ARTS at King Street Station
ARTS at King Street Station is a dynamic space for arts and culture in the heart of the city dedicated to increasing opportunities for people of color to generate and present their work. Housed above Seattle’s historic King Street Station, this 7,500-square-foot gallery and cultural space includes a studio for artists-in-residence and offices for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS).
In 2018, we published a community feedback report drawn from focus groups hosted citywide. It outlines the public's hope that ARTS at King Street Station might serve as an accessible arts space and hub for community-building through the arts with a race and social justice lens as its guiding principle.
NOCHES DE ANÁHUAC
Nov. 7, 2024 - Jan. 4, 2025 - The spirit of Mexican art and culture thrives within NOCHES DE ANÁHUAC. This exhibition embraces the rich tapestry of Mexican identity. Adorned with carpentry, sculpture, textiles, paintings, and film—the artists invoke a sense of collective memory and pride in their Mexican Indigenous identity.
Please Touch: Together, Breaking Barriers
Rabbit Rhinocerous by Debra Broz
Oct. 3, 2024 - Jan. 4, 2025 - Please Touch: Together, Breaking Barriers challenges the traditional boundaries of art appreciation by inviting visitors to engage with artwork through touch.
Please Touch has called various Seattle venues home for the past 10 years. Now, this exhibition comes to ARTS King Street Station to raise awareness about accessibility for blind and low-vision individuals in the arts while bridging the gap between visual and tactile art experiences.
Visit ARTS at King Street Station
Hours
ARTS at King Street Station is FREE and open Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m, and until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays.
COVID Safety
In accordance with King County Public Health guidelines, ARTS at King Street Station will no longer require visitors to show proof of vaccination or wear face masks when visiting. We ask that you stay home if you feel sick and remain mindful of our community’s varying levels of comfort.
ARTS Administrative Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Getting Here
Plan your trip and don't forget to check the traffic conditions at Seattle Traffic
King Street Station is located at 303 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104. The station is conveniently located where the Downtown Central Business District, Pioneer Square, and the Chinatown / International District all meet (on Jackson Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues South).
There are multiple options for reaching the station using public transit:
- The Sounder regional commuter train stops at the station, as do all of Amtrak's national and international lines.
- The Link Light Rail stops at the International District Station, one block east of the station.
- Many King County Metro Bus lines pass within a block of the station, including 1, 7, 36, 14.
Where do I park? There are multiple paid garages and parking lots in the neighborhood, as well as street parking. You can view the Seattle Parking Map here.
Accessibility
King Street Station has an ADA-compliant elevator that services every level of the station. Access it via the Amtrak level (1st Floor), which is on King Street. The plaze entrance is on Jackson Street and is the 2nd Floor.
ARTS at King Street Station also has ADA-compliant, all-gender restrooms. We have two wheelchairs available in the gallery, and folding stools you can use if you'd like to sit in front of an artwork.
ARTS at King Street Station Advisors
About The Advisors
The ARTS at King Street Station Advisors are a group of community leaders and arts/culture enthusiasts who work with ARTS staff to ensure that the programming at ARTS at King Street Station centers racial equity, represents and welcomes diverse communities, and showcases many creative disciplines. Advisors serve a two-year term.
ARTS at King Street Station Advisors
To come
How We Got Here
King Street Station Programming Plan
ARTS staff worked with the University of Washington Evans School Consulting Lab to produce a research report, "Reimagining King Street Station through a Racial Equity Lens" (May 2018), which is an aspirational document about best practices in cultural space programming.
About King Street Station
King Street Station is a public asset that is an important part of Seattle's history. For over one hundred years it has improved connections, serving as a gateway for millions of travelers coming into Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. The station has spurred economic growth and helped establish Seattle as a major metropolitan city.
King Street Station first opened to the public in May 1906. Reed and Stem, the architectural firm responsible for New York City's historic Grand Central Terminal, designed the station. The San Marco bell tower of Venice, Italy, served as the model for the building's familiar clock tower. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
King Street Station, located on Jackson Street between Third and Fourth Avenue S., is a brick and granite three-story building with a twelve-story clock tower. The ground floor, accessed from King Street, is clad in granite. The walls of the second and third floors, as well as the clock tower, are faced in pressed brick with decorative terra cotta elements such as cornices and window lintels.
While much of the exterior of King Street Station has remained intact since the building was constructed in 1906, parts of the interior have been substantially altered and others have suffered neglect. Similarly, while nearly half of the facility's original finishes remain intact, most of the significant finishes in the lower portion of the station have been removed. In March 2008 the City of Seattle purchased the landmark building from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company.
Under city ownership, King Street Station underwent a $50 million renovation that achieved the following goals:
- Restore the building's historic character and grandeur
- Upgrade facilities to meet present and future needs of rail and transit users
- Enhance passenger safety and security
- Promote sustainable design with a LEED building certification
- Support efforts to transform the station into a modern transit hub
- The station is served by Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight and Empire Builder long distance rail lines and Amtrak intercity buses. It includes convenient connections to Sound Transit commuter rail, local and regional buses, Sound Transit Link light rail, and the First Hill Seattle Streetcar.
- The restoration of King Street Station ensures it remains a critical transportation hub and gateway into Seattle for the next hundred years.