Experience Music Project (EMP)

I have never been to a corporate function here myself (although have visited the museum many times), but my sister and a couple of clients have hosted parties here and they had a blast. You get to have fun with all the exhibits like jamming on insturments, plus it's such a cool space. Check it out! more

Well, it's sort of famous. If you have even been to Space Needle, you must have see this "thing". Yes, the red, silver and brown thing looks like a big pile of tin foil. It is the brainchild of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen and designed by architect Frank Gehry. Originally planned as a memorial to Seattle native guitar super rock star Jimi Hendrix, the museum has become a celebration of the NW rock scene and the general history of American popular music. Although it is probably fun for someone really really loves rock music, I just don't think it's on top of my list to spend $20. more

If you have ever been fascinated by the music scene or just wanted to be a rock star, the Experience Music Project is the destination for you. Their exhibits are geared to documenting the rock experience. They have a significant amount of material on Seattle contributions (such as Jimi Hendrix), but that may be due to the location of the museum. There is a great amount of music related artifacts, such as the "Costumes from the Vault" which displays music and other pop culture iconography. It's a great local destination and a fantastic place to take visitors. more

It's easy to pick out the EMP from I-5, and point it out to visitors as "that-ugly-as-sin-monstrosity" just this side of the Space Needle, but that's only one aspect. Ugly could as easily be just simply strange - and it's what's inside that counts. If it were just the displays, I'd rate this lower. The displays are good and quite interesting, but let's just say the replay value is low. However, the EMP is used for much more than static (or interactive for that matter) displays. There are movies, workshops, concerts and more.. We've seen all sorts of people, from Amy Tan (with the Stephen King/Dave Barry band, The Wrockers) to Iron Butterfly. Our eldest daughter has attended several jazz workshops taught by some of the biggies in the field and has performed several times there as well (so we may be biased). Also, the inhouse restaurant is surprisingly good, inventive, and inexpensive - a great place to catch a meal before watching one of the frequent music related movies or documentaries - also a nice alternative to the space needle restaurant! more

I went to this museum with my husband and brother who are both musicians. I was ready to move on from each exhibit about 10 to 15 minutes before they were. This is not the museum to go to if you are only margnilly interested in music. If you are really into rock and even better, if you are really into Jimi Hendrix, then don't miss this museum. There are some really interesting exhibits on Seattle's music history. The artifacts are fascinating for the music geek, for example, they have Mitch Mitchell's drum set. But I couldn't' spend more than a minute or two looking at a drumset. It's an interesting concept for a museum, for the right audience. The admission is expensive. more

The EMP is an interesting place to visit for a look into the history of rock and roll. It is especially well-focused on the parts of music history that have happened in the Northwest. There's a lot of Jimi Hendrix stuff too. If you can get one of their portable music-and-information devices (called a MEG), they provide a lot of background information beyond what is visible in the displays. The collection isn't particularly large, though, and sometimes it can be quite disappointing because of the small size of the items on display. more

I was really excited by the EMP when it first opened, became a Charter member, etc. But the thing has remained static. I would say go if there is a particular exhibit there that you are keenly interested in. Otherwise, the collection isn't very deep or very wide. Considering the price of admission, I expect much more. They've even closed the much-hyped "Artists Journey" interactive ride, which was supposed to change, not just disappear. more

I thought that the EMP would be very cool when they first built it but when I found out how much it cost I never actually went to it. Recently I was dragged by a friend here and forced to pay some ridiculous amount of money to see things that did not impress me at all. I guess it is ok to see it once but after that, there is not reason. Good tourist trap (I guess) more

The different displays here are great and pretty cool. I really like the music experience you can get in the hand-on exhibits. They allow you to play and learn on a ton of instruments, gives everybody a chance to feel like a rock star. The tickets are a little spendy, but overall a fun experience. more

The emp is quite ugly from the outside, its supposed to be a bunch of cut up guitars. I just don't see it. Built by paul allen this is his music present to the city of seattle. The museum has lots of music memorbilia, and the head sets give you a great narrative as you walk through the rock and roll items. They have an area where you can try instruments and record. They also have a good cafe and incredible stage to hear concerts. I would recommend you go at least once. more

