Wing Luke Museum

Wing Luke Museum Review

Named for the Northwest's first Asian-American elected official, this gorgeous museum is in a renovated 1910 hotel and commercial building that once was the first home for many new immigrants. The museum surveys the history and cultures of people from Asia and the Pacific islands who settled in the Pacific Northwest. It provides a sophisticated and often somber look at how immigrants and their descendants have transformed (and been transformed by) American culture. The evolution of the museum has been driven by community participation—the museum's library has an oral history lab, and many of the rotating exhibits are focused around stories from longtime residents and their descendants.

Highlights

The backdrop in the Tateuchi Story Theater is restored scrim from historic Nippon Kan Theater. The museum includes re-creations of typical early-20th-century one-room apartments, a communal kitchen, and the Yick Fung Company store.

A Seattle-born sculptor and painter, George Tsutakawa is best known for his bronze fountains. This gallery named in his honor presents group shows of established and up-and-coming Asian-Pacific-American artists.

The museum offers two tours. The "Museum Experience" includes the current exhibits and the 1910 Historic Hotel and Yick Fung Company buildings. Tours start in the museum's lobby at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30. The second, "Touch of Chinatown," is a 90-minute guided stroll around the I.D. Tours depart Tuesday-Friday at 10:15 and 2, and Saturday at 10:15, 1, and 3. Tickets are $17 and include admission to the museum.

Tips

The museum is a great place to start your tour of the I.D., as it will provide a context to the neighborhood and the communities living here that you won't get by simply wandering around.Parts of the historic building can only be visited on the Museum Experience tour.Note that in addition to participating in First Thursdays, the museum is also free on the third Saturday of each month. The museum is open until 8 pm both days.Parking in the I.D. is sometimes tricky. The closest public lots are behind the museum on Weller Street, one block south of King Street. Be sure to check out what's going on in the Tateuchi Story Theater. The museum has long supported Asian-American playwrights, musicians, and artists, and its cultural offerings keep getting better. Shows range from concerts of traditional instruments to avant-garde theater to documentary film screenings.