Attractions & Parks

Downtown Parks & Outdoor Recreation

  1. 1-5 Colonnade Park

    1800 Franklin Ave E

    This park connects the South Lake Union and Capitol Hill neighborhoods with pedestrian walkways and bicycle trails. The highlight of the park is a top-notch series of mountain bike courses for all skill levels.

  2. Plymouth Pillars Park

    Boren Avenue & Pike Street

    This newly renovated park features a dog off-leash area and offers panoramic views of Downtown Seattle.

  3. Hing Hay Park

    423 Maynard Avenue S

    Hing Hay Park – "Park for Pleasurable Gatherings" – is a hub of the International District. Terrace-like stairs lead down from Maynard Street to a red brick square with an ornate Grand Pavilion. Artwork on an adjacent building features a dragon in a depiction of Asian-American history in the Northwest.

  4. Jim Ellis Freeway Park

    700 Seneca Street

    Located between 6th and 9th Avenues, this truly unique ark located on top of I-5 provides a space where residents, shoppers, Downtown office workers, hotel visitors and an array of people from all backgrounds who make up the Downtown population may come together to enjoy the social elements of a city park.

  5. Kerry Park

    211 W Highland Drive

    This unsurpassed view of Downtown, The Space Needle, and Mount Rainier draws photo enthusiasts from near and far. At sunset they line up for the perfect shot of Downtown just as the city and the sound are beginning to glow with lights.

  6. Northwest Outdoor Center

    2100 Westlake Avenue N

    Rent a kayak on Lake Union, take a kayak lesson from friendly knowledgeable instructors or visit the online retail store for kayaking gear you can't live without. The Northwest Outdoor Center has introduced thousands of people to the joys of kayaking each year. www.nwoc.com

  7. Emerald City Charters

    1001 Alaskan Way

    Emerald City provides day sails, group charters and parties all aboard its two high-performance luxury sailboats. www.sailingseattle.com

  8. Myrtle Edwards Park

    3130 Alaskan Way W

    Myrtle Edwards Park features a 1.25-mile winding bike and pedestrian path along Elliott Bay and fantastic views of the Olympic Mountains, Mount Rainer and Puget Sound.

  9. Occidental Park

    Occidental Avenue S & S Main Street

    Occidental Park is in the heart of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. This busy square overflows with business people, pigeons, tourists, shoppers, and wanderers, most of whom coexist surprisingly well. Maple trees, benches, and a modern pergola, provide shade and shelter besides fashionable shops and eateries. (Excerpt from Enjoying Seattle's Parks by Brandt Morgan)

  10. REI Climbing Pinnacle

    222 Yale Avenue N

    Recreational Equipment, Inc.'s flagship store if one of Downtown's top tourist attractions and features one of the tallest freestanding indoor climbing structures in the world! www.rei.com/stores/seattle

  11. Lake Union Park

    Westlake Avenue N & Aloha Street

    This 12-acre park is a unique urban gem where neighborhood residents and visitors can enjoy a green lawn, waterfront steps and a pedestrian bridge. This beautiful waterfront park celebrates the cultural, industrial and maritime heritage of the city and the region.

  12. Victor Steinbruck Park

    2001 Western Avenue

    Victor Steinbrueck Park is located at the north end of Pike Place Market. On a summer afternoon, the park bustles with a lively combination of neighborhood residents, visitors, tourists, and people who work in the area -all enjoying picnics, sunbathing, playing and relaxing on the park's lawn, benches, and tables.

  13. Waterfront Arcade

    1301 Alaskan Way

    Seattle Waterfront Arcade is the premier location to play the best arcade machines around. It offers a wide variety of games and attractions to ensure fun and excitement for the entire family. www.seattlewaterfrontarcade.com

  14. Waterfront Park

    1301 Alaskan Way

    Comprising the area from Pier 57 to Pier 59, this park features. From either of two viewing platforms, from which visitors can enjoy excellent views of the city skyline, the waterfront, the ships in drydock, container cranes, the West Seattle Bridge, Magnolia Bluff, Blake Island, Bainbridge, and, on a clear day, the Olympic Mountains. Occasionally you may even see a seal. Four coin-operated telescopes on the sidewalk offer view assistance.

  15. Westlake Park

    401 Pine Street

    Westlake Park lies in the heart of Downtown's retail core. It's the perfect spot to take a break and admire the fountain, or watch shoppers as they visit the Westlake Mall and the surrounding retail stores.

  16. Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park

    319 2nd Avenue S

    Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park preserves the story of the 1897-98 stampede to the Yukon gold fields and Seattle's role in this event. The park offers a glimpse at the stories of adventure and hardship of the gold rush. www.nps.gov/klse

  17. Waterfall Park

    219 Second Ave S

    Waterfall Park encompasses exotic greenery, including ginkgo trees, with several benches and small tables and a 22-foot crashing waterfall, all within four stone walls. Though hidden from street view, the park's roaring cascade reveals its whereabouts to passersby. At noon on warm days, nearby nine-to-fivers assemble at the four small iron tables for an alfresco lunch. www.pioneersquare.org/highlights.html

  18. Kobe Terrace

    221 6th Ave. S

    This terraced hillside on the northeast edge of the International District is adorned with Mt. Fuji cherry trees and laced with ground vines and pathways winding alongside the freeway. The trees and a four-ton, 200-year-old Yukimidoro stone lantern on the hilltop were gifts from the people of Seattle's sister city, Kobe, Japan. The garden is divided into small plots of vegetables, herbs and flowers, each tended by community residents. www.seattle.gov/PARKS/park_detail.asp?ID=3915

A sailboat drifts in front of the Downtown Seattle Skyline