The Experience Music Project is a unique museum like no other in the world. Admittedly, I'm a huge music fan, but I think even the casual fan will easily find they can spend hours exploring the EMP. The galleries are filled with incredible memorabilia, and the museum audio guide (definitely worth the nominal extra cost) really brings the items on display alive. Sound Lab is an amazing opportunity to learn how to play guitar, drums, or keyboards in 10 minutes or less. Make sure you don't miss the theatre on the bottom level that screens interesting short films featuring the artists showcased in the galleries. Admission is not cheap, but the value is well worth the cost. more

This is a great museum in Seattle. There are tons of displays about the last 50 or so years of music. It is very interesting to see all the memorabilia collected here. They have an area with lots of instruments that you can play, including guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, turntables, and more. This is a must see for any music fan. more

This venue in Seattle was worth the visit but it would have been heaven for a music buff. The place is located at The Seattle Center and the outside look of the building will get your attention off the start. There was a lot of exhibits. No pictures allowed of the artifacts. There was an extenisve exhibit on Jimmy Hendrix and Bob Dylan. I thought the personal journals of Hendrix where interesting to read. The Beatles are there, tonnes of old guitars and other instruments. Making this place fun was the fact it was interactive. You could do recordings there, make videos, play the drums, guitar, keyboard and bass as a solo or in a group in sound proof chambers. It was hear I learnt that arasnosliw is not exactly musically inclined. She likes to sing away, beat the drums and strum the guitar but it wasn't exactly sounding the best. I enjoyed that because when I tried I was much, much worst, LOL :-). more

In my opinion the cost of this place is way too high. I expected more, for it to be larger. But most of all the price was just way out of line. As if a tourist is just going to pay because they flew hundrends of miles to seattle and now they have to go in. Not worth it. If you do go, bring some hand wipes to wipe the earphones they give you - mine were dirty. more

I went here on a field trip with my child's class. I had a good time, but I am not sure I would have gone otherwise. With the class we got a discounted rate which is what made it worth while for me. The place it self has many things to do, but you need to have an interest in music or at least know how to play. The music lab was a lot of fun for me, but that also has to do with knowing how to play a guitar. The kids had fun in the lab to, but could have cared less about the museum part. more

This place was highly enjoyable. I recommend it for anyone who loves music. There is so much to see and do it is unbelievable. I love how everything is interactive and your invited to participate in the surroundings, not just stand back at a distance and admire. EMP is a great place to truly experience music, along with appreciating it. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. more

The price is high, but if you are a music loving, I think you get your money's worth. I would recommend getting the audio tour since it was helpful for me as I'm not much of an audiophile. There's lots of exhibits and you can spend the whole day in here getting lot in notes. They also do trivia night in the there (which doesn't require entrance fee). Seeing it once is probably enough. more

The EMP is a museum dedicated to musicians of the Northwest. It has a gift shop, of course, so it's great for memorabilia. The exhibits change every once in a while, but the main Hendrix and Nirvana etc remain the same. They have a cool ride, and music listening stations and videos that play which makes it more then just a music museum since it is interactive! They give you private headsets so you can listen to displays descriptions on your own at your own pace. They hold tons of concerts, but they're generally chorus groups and gospel music, but occasionally you'll get a better known group performing. I have been there a handful of times, and for myself, it got boring. The line to get into the Jimi Hendrix Experience was always looong, too long for me to want to wait. It's like any museum where you can join for a price, then you get unlimited visits, which, if you plan to frequent often, pays for itself. I found I did not want to visit enough to do that, and I only went to feel I got my money's worth. It's great the first time you go, and if you are from the NW, hearing about your favorite bands (like Pearl Jam) is quite fascinating! Admission is a bit steep, however, so keep that in mind. more

Although I beleive the admission price is way too steep - I would tell music buffs to visit just once! It's a nice place to explore and learn about all the different music types and styles in this era. It truly is a unique and one of a kind musical experience that everyone should experience. I even learned a few things that I had never known before I came. more

This has to be one of the ugliest buildings ever. I once heard someone ask where it was when they were stood in front of it, and we had to laugh. It is at the bottom of the space needle and is red and shiney. I have been once. I had a good time, although I am not sure if this was due to the attraction itself or the group of people that I was with!! It is definitely a pricey attraction, but is worth experiencing at least once. more