on one of Seattle's overcast days.
Matthew Paolini is the technical director for Citybook.com's Seattle Online Yellow Pages in Seattle, WA