The Museum of Pop Culture’s mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities.
20 Years of MoPOP: What's Been Your Favorite Moment at Our Museum?
The Museum of Pop Culture remains temporarily closed due to COVID-19, but we're taking time out this week to honor the official 20-year mark since MoPOP initially opened back on June 23, 2000! Since then, our nonprofit museum has housed more than 100 exhibitions and welcomed thousands of guests from the Seattle-area and around the globe.
Today, on our 20th anniversary, we're sharing some of our community's favorite memories at MoPOP by rehashing several of the comments we received from visitors during May's Museum Week who answered the question: What's been your favorite moment at our museum?
- Editor's note: some responses may have been edited for grammar, spelling, or punctuation
jnellie_t
"My husband proposed to me there at the restaurant after our museum visit 19 years ago!!"
Aim Laid
"The Nirvana tour—I have a whole new appreciation for the band! The guide was enthusiastic and very well in her knowledge and a true fan, so the excitement was palpable."
Margritha Larson
"Hubby and I got to see the Pearl Jam exhibit when we went to the Home Shows a year and a bit later we took our kids to check out MoPOP, it was their first time to Seattle, they loved it!"
Heather Ure
"My favorite was taking my teenage daughter to see Tacocat, Chastity Belt, and Childbirth perform in the Sky Church. My daughter is a bassist, and she was so star struck being able to chat with Bree McKenna after the show! She has also performed a few times herself in the theatre as part of AMP (the advanced program for Rain City Rock Camp) . . . Over the years, my spouse, 4 kids, and I have had so many great times at the museum!"
John Greenwood
"The start of a memorable 12 day West Coast trip in 2015 with my son and his first of many visits to the museum. This is one of my favorite pictures of him (left photo, above). Tried to recreate it when we were out in February [2020] (right photo, above)."
coyote_cosmica
"The Pearl Jam exhibit on my first day in Seattle! I'd wanted to go to the city for so long in good part because of music, so being there, listening to it, meant so much to me. I can't wait to go back!"
kingyoungbloodmusic
"Does being a part of Sound Off! count? We love you ❤️❤️"
jimt73
"The time I almost ran into Chino Moreno from the Deftones but he was with family and looked like he was just enjoying a day off, so I didn't say hi. Just geeked out by myself lol."
Dawn Gomez
"Going to the Undead Prom with Nana a couple years ago. We loved the Scream Booth!! 😮😮😁"
Judi Hames
"My daughter, Rachel, all dressed up and standing in front of the massive Star Trek timeline that she and her BFF, Jordan, created. Their timeline won a competition at Cornish College of the Arts and was featured in the Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds exhibit at MoPOP in 2016. 💖"
babyb_mode
"I had a dinner with the Thing! But he ate a lot and fell asleep on the couch! 😂😍"
Christie Clarke
"Marvel exhibit with my Bff Nicole💛"
wonderfulsynonym
"That time you allowed my husband to do a one day installation of a David Bowie Lego mosaic just so he could surprise me for my birthday. Also, seeing Grover in person."
Charlene Happy
"The Hello Kitty Exhibit because I never thought I’d get to see the badass Colin Christian statue in person."
Aibreán Eanruig
"My kids seeing the Minecraft exhibit!"
Jonathan Mirenda
"Camp Out!!! Die Hard was awesome, my wife and i had a great time it was so memorable ❤"
george_lew
"My aunt took me the first year y'all opened. I must have been 12 or 13, and I recorded some music, she paid for me to take home a CD of my jamming. Very cool to "Experience" a Music Project 😉"
Jimmy Radosta
"I was there for the opening concert! But my favorite moment was probably seeing AIR in the Sky Church."
Carina Palin
"Scared to death ❤ Pearl Jam & Nirvana exhibitions on our Honeymoon in 2018 🤩🥰🤘"
canyonspoons
"I really liked the Women in Rock & Roll Exhibit!!! Seeing Joan Jett’s leather jacket w/protest pins that were still relevant today! Rad! And Gaga’s meat dress?!? I still can’t believe I was in the same room as the meat dress!!!"
missronnie_77
"Me & my husband visited back in 2016 whilst in Seattle as part of our honeymoon! We saw the Nirvana exhibition. It was amazing. I loved the horror & sci-fi exhibits too! Really hope to come back one day ❤️"
Nate Messer
"The first time I saw Hendrix's Woodstock Strat was a transcendent experience for me. It's a holy relic in the church of rock n roll."
Loree Walden Duchesne
"Wow has it been that long?? The 3 days of opening concerts were awesome was so glad to be there all 3 days!"
Cindy Rose
"The first time I visited and saw that Tornado of Instruments!!! WHOA"
John Morton
"Bringing a group of rural adolescents to the big city and the 'cool' museum. The wow factor was HUGE."
Heidi Marie
"My grandpa took me there about 19 years ago when it was EMP. I loved all of it but especially running into Conan O'Brien who was checking it out too."
Travis Hay
"Happy 20th birthday to an undersung arts institution that does tons for the local music community. The opening weekend concerts with Metallica, Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck & No Doubt was great! A belated 20th show in 2021-22 needs to happen."
Amanda McKillip
"Volunteered for years here when it was the Experience Music Project + Science Fiction Museum. Favorite memory: leaving for the first time and thinking... wow, so other people think this stuff is cool too?"
@hugparty
"Getting to be a Muppet! Jim Henson's Fantastic World, 2009"
@dgbottom
"Seeing Metallica play to celebrate the opening. Sitting in a replica of Kirk’s chair. Playing Madden on the giant screen. The Seahawks exhibit. The history of Seattle music."
justme_izzy
"I was lucky enough to visit in November 2000 and again in August 2018! It keeps getting better and better!! Can't wait to visit again as it's a must see inside and out!"
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