Experience Music Project (EMP)

You could easily spend an entire day here. Sci-Fi and music meet and it's awesome. Be sure to spend enough time sitting in the music room, and experience as many of the sound booths as possible. Interact with stuff. more

The EMP had such a buzz about it prior to and for a short while after it was built. Paul Allen's great concept and Frank Gehry's ""visionary"" architectural design had people talking about what a project this was going to develop into. Well, it developed into an expensive museum that I'd say hardly justifies the admissions fees. I'm a musician who was VERY interested in the whole idea during the creation of it. Once I finally did visit, I was very underwhelmed at the material inside. There is a decent amount of showcases and information inside, but it just feels like it is lacking. The electronic ""walking tourguide"" that you carry with you is pretty interesting but all in all, it just doesn't seem up to par. The interactive hands-on area where you can play instruments and such was probably the most interesting part and we definitely spent the majority of our time ""jamming"" in the rooms together. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a must-see unless visitors just wanted to check out museums/music or didn't know what to do around town. I haven't been inside of the Sci-Fi area that's been added to the EMP. Pros: Interesting if you are into music Cons: Not that interesting, even if you are into music. Seems expensive for what's there. Near Parking is pay-lots. more

Emp is excellent, as a starving artist it allowed me to feel more connected to Jimi and I swear I felt his spirit the day I played there... To hear a sample of Beethovens Moonlight Sonata on Guitar go to cdbaby /cd/maditalian\r Happy listening! more

I reluctantly visited with some friends as I am not a music lover and know little about the history here in Seattle. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had. I even learned a bit about some local bands I had never heard of before (even though everyone else knew who they were). While it was expensive and I probably wont go back, I do recommend this to everyone at least once. Pros: Interesting history and interactive areas. Fun to see the costumes worn onstage Cons: expensive more

as a meber as they have a package wher eyou can get two free guest passes with a one year membership....i happen to like this place a lot for the variety of music as well as the detailed exhibits such with jimi and bob dylan. there are a lot of fun activities here more

We felt that this museum was very overpriced! The only thing that our 11 year old daughter enjoyed, at all, was the ""lab"". I suppose if you are a huge Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan fan this would be right up your alley. Sculpture made from instruments was cool. Cons: PRICE, limited displays more

My favorite part of EMP was the ""lab"" where you could sing, play the guitar, the drums, and keyboard. This was the coolest part. I'm not a huge music fan...I found out that Jimi Hendrix is black at EMP...ok so I'm not all that up on the music scene, but still it was fun, educational and entertaining. Pros: the "lab" more

Admission was very expensive...$20/person. The interactive control was cool, but waaayy too heavy. I was tired after 10 min!!! It was like tugging my suitcase around. Things on display was not all that interesting. Staffs were not friendly. Had to wait at least a good 5 min before anyone can help me get my coat returned. Cons: Heavy control, Expensive more

EMP admission costs more than any other museum I've ever been to, yet the collection of artifacts on display is only moderate in size. The over-reliance on an electronic gizmo to deliver even the simplest information is really distracting, taking attention away from the exhibits themselves. Most of the exhibits didn't teach me anything new or show me anything particularly interesting. The exception was a very interesting exhibit on hip-hop culture, which I liked a lot. Even so, I won't be back soon, and I don't recommend it. I wish I liked it, I truly wanted to like it, but I don't. Cons: Expensive more

I brought my sixth grade class to the EMP. My students found the interactive capabilities of EMP outstanding! Definitely worth considering. The group rate was extremely reasonable and I found as many parents wanting to attend as students. Truly a hit for children young and old. Pros: Interactive exhibits, Very unique artifacts more

The EMP is a state of the art attraction for everyone. Music is found everywhere in different styles and this is a wonderful place to read and learn about the history its holds. Spending just one day here isn't enough, but you will get to experience what the EMP has to offer. more

This place got hype because of Frank Gehry's involvement, but I think it's one of his weakest projects--it looks more like a squashed cake than a deconstructed Fender. Luckily there's plenty to do inside. The designers found some inventive ways around the difficult task of translating music to a museum environment. The music booths are wonderful, the ""thrill ride"" is cheesy but kinda fun and the memorabilia exhibits are made much deeper by the little point 'n' click audio devices. Plus the Hendrix part is a good reminder of why he was a great American musician, and not just a guy who set his guitat on fire. more