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MoPOP
Museum of Pop Culture Logo.png
EMPPano11.jpg
View of MoPOP from Seattle Center with the monorail traveling through it
Established 2000; 25 years ago (2000)
Location 325 5th Avenue N
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Type Popular culture, music, science fiction, video games
Monorail in EMP
Monorail tracks going through the MoPOP building

The Museum of Pop Culture (or MoPOP) is a super cool museum in Seattle, Washington, USA. It's all about modern popular culture, like music, movies, and video games!

A co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, started the museum in 2000. It was first called the Experience Music Project. Since then, MoPOP has created many exciting exhibits. Some of these exhibits have even traveled around the U.S. and other countries.

The museum has had a few names over the years. It was once the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM). Later, it became the EMP Museum until 2016. Now, it's proudly known as MoPOP!

MoPOP hosts awesome events like "Sound Off!". This is a music competition for young bands (21 and under). It helps new musicians get noticed. They also have the "Pop Conference," where experts, writers, and music fans talk about popular culture.

Every winter, MoPOP teams up with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Together, they put on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival. It's a great chance to see amazing short films! Since 2007, MoPOP has also given out the Founders Award. This award celebrates musicians who have made big contributions to music.

Exploring MoPOP's Exhibits and Fun Activities

Night Exterior EMP
Nighttime view of MoPOP
Guitar Art at the EMP
Guitar sculpture at MoPOP

MoPOP is packed with interesting exhibits and hands-on activities. You can also see cool sound sculptures and find lots of educational materials.

Here are some of the things you can discover:

  • A huge building, designed by a famous architect named Frank O. Gehry. It has many galleries and a special area called the Sky Church. The Sky Church has one of the biggest indoor LED screens in the world!
  • Exhibits that cover all sorts of pop culture topics. You can explore the art of fantasy, scary horror movies, exciting video games, and amazing science fiction stories. You can even see costumes from movies and stage shows.
  • Interactive fun in galleries like Sound Lab and On Stage. In Sound Lab, you can try out different musical instruments. In On Stage, you can perform music in front of a virtual audience!
  • A unique guitar sculpture called IF VI WAS IX. It's made from over 500 musical instruments and 30 computers. A sound artist named Trimpin helped create it.
  • The world's largest collection of items from Seattle music legends. This includes artifacts, hand-written song lyrics, personal instruments, and photos. You can learn all about Jimi Hendrix and the band Nirvana.
  • Educational programs like workshops, camps, and a sci-fi and fantasy short story contest for kids. They also have a Hip-Hop Artist Residency program.
  • Public events such as the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival and the Youth Advisory Board (YAB). Don't forget "Sound Off!", the biggest battle-of-the-bands in the Pacific Northwest.

MoPOP also hosted the first NIME workshop concert. This event helped start the annual International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. It's a place where people share new ideas about music technology.

The Science Fiction Museum at MoPOP

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame was opened by Paul Allen and his sister Jody Patton in 2004. It included the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, which started in 1996.

The museum had different sections with themes like "Homeworld" and "Fantastic Voyages." Each section showed cool items like movie props, first edition books, costumes, and models. It was like a treasure chest for science fiction fans! People said, "From robots to jet packs to space suits and ray guns, it's all here."

Famous people like Steven Spielberg, Ray Bradbury, James Cameron, and George Lucas were on the museum's advisory board. Some of the amazing items in its collection included Captain Kirk's command chair from Star Trek. You could also see the B9 robot from Lost in Space, a Death Star model from Star Wars, and a T-800 Terminator.

The permanent Science Fiction Museum closed in 2011. But a new exhibit called Icons of Science Fiction opened in 2012. A new Hall of Fame display was also revealed then, honoring new members.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame began in 1996. It was started by the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas.

At first, only writers and editors could be chosen for the Hall of Fame. Four people were inducted each year. In 2005, the Hall of Fame started to include people from other areas, not just writers. This meant artists, filmmakers, and others could be recognized.

People can suggest nominees, but a special group makes the final choices. This group includes award-winning science fiction authors, artists, editors, publishers, and film experts.

In 2013, MoPOP brought back the original name, "Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame." They announced five new members that year, including J. R. R. Tolkien, who is known as the "father of modern fantasy literature."

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame Inductions

Celebrating 20 Years of the Hall of Fame

In 2016, the Hall of Fame celebrated its 20th anniversary! They changed things up to include not just creators, but also amazing creations. These creations came from movies, TV, and games.

They announced 20 extra inductees in both categories:

By 2023, the Hall of Fame had 109 members, including all the special inductees from 2016.

In November 2016, the museum officially changed its name to the Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP.

MoPOP's Unique Architecture

The Sky Church
An exterior view of the building

MoPOP is located right next to the famous Space Needle in Seattle Center. The Seattle Center Monorail even runs right through the building!

The building was designed by Frank Gehry, a famous architect. It looks like some of his other buildings, with its cool sheet-metal design. The inside of the building also shows off many of the materials used to build it. The entire building is about 140,000 square feet.

The central area, called the Sky Church, is named to honor Jimi Hendrix. It's a concert venue that can hold up to 800 people. The very last steel beam placed during construction has the signatures of all the workers who built it!

Aerial view of EMPSFM
Design by Frank Gehry

Before construction even started, people thought the design looked like a "smashed electric guitar." Frank Gehry himself said he was inspired by Stratocaster guitars when designing it.

The building's look has received mixed reactions. Some people love Gehry's work, while others aren't so sure about this particular building. One critic called it "something that crawled out of the sea, rolled over, and died." Forbes magazine even listed it as one of the world's 10 ugliest buildings.

However, many people think the building is a perfect fit for MoPOP. Its exterior has a mix of gold, silver, deep red, blue, and a "shimmering purple haze." This colorful design is seen as a great way to represent the exciting world of American rock music.

MoPOP's Founders Award

Since 2007, MoPOP has given out its Founders Award. This award celebrates artists who have made important contributions and inspire new generations. The annual award gala helps raise money for MoPOP's educational programs, community work, and exhibits.

In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gala was held online for free. MoPOP honored Seattle's own band, Alice in Chains. This online event raised over $600,000 for the museum!

Award Winners

See also

  • List of music museums
  • List of works by Frank Gehry
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