Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture celebrated its milestone 25th anniversary in vibrant fashion, with live performances, iconic artifacts, and interactive activities.
While MoPOP curators reflect on the museum’s legacy and importance in Seattle, their focus remains on the future and bringing even more pop culture moments into the spotlight.
Chief Collections + Exhibition Officer Jacob McMurray says, “We had a big event with a lot of different activities to hype up the fact that we’ve been around here for a quarter century, and we’ve done over 120 exhibitions since we opened in 2000. And we want to thank our community, but also say, ‘We're going to be here for another 25 years.'”
Originally coined “The Experience Music Project,†EMP opened in 2000. Since then, the museum has evolved and featured numerous music, film, and entertainment exhibits, showcasing a diverse range of pop culture across various categories. The museum has also honored artists and musicians with its Founder's Award; past recipients include Quincy Jones, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Alice in Chains, Jackson Browne, and The Doors.
With its origins as far back as the 90s, McMurray has been involved since the very beginning.
“When I started working at the museum in 1994, there was no actual museum at that time. It was just a glimmer in the eye of Paul Allen, who was our founder, and it started out as an idea of having a Jimi Hendrix museum, which expanded out in 96' and ’97 into the idea of the Experience Music Project, so a broader look at popular music. We opened on June 23rd, 2000, and from there, have continued to broaden out into wider areas of pop culture. In late 2016, we rebranded as MOPOP, Museum of Pop Culture, and here we are today,†McMurray said.
MoPOP (Image: Jenny Castro / Seattle Refined)
In terms of rebranding, the vision of the museum has progressively expanded to include an eclectic array of cultural elements. What began with a focus on music has grown to encompass science fiction, gaming, film, and fashion, including exhibits such as the limited run of The Princess Diana pop-up collection. The collection displayed 12 historical pieces worn by the Princess during her lifetime.
This broader view reflects the museum's commitment to exploring a wider range of collections.
“I think we just continued sort of increasing our purview of what we’re covering,” McMurray said. “So you know, sole focus on Jimi to more of a music-oriented thing to let’s bring in stuff that isn’t music at all. I think it was just a natural evolution, and I think we have a museum where there’s something for everybody in the family.â€
Currently, the museum has a dozen galleries, like “Rebels + Icons,” Hendrix Abroad, and “Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic.”
Rebels + Icons: The Photography of Janette Beckman (Courtesy: MOPOP)
READ MORE | MoPOP debuts ‘Rebels + Icons,’ a pulsing exhibit of music photography by Janette Beckman
Over the years, the museum has hosted iconic exhibitions, like “Prince” from Minneapolis, and the “Pearl Jam: Home and Away” gallery, which ran from 2018 to 2023. The idea for the exhibit was inspired by the band's 2018 Seattle home shows, which raised funds to combat homelessness in King County.
MoPOP (Image: Jenny Castro / Seattle Refined)
Speaking of iconic Seattle bands, the widely popular Nirvana exhibit, “Taking Punk to the Masses†closed in September 2025 after an engaging 14-year run. The exhibit became one of the museum's most popular and celebrated showcases, with involvement and partnerships with private collectors, photographers, and previous band members such as Krist Novoselic and the Cobain Estate.
MoPOP (Image: Jenny Castro / Seattle Refined)
McMurray says, “I started working on the exhibition in 2009, and we had been collecting a large amount of Nirvana and Northwest-related material in our permanent collection. I eventually got the opportunity to speak with Krist Novoselic early on, and we both got excited about the idea of doing the story of Nirvana but within a really broad context of what was happening in Seattle and beyond. We ended up interviewing over 80 different people related to the story, and working with 20 different lenders to bring in over 200 objects. This was the most Nirvana-related material in one place in a museum exhibition. So we launched this exhibit in April of 2011 and it was actually in the massive gallery.â€
The museum also took the exhibit on the road, eventually bringing it back to MoPOP in March of 2018 after 6 months in Brazil. Featuring rare photos, wardrobe, instruments, memorabilia, and an intimate glimpse into the life of Kurt Cobain, the exhibit gave fans a deeper understanding of the band’s journey and cultural impact, and has been the longest-running exhibition to date.
MoPOP (Image: Jenny Castro / Seattle Refined)
Many fans are sorry to see it go, but McMurray offers insight into the reasoning, “14.5 years is a super long time for an exhibition, and exhibits change over time, because it’s not just our collection, but other people’s collection, as well. Some people have taken that material back, some have sold material, and so on. So exhibits inherently change over time. But I think there were a number of reasons, and we’re getting a lot of response from visitors who love Nirvana but inquire about other artists from our region as well,†he said.
Those artists include bands like Heart, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Sir Mix-a-Lot, amongst others, with an anticipated opening in November 2026.
MoPOP (Image: Jenny Castro / Seattle Refined)
“I think for us, it became a question of why don’t we do something where we can create an exhibition that can tell all of these stories,†McMurray said. “And the brand new exhibition we’re launching will tell 15 to 20 kinds of smaller stories, and include those things everybody wants to see, like Jimi Hendrix and all the grunge stuff, and others who aren't as known. And then we’re building into a process and mechanism where our visitors and audience can tell us what we should focus on next. So, Nirvana in this form is leaving, but it’s really sort of going on in a broader expanded context, and there’s still going to be some Nirvana stuff in the new exhibit, as they are a part of our DNA. We want to make sure that we’re doing it right, and we're talking to the right people. Exhibits are a strange beast because they’re not documentaries or novels; they’re a distilled narrative in a finite space and you’re trying to give the impression of nuance and complexity when you physically don’t have that. So I think every object, every piece of text, and every way that we’re crafting that narrative through space needs to be considered.â€
MoPOP (Image: Jenny Castro / Seattle Refined)
As MoPOP honors the nostalgic past of major pop culture moments, it stays firmly rooted in current events.
Their website explains, “In celebration of the world's game, MOPOP has teamed up with Julien’s Auctions for a special Icons of Soccer artifact spotlight. From Pelé's 1962 FIFA World Cup Gold Winner's Medal to Messi’s signed Argentina jersey, it traces the moments, players, and objects that shaped the global game.”
The special soccer exhibit is now open until July 6, 2026 and is included with museum admission.
Learn more about MoPOP here!
Jenny Castro is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. Follow more of her adventures here.
