See Seattle’s giant skulls for Día de los Muertos before they’re gone!
First we got five new giant trolls, and now Seattle is home to 10 skull sculptures! These skulls have been implemented in various downtown parks in Seattle in honor of the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The art installation’s official name is SEA Giant Skulls.
You have until the last day of October 2023 to go see the skulls in downtown Seattle. After that the skulls will be moved to Town Hall Seattle for Seattle Catrinas Festival from November 2 through November 5.
Here is where you can find the Day of the Dead skulls in Seattle this October:
- Occidental Square
- Westlake Park
- Pioneer Park
- McGraw Square
- Van Vorst Plaza
- 2+U
Each skull has a unique design. Each one is an original piece of art handmade by world-renowned Mexican artist Hermes Arroyo.
Here is some background information about the traditions of Day of the Dead from The Mexican Museum:
El día de Los Muertos is celebrated on November 1st and November 2nd, in which the spirits of the dead are believed to return home and spend time with their relatives on these two days. To welcome them, the family build altars in their honor… It is common to see skulls… and often, they are made of sugar decorated with colored icing, flowers, or metallic colored foils.
This is a great free activity in Seattle that you can do with the whole family this fall. If you’d like to participate in similar festivities, you can attend this October’s Día de los Muertos celebrations at Seattle Center and Seattle Art Museum. They’re both free and kid-friendly!