One place to visit in Seattle
Dave Thurman, dean of Northeastern University’s Seattle campus, recommends a pair of museums that offer glimpses into the Emerald City’s unique commercial history.
Dave Thurman has lived in Seattle for close to 30 years. Before joining Northeastern University in 2018 as dean and CEO of the Seattle campus, he worked for two decades at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — starting as a data scientist and working up to director of the national laboratory’s research center. As such, Thurman, who now serves as the managing director of the university’s global campuses, has had a front row seat to the Emerald City’s transformation into the thriving tech hub that Amazon and Microsoft call home.
But it wasn’t always that way. Present-day Seattle is a product of the industries that dominated the region in previous eras, from logging to aerospace — which is why Thurman highly recommends a visit to the city’s Museum of History and Industry.
“From exploration to forestry to the gold rush, to airplanes, to coffee and now tech, each era shaped the city and the region to be what it is today,” Thurman says.
Less than a 10-minute walk from Northeastern’s campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood, the museum includes permanent exhibits on the Northwest’s early exploration period and modern-day tech innovations, as well as several temporary exhibits each year. Starting in March, there’s one about denim. Visitors to the Seattle campus can get a free pass at the front desk.
Next, Thurman suggests a stop to the Center for Wooden Boats, right next door to the Museum of History and Industry. A “living museum,” the center offers exhibits exploring maritime art and history, as well as programs for hands-on experiences building and using the historic small boats that once dotted Puget Sound. Walking around is free, but visitors also can rent rowboats and sailboats starting at $30 an hour, depending on the size.