An exquisite new exhibition just opened in Seattle this fall, but you won’t find it in a museum. If you venture to the Seattle Waterfront, you’ll get a chance to come face-to-face with over 10,000 deadly snakes, exotic birds, deep sea creatures, and more—all deceased and painstakingly preserved by artist Christopher Marley. Exquisite Creatures is a temporary exhibition in Seattle that you won’t want to miss.
Read on for all the details about this temporary exhibition!
Exquisite Creatures by Christopher Marley opened on at 900 Alaskan Way on the Seattle Waterfront on October 10. The exhibition contains over 10,000 specimens arranged as works of art in an indoor space that spans 10,000 square feet. In addition to snakes, birds, and sea creatures, the exhibition also includes butterflies, rare orchids, and a multitude of insects.
Marley describes his exhibition as “the beauty of nature, organized as you’ve never experienced it.” None of the specimens were harmed in the making of this exhibit; they were all reclaimed by the artist after passing naturally, such as deceased zoo animals. His stated objective is “to honor the uniqueness and the beauty of bodies that were once animated by presenting them in a new light.”
Marley spent about 15 years in Oregon collecting insects and vertebrates that pass in captivity and making art out of them. He was selling his work to galleries, stores, and showrooms around the world but described it as “soulless.” He was inspired to redirect his energy after realizing that he “wanted to do something more meaningful, inspiring, and lasting with my art.”
In an Instagram post announcing the Seattle exhibit’s opening, Marley wrote:
On October 10, we open our first iteration on the Seattle waterfront. Our first step on the way to creating a permanent institution, dedicated to the rare intersection of Art, Nature, and Science. A sacred space where inspiration is abundant, wonder is overpowering, and joy is effortless.”
Versions of this exhibit have also been shown at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, and more. The Seattle exhibition was originally meant to open in September but delayed due to permitting. Marley described the creation of this exhibit as a whole as a “complex, frightening, and insanely expensive undertaking.”
The exhibit will be in Seattle for about a year. Marley commented on his Instagram that it will close sometime in late summer 2026. And also sometime in 2026 a smaller version of Exquisite Creatures will become a permanent traveling exhibition, visiting museums with assistance from Art Bridges Foundation.
Tickets cost $34 for adults. Expect to spend about one to two hours experiencing Exquisite Creatures. It is open every day except Wednesdays (and it will also be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas). You can get more info and find the exhibition’s daily hours on Christopher Marley’s website.
Exquisite Creatures Seattle
When: open daily except Wednesdays
Where: 900 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98104
Cost: $34 for adults, $30 for seniors, $28 for ages 4-12