Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BURKE MUSEUM
MUSEUM
(
www.burkemuseum.org
;
cnr 17th Ave NE & NE 45th St; adult/child $10/7.50; 10am-5pm;
70)
The best museum of natural history in the Northwest is situated near the junction of
NE 45th St and 16th Ave. The main collection has an impressive stash of fossils includ-
ing a 20,000-year-old sabre-toothed cat. The Burke's other tour de force is its focus on
17 different Native American cultures.
Of note is the Pacific Northwest basketry collection, but tribes from all around the
Pacific Rim are represented, including groups from Asia and Micronesia.
SUZZALLO LIBRARY
LANDMARK
( 70)
The architecturally minded will be interested in the University of Washington's
Suzzallo Library. Designed by Carl Gould around 1926, this bibliophile's dream was
inspired by Henry Suzzallo, UW's president at the time. Suzzallo wanted it to look like
a cathedral, because 'the library is the soul of the university.' Unfortunately for him, his
bosses disagreed; on reviewing the building, they deemed it too expensive and fired
Suzzallo for his extravagance.
However, the dream was partially realized in the grand neo-Gothic entrance lobby
and the truly beguiling
reading room
with its massive cathedral-like windows that, on
fine days, cast filtered sunlight onto the long reading pews.
CENTRAL PLAZA (RED SQUARE)
SQUARE
( 70)
The center of campus is more commonly referred to as Red Sq because of its
base of red brick. It's not the coziest plaza, but it fills up with students cheerfully sun-
ning themselves on nice days and it looks impressive at night.
Broken Obelisk,
the 26ft-
high stainless-steel sculpture in the square, was made by noted color-field painter Bar-
nett Newman.
Just below Red Sq is a wide promenade leading to lovely
Rainier Vista
, with spec-
tacular views across Lake Washington to Mt Rainier.
DRUMHELLER FOUNTAIN
FOUNTAIN
( 70)
Drumheller Fountain sits inside what was originally known as Geyser Basin
(now 'Frosh Pond'), one of the few remaining pieces leftover from the 1909 expo that
beefed up the university.
