← Culture & Civic

Former museum · Downtown

Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art

Award-winning Bellevue doll museum open 1992-2012, once named the world's best private doll museum.

1992
Opened
March 1, 2012
Closed

The Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art was a downtown Bellevue museum founded in 1992 by collector Rosalie Whyel to display her extensive collection of antique and historic dolls. It earned international acclaim, including the Jumeau Trophy recognizing it as the world's best private doll museum.

After two decades of operation, declining visitation and financial pressures led to its closure on March 1, 2012. The collection was dispersed following the shutdown.

The museum's building at 1116 108th Ave NE later found new cultural life: in 2017 it became the downtown home of KidsQuest Children's Museum.

Sources

More in Downtown

See all →

Light rail line

2 Line (East Link Light Rail)

Downtown

Sound Transit's 33-mile light rail line linking Seattle to the Eastside, with eight stations in and near Bellevue.

Length
33 miles
Operator
Sound Transit
Bellevue stations
6
Art museum

Bellevue Arts Museum

3 fl

Downtown

Steven Holl-designed art, craft and design museum in downtown Bellevue, a landmark of the city's pedestrian corridor.

Type
Art, craft and design museum
Building opened
2001
Architect
Steven Holl
Government building

Bellevue City Hall

9 fl

Downtown

Bellevue's nine-story city hall, a former telephone-company building reopened as municipal headquarters in 2006.

Type
City hall / government
Building completed
1983 (as Pacific NW Bell)
City reopened as City Hall
2006
Light rail station

Bellevue Downtown Station

Downtown

The 2 Line's downtown station in a retained cut beside Bellevue City Hall, at the east end of a tunnel under the city.

Opened
April 27, 2024
Line
2 Line
Type
Retained cut