3 Unusual And Fun Locations To Explore in Seattle
Seattle is home to a variety of neighbourhoods worth exploring and also has some less usual destinations for an exciting visit.
Seattle consists of a number of neighbourhoods, including the elegant Queen Anne and Capitol Hill. Artists love Freemont, while the cool crowd heads to Ballard or South Lake Union. Visiting Pioneer Square is always a worthwhile historic experience. Food and curiosities can be found in Seattle’s Chinatown. Among these neighbourhoods, visitors can find museums, restaurants, art galleries, shops and more. However, there is also a less usual side to this Washington city. Here we take a brief look at three places worthy of your attention.
1. Official Bad Art Museum of Art
The Official Bad Art Museum of Art (OBAMA) is located inside Cafe Racer at 5828 Roosevelt Way NE. This tongue-in-cheek art gallery attracts those who appreciate the absurd. Art lovers and haters, artists, anti-artists and musicians mingle here, gazing at the seriously bad art hung on every wall.
Among the work on display are kitsch black velvet paintings, completed paint-by-numbers, pictures of dogs playing poker and children with huge eyes. The interior has been painted in a color similar to a Cheeto, with the colorful work dotted all around.
As for Cafe Racer itself, their menu includes items like the “Wonder Wiener” – a polish dog cut in half and served with a slice of grilled bacon and stuffed with green chillies, cream cheese and onions. There are special sauces on the side, such as mayotard and waa-la.
For those looking for a haircut or beauty treatment, Cafe Razor is also on site – a full-service barber and beauty salon. Whether you fancy a quick meal, or a short back and sides, this is the perfect place. The cafe also offers regular live music, as well as rotating “Real Art” shows each month.
2. Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
The original Ye Olde Curiosity Shop was opened by Joseph Standley in 1899 to house a number of unusual artefacts he had collected. Among these were Indian and Eskimo artefacts and many natural curiosities.
The shop has changed address a number of times over the years, but it has retained many of the original collection, which has been passed down through four generations.
Among the artefacts in the shop today is a three-tusked walrus skull, a display of shrunken heads, a couple of famous mummies, a working merry-go-round organ and a narwhal tusk. While obviously these are not for sale, the store is full of souvenir items and trinkets, including Seattle fridge magnets, hand-carved Native American Art and mountain insect specimens which are for sale. All of this is crammed between the display cases of the original curiosities.
Other curiosities include a collection of sideshow contraptions and mechanical toys. One is an old “one-armed bandit” slot machine named “Black Bart.” Probably the most famous, however, are the two resident mummies, Sylvester and Sylvia, which are on display in glass cases at the back, next to the Ecuadorian shrunken heads and World War II ration booklets. They even have a Vampire Killing Kit for those in need. The shop can be found at 1001 Alaskan Way in Seattle.
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3. Seattle Pinball Museum
The Seattle Pinball Museum is located in Seattle’s Chinatown and offers 54 classic pinball machines just waiting to be played. The collection spans decades with some machines dating back to 1963. Even better, each pinball machine is playable.
The museum started as a couple’s personal home collection, but they now call pinball machine collecting “an incurable disease.” The pinball museum also hosts several unique machines created by artists. The museum has an entry fee of $15, but once inside, visitors can play all the machines for free. Drinks are available for purchase on site. You can find the Pinball Museum at 510b Maynard Ave S, Seattle.
Have fun exploring the unusual side of Seattle on your next Washington vacation!