University of Washington

The University of Washington campus makes for a charming walking tour as well. Pick up a Campus Walk booklet at the Visitor Information Center at 4014 University Way NE at NE Campus Parkway (open from 8 am to 5 pm weekdays; 206-543-9198). You can also download the walking tour from www.washington.edu. Click on “Visitors,” then “Tours On Campus,” then “A Campus Walk.” This self-guided tour will take you along wide pedestrian thoroughfares, past lovely landscaped gardens, and by buildings of significance to the university, identifying everything for you. The on-campus Henry Art Gallery at 15th Avenue NE and NE 41st Street is considered one of the country’s most progressive, small museums dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The Henry’s permanent collection of over 20,000 objects includes late 19th- and 20th-century paintings, an extensive Monsen Collection of Photography, and a textile and costume collection, along with a burgeoning compilation of cutting-edge works in new media. (Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, except Thursday from 11 am to 8 pm; 206-543-2280.) Also of note on campus is the excellent Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at NE 45th Street and 17th Avenue NE. The Burke contains collections totaling over 3 million specimens. These collections are divided into three main divisions: Geology, Anthropology, and Zoology. We were moved by an exhibition called The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition, the story of Shackleton’s infamous 1914 journey to Antarctica as told through diary excerpts, film footage, and haunting photographs by the expedition’s photographer. (Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm except Thursday till 8 pm; 206-543-5590; www.washington.edu/burkemuseum.)