Chihuly Garden and Glass

Chihuly Garden and Glass sits at 305 Harrison Street in the Seattle Center campus of Seattle, Washington, directly beside the Space Needle. The exhibition is devoted to the blown-glass work of Tacoma-born artist Dale Chihuly and is organised in three parts: a sequence of interior galleries, a glasshouse, and an outdoor garden. Visitors move through eight galleries, each staged around a single body of work, such as the Persian Ceiling, where glass forms in saturated colours are suspended beneath a lit panel overhead, or the Sealife Tower, which fills a room with amber and turquoise sculptures. Dark walls and carefully aimed lighting make the colours read as luminous, so the interior is more atmospheric than a conventional museum. The Glasshouse is a 40-foot-tall steel-and-glass conservatory that holds a single 100-foot-long suspended sculpture in reds, oranges, yellows and ambers, and many visitors consider it the highlight. It doubles as an event space, so occasional private bookings can close it for a few hours. Beyond it, the garden combines glass pieces with real plants, and the glass looks different at every time of day. Photographers do best on a bright day, when natural light passes through the garden pieces, and the Space Needle rises behind the glass in many compositions. A typical visit takes one to one and a half hours, although those who linger in the garden or the Collections Cafe, which displays Chihuly's personal collections, can stay longer. Crowds are heaviest from late morning through mid-afternoon, particularly on summer weekends and during Seattle's rainy season, when indoor attractions fill up. Early opening hours and weekday late afternoons are quieter. Admission is ticketed, and advance online purchase is usually a few dollars cheaper than buying at the door. Seattle Center is reached by the Monorail from Westlake Center or by Metro buses, and the attraction is a short walk from either. Combination tickets with the Space Needle are sold, which suits visitors planning both on the same day.