First Thursday satisfies museum thirst

Been to the Burke, SAM, Museum of Flight, MOHAI or EMP/SFM lately? Local museums provide an ever-changing wealth of art, music and history for everyone, with free admission today and the first Thursday of each month.

Watch local bands perform at EMP, learn about Civil War history at the Museum of History & Industry, or see art from around the world at the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle Asian Art Museum. Indulge your interests or stretch your comfort zone to check out something new, all while doing your budget a favor. Got kids? First Thursday is a great opportunity to immerse them in culture, no matter what their attention span. If it's been years since you visited these local treasures, or there are some you've never been to, First Thursday is your perfect opportunity. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is featuring the traveling exhibit "Peoples of the Plateau: The Indian Photographs of Lee Moorhouse, 1898-1915" and the stories that surround them. "This Place Called Home," a companion exhibit from the Burke's art collection, illustrates the vibrant heritage and artistry of historical and contemporary Native cultures of the Plateau regions of Eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The Burke's permanent collection includes "The Life and Times of Washington State," 545 million years of geology, biology and archaeology, with a walk-through rumbling volcano and fossils of a giant ground sloth uncovered during construction of Sea-Tac Airport, plus dinosaurs and a saber-tooth cat.

First Thursday is free all day at some museums and evening hours only at others. Most venues feature tours and special events. Though admission is free, some museums charge a small fee for special exhibits.

The details

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture: Free 10 a.m.-8 p.m. First Thursday, University of Washington, Northeast 45th Street and 17th Avenue Northeast, Seattle; 206-543-5590 or www.burkemuseum.org.

Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum (EMP/SFM): Free 5-8 p.m. First Thursday, 325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle; 206-770-2700 or www.emplive.org.

Museum of Flight: Free 5-9 p.m. First Thursday, 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle; 206-764-5720 or www.museumofflight.org.

Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI): Free 10 a.m.-8 p.m. First Thursday, 2700 24th Ave. E., Seattle; 206-324-1126 or www.seattlehistory.org.

Seattle Art Museum (SAM): Free 10 a.m.-9 p.m. First Thursday, 100 University St., Seattle; 206-654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org.

Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM): Free 10 a.m.-9 p.m. First Thursday, Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Prospect St., Seattle; 206-654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org.