Openings and Closings: Seattle-Area Family Museums Change Things Up

For those of us who grew up loving the animatronic dinosaurs at the Pacific Science Center (PacSci), and for the current generation who loves them now, we have sad news. After 40 years delighting guests, the dinosaurs will be packing their bags for good at the end of this month. If you missed this past weekend’s farewell parties, fret not, there’s still time to bid a fond farewell to these beloved fixtures if you hurry. The last chance to see the dinosaurs is Labor Day. 

Blast from the past 

PacSci has been one of Seattle’s must-see attractions for 62 years, and for 40 of those years the “Dinosaurs: A Journey Through Time” exhibit has been a large part of it. Located in Building 1, this popular exhibit has welcomed families for decades, giving kids the chance to get up close and personal with the fantastic beasts, discover fossil replicas and learn fascinating facts about dinosaurs. 

In 1986, 11 animatronic dinosaurs, weighing anywhere between 600 and 1,000 pounds, moved into PacSci. The exhibit, created by Dinamation, was designed to last about 15 years. The upkeep has become increasingly difficult nearly 40 years later; Dinamation went extinct awhile back, generating the need for creative repairs to be done in-house. 

“After nearly 40 years of faithful service, our dinosaur exhibits require increasingly costly maintenance and repairs that exceed their educational value,” spokesperson Julie O’Mara told the Seattle Times in July. “We find the material no longer repairable in its current state.” 

Additionally, the animatronics are no longer scientifically accurate, O’Mara explains, so it doesn’t make sense to keep them running. 

However, it’s not all sad news. O’Mara says that the science center will try to find homes for some of the dinosaurs. As for the Tyrannosaurus rex, he will continue to live there in some form or fashion. And the fiberglass dinosaur sculptures in the courtyard will be sticking around, too. At least for a while. 

Looking ahead 

PacSci will close temporarily from Sept. 2–Oct. 10 — the Boeing and PACCAR IMAX theaters and Laser Dome will remain open for nightly performances — and will reopen Oct. 11 with a new north-side entrance. The updated space will provide “a welcoming outdoor space for relaxation, learning and community gatherings,” according to the museum website. 

While the dinosaurs pack up in Building 1 (no word yet on what will replace them), a new traveling exhibit featuring creepy crawlies will open in Building 4. 

“Spiders: From Fear to Fascination” is a touring exhibition that debuted at the Australian Museum in 2016. The exhibit will allow guests to “come face-to-face with over 250 real spider specimens and live exhibits!” according to the website. 

This new exhibition sounds perfect for those who don’t get creeped out by such things (I’ll sit this one out, but you go on ahead), and is divided into five engaging areas: 

• What are spiders?
• Where are spiders?
• Reproduction and growth
• Diet, jaws and venom
• Spider science discoveries 

Touchscreens, audio/video content, interaction elements, models and live exhibits will be featured throughout. And yes, that means that visitors will get the chance to see some live spiders. One unique area to be featured is the Venom Lab where you can watch venom milking demonstrations, arachnologists at work or handling live spiders. 

The exhibit is expected to be open from Oct. 10, 2025–April 19, 2026. 

PacSci is open from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. seven days a week. It is located at 200 Sue Bird Ct. N. in Seattle. 

From dinosaurs to downtown art 

Another new exhibit recently opened to families and Seattle visitors alike. Downtown’s old Bed, Bath & Beyond store is experiencing a new life that is way beyond. With 66,000-square feet to play with, Cannonball Arts is considered “Seattle’s largest and least expected contemporary art center.” The contemporary art museum opened its doors to the public on Aug. 20. 

The museum was created in partnership between New Rising Sun, the producers of Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The goal is to build a community through non-traditional arts and experiences where visitors don’t just look at art, they are encouraged to participate throughout the two floors of interactive art. 

“We built Cannonball Arts at a scale and ambition that matches our confidence and passion towards creatives living in the Pacific Northwest,” says Greg Lundgren, cofounder and creative director of New Rising Sun. “We understand that contemporary art can feel exclusive, intimidating and foreign to many people. It is our mission to make art more accessible, less scary and a part of our daily lives.” 

Lucky for families, this space isn’t just for adults. “I think kids are smarter and more inquisitive than we give them credit for,” explains Lundgren. “There are all kinds of ways children can be inspired here, including many interactive exhibits.” 

While Cannonball Arts welcomes families, not every exhibit is kid-friendly. Content warnings and age restrictions are posted on artwork that is NSFK, and children age 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 

Family-friendly exhibits at Cannonball Arts 

Some exhibits are playful, others are thought-provoking, but all are creative. Some of the family-friendly interactive exhibits include: 

• Virginia Park is an indoor sculpture park that features various works set amongst trees and flowers along a walking trail.
• Mirror Mirror is an interactive, audience-generated exhibit. Visitors are invited to point their camera at the exhibition mirror, snap a picture and submit it. It changes daily with actors, costumes, props and more, creating an environment that is spontaneous, unpredictable and immersive.
• Toxic Beauty is an unusual one. It features a rideable, ten-foot-long nudibranch (a fancy word for “sea slug”). Think of it as a bright pink mechanical bull in slug form. Riders must be at least 13 years old and 55 inches tall to ride it.
• The Figure Drawing Station provides drawing horses, paper, graphite and colored pencils for artists of all ages to try their hand at figure drawing. The models are of all shapes, ages and genders. (Note: These are not nude models.) 

Even the mundane is imaginative here. Take an elevator ride described as a “temporary portal in which material substance dissolves into ephemeral kaleidoscopic space, and color shifting shadow patterns play tricks on one’s senses.” Need to go to the bathroom? The folks at Cannonball Arts explain that the museum’s 24 bathrooms serve as a homage to the former tenant, each with its own micro-art installation. (Parents might want to peek inside before letting kids enter just to be on the safe side.)