Planning Ahead: Floating Home Museum Opens Dec. 18 and 19

Floating Home Museum Opens Dec. 18 and 19

Seattle’s “World’s Smallest Floating Homes Museum” is opening its doors for the Christmas holidays. The Floating Homes Association (FHA) invites you to visit the museum at the Keasler Cottage on Friday, December 18th, and Saturday, December 19th, from noon to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Shop the Houseboatique

The Houseboatique, our tiny gift shop, will be open both days with new “I love Floating Homes” hats and automobile plates. They make great holiday gifts, or a fun way to show your love for life on the lake. A variety of Floating Homes books will also be for sale, including Still Afloat by FHA Historian Adam Woog.

Holiday Gathering on December 18th

On Friday the 18th, join us at 5:00 p.m. for a Christmas gathering at the cottage. Come celebrate the season with your floating home neighbors and friends. We’ll have something warm to drink for you.

About the Museum

For decades, the floating homes of Lake Union have been a symbol of Seattle’s quirky, independent, and maritime spirit. The museum, housed in the recently renovated Keasler Cottage, shares that story with the wider public. Born in the late 1800s as affordable shanties for loggers and fishermen, Seattle’s floating homes have evolved into the architectural gems that float on the lake today. Along the way, the docks earned their own legends, including Prohibition-era “booze hatches,” hidden compartments beneath the floorboards where residents chilled spirits in the lake water.

Inside, you’ll find a curated look at life on the water, drawn from decades of photographs and artifacts that volunteers have carefully scanned and reviewed to save the houseboat stories. You can also explore the curated archive online.

Plan Your Visit

• When: Friday, December 18th, and Saturday, December 19th

• Hours: Noon to 5:00 p.m.

• Christmas gathering: Friday, December 18th, at 5:00 p.m.

• Where: Keasler Cottage, 2329 Fairview Ave E, Seattle, WA

• Admission: Free to the public

  
  

Come explore a century of history in the World’s Smallest Floating Homes Museum, a celebration of a community that has fought, thrived, and remained afloat. We hope to see you there!