Also known as: East Kong Yick Building; Freeman Hotel
We connect everyone to the dynamic history, cultures, and art of Asian Pacific Americans through vivid storytelling and inspiring experiences to advance racial and social equity.” – Wing Luke Museum
As a National Park Service Affiliated Area and the first Smithsonian affiliate in the Pacific Northwest, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience offers an authentic and unique perspective on the American story. Nationally recognized for its work in creating dynamic, community-driven exhibitions and programs, the Wing Luke Museum puts community at the heart of each exhibition it creates. The stories you see and hear within its walls are their authentic experiences and perspectives. From the struggles of early Asian pioneers to accomplished works by national Asian Pacific American artists, their contributions give us a look at what it means to be uniquely American.
The Museum has made its home in the Chinatown-International District for over 50 years. It opened at this current location in 2008. The Wing Luke Museum purchased the East Kong Yick Building from the Kong Yick Investment Company in 2003. The Kong Yick Investment Company built the East Kong Yick Building from 1910-1912 as the new core of Chinatown. The building housed import-export stores, social gathering places, single room apartments in its upper story hotel and family apartments along 8th Avenue and Canton Alley. The hotel, with address 719 ½ S King St, was known as the Freeman Hotel. Records show that a Japanese American managed the hotel for the Kong Yick Investment Company after World War II.
The Wing Luke Museum’s 60,000 square foot facility offers three floors to tell community stories, with contemporary galleries showcasing both temporary and permanent exhibitions as well as preserved historic spaces accessible only through daily guided tours. The Nippon Kan scrim is on permanent display within the Museum’s Tateuchi Story Theatre.
Beyond its walls, the Museum likes to tell the story of the neighborhood, Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. From restaurants to statues that you might not otherwise notice, there are layers of history and significance that are waiting to be uncovered. The Wing Luke Museum offers guided neighborhood tours and events — including along the Japanese American Remembrance Trail — that will encourage you to discover stories and tastes both on- and off-the-beaten path.