Located next to the Space Needle at Seattle Center

Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly

Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.

In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.

His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including twelve honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them, Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Venetians, and Persians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice.

In 1999, Chihuly started an ambitious exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly’s lifelong fascination for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. His Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Chihuly exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005. Other major exhibition venues include the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2013. Chihuly Garden and Glass, a long-term exhibition, opened at Seattle Center in 2012.

Photograph by Ira Garber

Worth Going to Seat­tle Just for This”

Absolutely fantastic. Words can’t describe how amazing this is. You will need a few hours here. This was definitely the highlight of our trip to Seattle. Totally unique.

Reviewed July, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r703764500-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

Well Worth Your Time”

Not typically being into art galleries, I didn’t expect to care much for this stop, but went along with others in our group. I was very pleasantly surprised. The glass artwork in this place is amazing, and is beautifully displayed. Photos don’t do it justice. There is also a garden area where some of the pieces are displayed, as well as a courtyard with snack vendor(s). You could easily spend a while here, but we went through in less than two hours.

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r703018480-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

Watch the Short Videos”

Beautiful glass pieces! Check out the videos about Chihuly in the last room. There are several short videos about the glass blowing process and his journey working on some of his famous exhibitions. Also the professional photographers walking around will take your picture for free and you can e-mail yourself the photo for free as well. They make you take a short survey before they send it to you on the kiosk though.

Reviewed July, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r702701516-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

Amaz­ing and a Must See in Seattle!”

AMAZING! We loved visiting and the gardens were our favorite. We would recommend this to anyone visiting Seattle. We would suggest the Space Needle, Chihuly and MoPOP all in one day. The Chihuly can take as little as an hour to visit and we had no wait.

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r701938788-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

The Glass Col­lec­tion and Works is Bet­ter Than Murano”

Amazing glass pieces in the museum, some using 300 plus colors. Very distinctive and tedious to make. From amazing glass chandeliers to canoe size pieces. The Chihuly gardens pieces are amazing, works of art. Excellent gift store associated where you can buy some pieces.Truly exceptional and a must visit, when you see the Space needle.

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r701867994-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

Art and Magic!”

Chihuly is amazing with his creation. This garden visit was worth it. We bought the combo of space needle and the garden. Truly amazing experience. Enjoy.

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r701658367-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

Very Beau­ti­ful”

Truly a gem of a visit to Chihuly gardens and glass exhibits! Have lived in Seattle for 7 years and had never seen this. What a amazing collection. Worth revisiting just to see all the gorgeous stuff.

Reviewed June, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r701500864-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

Unbe­liev­able and Spectacular”

I was told that this is a must see. I had my doubts but I found that they are right. What he does with glass has to be seen to be believed. It was very beautiful and I was constantly amazed. There was also a demonstration by a glass blower that was very informative. We spent an hour and a half in there and it felt like 15 minutes. I highly recommend you visit this place

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r701133456-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

A Must See for All Ages”

I take every guest that comes to town and I notice something new every time I visit. It is a remarkable talent to blow glass and create such majestic pieces. It’s breathtaking and worth a visit.

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r700344538-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html

BEAU­TI­FUL!”

We were in Seattle for a wedding and had half a day to tour around and see the sites. We took the monorail into City Center and bought the citypass on our phones - HIGHLY RECOMMEND (it lasts for multiple days and includes so many things). I don't know if I'd recommend paying full price for just the glass garden, but if you're doing a package deal it's a MUST-SEE. Truly beautiful garden and very well constructed gallery. If you can catch one of the tours/talks I recommend it. I didn't know that much about Chihuly's history before.

Reviewed August, 2019 on TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60878-d3184389-r700099489-Chihuly_Garden_and_Glass-Seattle_Washington.html