📅 Through April 26, 2026
🕓 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
📍 Museum of History & Industry: 860 Terry Ave. N, Seattle
💰 Adults $25; seniors (65+) $20; military $20; students $19; 14 and under free
🎫 Exhibit access included with general admission
Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry is turning the spotlight onto another kind of cycling — one powered by engines rather than pedals. “Kickstands Up!” traces 125 years of motorcycling in the Pacific Northwest, beginning with the region’s very first bike, which arrived in Seattle in 1901 as a pacer for bicycle races. From there, the exhibit follows motorcycling’s evolution across backroads, racetracks, mountain passes and muddy forest trails, revealing how riders have used motorcycles to work, compete, travel, protest and simply explore our rugged surrounds.
Developed in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling, the show brings together rare and vintage motorcycles, riding gear and personal memorabilia from clubs like the Gypsy Jokers, Cretins Motorcycle Club, the Tacoma Motorcycle Club and Backfire Moto.
Visitors will encounter stories from behind the handlebars — epic journeys, technological breakthroughs, thrilling competitions and the rise of communities that haven’t always felt embraced by mainstream culture. Women, long part of the scene, feature prominently.
Whether you know your carburetors from your camshafts or just love a great Pacific Northwest story, “Kickstands Up!” offers a compelling look at how motorcycles have shaped life here — plus what the “road ahead” might hold as electric motors and new riding cultures take form.
Top tip:
On Jan. 13 at 7 p.m., celebrate the rich, boundary-breaking legacy of Northwest women riders at “Breaking Barriers: Women in Motorcycling,” a special event spotlighting the female trailblazers who’ve shaped the region’s motorcycling history.
