Best Museum: Frye Art Museum
By Seattle Mag November 10, 2025
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of Seattle magazine.
Opened in 1952 on first hill, the Frye Art Museum has long been a free institution for the public to enjoy art. Named for Charles and Emma Frye, who lived in Seattle at the turn of the century, the museum was founded to house the couple’s collection of paintings by American and European artists. Styled after a salon in the Fryes’ home, the museum is designed to be a space for gathering and discussion, with a dedicated room, the Frye Salon, featuring work from their collection, hung floor-to-ceiling as they originally were when the couple was alive. The Frye has evolved over the years, and frequently exhibits work from local and regional artists, often giving emerging creatives their first solo museum shows (see page 70 for a profile on Camille Trautman’s current exhibition). A beloved institution that throws a great party and has one of the best gift shops in town (focused on pieces from local designers), the Frye is welcoming, willing to take risks, and encouraging of discourse from artists and patrons, carrying on the spirit of its founders.
704 Terry Ave., Seattle | fryemuseum.org
About Best of the Best
Everyone loves a winner. And when it comes to Seattle favorites, there’s no shortage of opinions on which places, spaces, and bites deserve top honors. This year, we did things a little differently—our staff weighed in, debating and voting to determine the best of the best across the city. We also ran our annual Readers’ Choice poll for comparison (and yes, there was overlap in just one category). Here’s to celebrating all the winners, no matter who cast the vote.
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