Exhibits

MOHAI is committed to presenting exhibits that illuminate, educate, provoke and inspire. Tracing the 150 year history of the city, Essential Seattle takes the visitor on a journey through the core of the museum, telling significant Seattle stories, beginning with Captain Vancouver’s exploration of Puget Sound, through the heyday of the 1880s and the Great Seattle Fire and continuing through World War II. The transformation of Seattle from frontier settlement to major metropolis is emphasized by stories from the modern era: the environmental movement, grunge music, the Kingdome’s rise and fall, and more.

MOHAI has hosted numerous exhibitions from significant institutions around the country: Rivers, Edens, Empires: Lewis and Clark and the Revealing of America from the Library of Congress; Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War from The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden from the Smithsonian. Bringing such exhibitions to the Puget Sound and allowing a greater number of people to experience them is an important element of MOHAI’s mission. MOHAI often complements these national traveling shows with a companion exhibit that illustrates connections with this region. The award-winning exhibition Blue vs. Gray: The Civil War in the Pacific Northwest brought to light astonishing information about slaves, the suppression of civil liberties, and the secession movement here in the Northwest.

MOHAI exhibit staff also work with guest curators to develop and build exhibitions on relevant topics. Staff worked closely with Larry Kreisman and Glenn Mason, authors of The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest, to create a beautiful exhibit that will tour other venues in the Northwest upon the completion of its run at MOHAI.

Featured Exhibits

The Enemy Within: Terror in America – 1776 to Today

A Creation of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terrorism, this exhibition provides unprecedented perspective into terror on American soil. The exhibition uncovers the forgotten stories of domestic terrorists and foreign agents, militant radicals and saboteurs who have threatened America’s sense of security over the past 200 years. It also explores the questions: how do we identify who the enemy is? And how do we keep the country safe without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded? More Info

A Seattle Lens on Global Ties
Photographs by Bill Stafford

Bill Stafford, President of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, has been instrumental in positioning the region as an international leader. The striking photographs from his travels capture the beauty, humanity and cultural diversity of the global community. More Info

WTO Protests in Seattle