Perfect Antidote to Seattle’s Winter Grey Palette, Chihuly Garden and Glass

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since its original publication date. (2024)

Dale Chihuly at work-pic by JRN

As soon as I entered the exhibition I thought that this is exactly how Alice must have felt after she tumbled down the rabbit hole into a fantasy world. This one is populated with surreal, kaleidoscope-colored glass creations ranging in size from minute, gem-like balls to a 1,340-piece, 100-foot long sculpture, hovering high overhead in the “Glass House”, inspired by Dale Chihuly’s two favorite buildings, Paris’ Sainte-Chapelle and London’s Crystal Palace. Done in vibrant shades of orange, yellow and red, it offers a warm sunrise/sunset glass-framed view of the Space Needle towering behind the building.

Iconic Seattle: Chihuly, Space Needle and rain-pic by JRN

As you meander through the other eight galleries you’ll encounter elaborate installations grouped by theme such as Chihuly’s “Glass Forest” filled with squiggly, glass stems created by simultaneously blowing and pouring molten glass from the top of a stepladder to the floor below, where the deflated bubble solidifies. You’ll hold your breath in wonderment as you enter the magical, marine-blue “Sealife Room”, filled with sculpted sea urchins, anemones, star fish octopus but sadly, no little mermaids. Look up at the “Persian Ceiling” to enjoy a Fourth of July firework finale anytime. Look, but don’t touch, the 20 hand blown glass bowls that sprout up in the “Macchia Forest”

Macchia Forest filled with trademark Chihuly bowls-pic by JRN

Chihuly has often said, “I want my work to appear as though it came from nature so if someone found it… they might think it belonged there.” Head outside to the garden and you’ll see that’s exactly what he accomplished. Chihuly’s creations blend in seamlessly with the explosion of color provided by crimson camellias, scarlet daylilies, dogwoods, hardy fuchsias and handkerchief trees.

How does Chihuly’s garden grow? pic by JRN

The Bar at Chihuly Garden and Glass

Many museum cafés offer convenience and little else. But The Bar (formerly Collections Café) is a genuine food find in its own right as well as offering a fascinating peek at Chihuly’s whimsical collections which are displayed throughout the restaurant. Hanging from the ceiling is a myriad of vintage accordions. Wood shelves and 28 glass-topped tables double as show-cases for his eclectic collections of toy soldiers, transistor radios, antique inkwells, ceramic dogs, X-mas ornaments, Mexican silver ashtrays, fish decoys etc.

As a young boy, Chihuly loved scouring the Puget Sound shoreline in search of bits of beach glass and thus began a lifetime of collecting things that catch his eye for whatever reason. “I love to find the beauty in everyday objects,” Chihuly explains.

The Bar at Chihuly Garden and Glass features creative cocktails alongside delicious bites and plates in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Capturing the essence of the Pacific Northwest, The Bar sources local ingredients, offers seasonal menus, and partners with regional beer, wine, and spirit artisans.

chihulygardenandglass.com