Seattle Science Fiction Museum

Text and Photos by Armand Vaquer

Above, the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, Washington.

Back in February 2005, I was about to start a new job. So before I did, I decided to take a little trip up to Seattle, Washington to visit friends and see some of the city's attractions.

They included the Space Needle (left over from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair), the underground city, Jimi Hendrix's grave (in nearby Renton) and the Experience Music/Science Fiction Museums.

Above, the Space Needle is just a short walk away from the Space Museum.

I went to the Experience Music Museum and the Science Fiction Museum (they are connected to each other). They are in the shadow of the Space Needle. I enjoyed the Experience Music Museum (it gets its name from Hendrix's band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience). It had a great exhibit on the late guitar genius, which includes the clothes Hendrix wore at the Isle of Wight festival. At the time, it also had a temporary exhibit on Bob Dylan. It is well worth a visit alone (that's provided you're not interested in science-fiction).

The Science Fiction Museum was also enjoyable. It had opened the year before. Star Wars, television science fiction (Lost In Space, etc.) and 1950s sci-fi were all well-represented in the museum's exhibits.

Unfortunately, at the time there was very little on Japanese science-fiction. There was a reproduction of a Godzilla poster and a X-Plus Godzilla statue (if memory serves, it was the Godzilla from Godzilla vs. The Thing (known in Japan as Mothra vs. Godzilla from 1964) and not much else.

Before leaving the museum, I left a copy of the current issue of G-Fan with the front desk for the museum's director. I also followed up with a letter, upon returning home, to the director offering to assist in acquiring items related to Japanese sci-fi for the museum. I never received a reply.

I haven't been back to the museum since 2005, so I don't know if they've added anything to their Japanese sci-fi collection.



Before leaving, I bought a metal figure of Gort (above) from the original (and best) The Day The Earth Stood Still.

If one is a fan of science-fiction movies, a visit to the Science-Fiction Museum is a must.

For more information on the Seattle Experience Music/Science Fiction Museums, go here.