5 Best Sights in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, Washington

The showpiece of this spectacular, 2-acre complex of delicate and creative art-glass installations is the 500-foot-long Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a tunnel of glorious color and light that stretches above Interstate 705. Cross it from downtown to reach this striking building, which rises above the Foss Waterway and next to a shallow reflecting pool dotted with modern-art sculptures. Inside, you can wander through quiet, light-filled galleries that present a fascinating array of rotating exhibits, take a seat in the conical-roofed Hot Shop amphitheater to watch glass-blowing artists, or try your own hand at arts and crafts in the studio. There's also a café and an outstanding gift shop.

Adorned in glass and steel, this modern masterpiece by architect Antoine Predock wraps around a beautiful garden and holds paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and other creations dating from the 18th century to the present, with an emphasis on Western U.S. artists, including many indigenous talents. On view is the largest permanent collection of glass works by Dale Chihuly, and the stunning, light-filled Benaroya Wing—designed by Olson Kundig and opened in 2019—displays hundreds of new works, included pieces by artists trained at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School.

One of the more imaginative adaptations you'll ever see of a mid-century modern grocery store, this sustainably designed regional art museum sits on the edge of downtown Edmonds, steps from the ferry terminal. The museum presents rotating exhibits that focus heavily on Pacific Northwest art from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, and the curators make it an important part of their mission to include female, minority, and LGBTQ artists. Classical music performances are held here monthly.

This striking, modern building contains some 2,500 works produced by regional creative minds past and present, including painters, sculptors, photographers, and other artists. Soaring spaces, circular exhibit rooms, a glass gallery, and a broad spiral staircase add to the free-form feeling of the displays. There's a small but impressive gallery shop.

One of only a handful of fiber arts museums in the country is housed throughout three floors of the Queen Anne–style Gaches Mansion, which rises grandly over La Conner's downtown. Exhibits change throughout the year and feature both contemporary and historic quilts, wall hangings, and other textiles, most of them created in the Pacific Northwest. The lovingly restored mansion itself makes for an interesting tour, and there's a well-curated museum shop.