Families looking for an indoor outing have a new option at Seattle’s Burke Museum: an exhibition that brings northern forests into the gallery through art, photographs and hands-on displays.
Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest / Historias del bosque boreal opened Nov. 7 and continues through April 25, 2027, in the museum’s second-floor Special Exhibit Gallery.
What families will find
The exhibition explores the boreal forest through the perspectives of Indigenous community members, artists, scientists, conservationists and writers. Displays connect the forest’s plants and wildlife with the people who know and care for those places.
Photography, interactive elements, commissioned artworks and objects from Burke collections give visitors different ways to explore. The exhibition is presented in English and Spanish and was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.
Plan the visit
- Where: Burke Museum, 4303 Memorial Way NE, on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.
- Regular hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; last admission is at 4:30 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays.
- Holiday closures: The museum lists Nov. 26, Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 as closed. It closes at 2 p.m. Dec. 31.
Check the museum’s hours and admissions page before choosing a date, particularly during the holidays.
Admission and free ways to visit
Regular admission is $24, or $22 for visitors 62 and older. Youth ages 4–14 and non-UW students with ID pay $16. Children 3 and younger enter free.
Free First Thursday offers admission at no charge from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The museum recommends reserving timed tickets for those busier days.
The Burke also lists free admission for SNAP/EBT, WIC, foster-care and kinship-care cardholders and their families. These discounts can be arranged at the front desk without advance registration. Review the discounts page and bring the appropriate eligibility documents; the admissions page asks Museums for All visitors to show ID and a qualifying card.
Getting there
The U District light-rail station is about a three-minute walk from the museum, according to the Burke. Drivers can check the adjacent UW N1 lot or other university parking options, but parking is limited. The museum’s directions page has transit, parking and accessible drop-off information.
Details checked Nov. 10, 2026, against the Burke Museum pages linked above.
