The Best of the Chihuly Museum and Garden in Seattle

You can view the whimsical and dazzling glass sculptures of the artist Dale Chihuly all over the world: London, Singapore, New York, Boston, California. Even Nebraska. His work has been included in over 200 museum collections worldwide. But there is perhaps no better place to see it than in the region of his birth: Seattle. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for a visit to the Chihuly Glass Museum and Garden at Seattle Center, which features a dazzling indoor exhibit and a stunning outdoor glass flower and botanical display.

who is dale chihuly?

Dale Chihuly, now almost 80 years old, is an American glass sculptor originally from Tacoma, Washington. His work in the field of blown glass has been transformative, with many art critics saying that Chihuly has elevated the work from decorative arts into the realm of large-scale sculpture. His most iconic works reflect the influence of the Pacific Northwest and the sea, and his lifelong interest in botanical forms.

On a recent trip to Seattle, we popped over for an hour to the Seattle Center, which houses a dazzling and comprehensive indoor and outdoor display of the artist’s work at the Chihuly Museum and Garden in Seattle. Opened in 2012, it’s a fanciful, beautiful, energizing and optimistic display. We highly recommend a visit the next time you’re in town. You’ll leave feeling refreshed and restored.

what is there to see at the chihuly garden and museum in seattle?

The permanent exhibit at the Chihuly Museum and Garden in Seattle is a comprehensive journey through the life and work of the artist, told via displays in eight indoor galleries, a glasshouse, and an outdoor garden in the shadow of the Space Needle.

a glass forest

It begins with Glass Forest, an early work done in collaboration with a colleague from the Rhode Island School of Design. The pair experimented with techniques inspired by the Ware Collection of glass flowers and plants at Harvard.

The second gallery, The Northwest Room, is filled with baskets of all kinds: some woven, some glass. (Unsurprisingly, the series is called Baskets). Most of these works were crafted in the 1970s. On the walls in this gallery, there are photos and quilts woven by Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest.

a vision of the sea

As lovely as they are, nothing in the first two galleries prepares the eye for the visual punch of the Sealife Tower.

This aquatic glass monolith, along with the artist’s accompanying drawings and glass vessels in the Sea Life Room, are all inspired by Puget Sound. The idea of a tower grew out of the artist’s desire to present his work in spaces where the ceiling structures could not support the weight of his chandeliers.

The monumental work includes glass starfish, octopi, conch shells, anemones, urchins, and rays.

persian carpets of glass

The intensity of the color and the intricacy of the glass-blowing technique continues to build as you move through the various galleries.  A highlight for us was the stunning Persian Ceiling.

The Persian series of flat glass panels that resemble Persian rugs or tapestries was originally displayed on pedestals. Later, Chihuly mounted the larger forms to walls and suspended them from the ceiling. The first Persian Ceiling was shown in 1992 at the Seattle Art Museum. Hung as there now, they create a magical immersive experience awash in color.

a glass garden

Adjacent to this vivid work is the Mille Fiori (Italian for “a thousand flowers”) installation – a room-length garden of glass. First shown in 2003 at the Tacoma Art Museum, the artist says that memories of his mother’s garden served as his inspiration for this series.

gifts from the sea

In the next gallery, there’s a stunning tableau that evokes a feeling of bounty from the sea.

a constellation of chandeliers

Next, there’s a dramatic display of several jewel-toned chandeliers. They seem to orbit around a brilliant white tower of light.

a macchia forest

Chihuly started work on the jewel-toned Macchia Forest series in 1981  – his desire was to use all 300 colors available to him in his workshop. Macchia is the Italian word for “spot.”

the glasshouse

After having been immersed in such brilliant colors in dimly-lit rooms, it’s a dramatic moment when visitors turn the corner and enter an atrium with a glass ceiling, from which hang enormous clusters of orange, amber and yellow flowers.

The Glasshouse contains one of Chihuly’s largest suspended sculptures – it’s 100 feet long. The space is awe-inspiring, and the community has found many creative uses for it. For example, on Saturdays in November and December, two yoga instructors will lead participants of all levels in Yoga Under Glass. Once a month, Dance in the Glasshouse is opportunity to learn dances like the waltz, swing dancing and the Bachata. In early December, if you practice Tai Chi, you can join a master class there.

All of these sound wonderful to us.

the garden

Once outside, there’s a exuberant yellow sculpture that looks like a bush ablaze with fall color.

There’s an actual garden with dozens of site-specific installations that play with the idea of the interplay between the constructed and the natural world.

It’s a lovely spot in which to read and reflect.

It’s also a wonderful destination for little ones. Many of the glass objects are at the eye level of young child, so they can full participate in the experience.

There are trees, orbs, and rods – all made of brilliantly-colored glass. It’s like a garden created by fairies.

Towering over it all is the Space Needle, so you never lose the sense of place. This is Seattle, unquestionably.

the chandelier walkway

In another outdoor area, we happened upon a row of chandeliers. As you can tell from our name, we have a thing about light and illumination, so this was a happy surprise. The Chandelier Walkway is a covered passage with a series of seven vibrant chandeliers overhead. Among the colors? “Mighty Citron,” “Fly Yellow,” and “Alfa Red.”

It’s remarkable how much fun we had visiting this exhibit. And it doesn’t take much time. As a result, this exhibit earns a place on our Two Hours in Seattle list. It’s an ideal way to experience something unique to the city without the need to devote hours and hours.

Of course, if you have time to linger, you definitely should. There’s full-service dining in the Collections Café. You can also purchase an admission ticket that gets you into the Chihuly museum and the newly-renovated Space Needle at a discounted price if you purchase both together.

the best of the chihuly garden and museum in seattle

We’ve seen Chihuly’s work at the V&A in London; the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx; and at the Singapore Art Museum. As marvelous as those experiences were, the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum was even better.

In 2019, there will be a major Chihuly installation at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew in London. Next month, an exhibit will open at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands. We’re sure that they’ll be spectacular.

But if you can, catch this exhibit in Seattle. There’s nothing like seeing an artist’s work at the site of its origin. That’s some serious luxury right there.

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