The $20 million Chihuly exhibition at the Seattle Center is opening soon, and our partners at the Seattle Times were given a sneak peek inside. The Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition covers nearly 45,000 square feet — where the Fun Forest used to be. Visitors will be able to look up at the Space Needle “framed by 1,250 colorful Persian glass pieces suspended from the ceiling.”
(Photo from Chihuly Garden and Glass)
“What I wanted to do there was take the very best from all the museum shows I’ve done over the years and add a couple of new parts to it,” Dale Chihuly told the Times. “I’m so pleased with the results. It was beyond my expectations, really.” Chihuly designed the exhibition himself.
(Photo from Chihuly Garden and Glass)
Tickets are $19 a pop for general admission, which is the same price you’ll pay to ride to the top of the Space Needle. Chihuly will pay $350,000 a year in rent, and after five years, the lease jumps to $500,000 a year, adjusted for inflation.
(Photo from Chihuly Garden and Glass)
You can wonder around the gardens outside now as the final touches are put in place, but the main exhibition opens on May 21st.