Frybread Tacos and a Day at the Burke

Photo byMaria Shimizu Christensen

The Burke Museum in Seattle’s University District has been through a number of locations and name changes since the first building went up in 1886, but it’s always been a premier museum. The newest building, which opened its doors to the public on October 12, 2019, upholds that legacy.

Photo byMaria Shimizu Christensen

Three floors of top-notch exhibits cover natural history, cultural history, and much more, from around the state, region, and beyond. It’s easy to understand how interconnected we are while wandering through exhibits on the early Polynesian navigators and Alaskan natives. There are also plenty of fossils and dinosaur skeletons to capture the interest of youngsters and the young at heart.

Photo byMaria Shimizu Christensen

The Puget Sound region is well covered, and you don’t have to be interested in science to find something interesting here. This is a fantastic museum for families, with lots of interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. Some object invite touching.

Photo byMaria Shimizu Christensen

With the new design, even the scientists themselves are on display. Labs are fronted with glass windows that allow you to see them at work. Even on a Sunday morning, some workers were busy behind computers and in front of trays of fossils.

The museum encourages the purchase of tickets online that reserve am arrival time slot, but I had no difficulty purchasing tickets on site on a Sunday, and the museum was not overcrowded. Going on a Sunday is a good way to save a little money because parking is free on the university campus that day.

The Burke Museum is located at 4303 Memorial Way NE, just off NE 45^th Street.

Pulled pork and braised bison Indian frybread tacos, cinnamon sugar, and naked frybreadsPhoto byMaria Shimizu Christensen

After wandering the museum, be sure to make a stop at the Off the Rez café located on the main floor next to the entrance. Seattle’s first Native American food truck and café offers up a unique menu that focuses on, but isn’t limited to, frybread tacos. The braised bison Indian taco is noteworthy, but they’re all good. The wild rice bowl and sweet potato salad are excellent. End your meal with a sweet frybread. You don’t have to pay for entrance to the museum to eat at Off the Rez. If the day is nice, eat on the steps outside the museum.