Those who’ve visited Gas Works Park know the steampunky hype is real. Located at the north end of Lake Union, the space has a unique blend of greenery, killer city views, and re-purposed industrial structures right out of a post-apocalyptic novel (but, like, a playful one).
Fifty years ago, the first parts of the park opened to the public and our mouths have been agape ever since. Let’s go for a stroll.
Kicking some gas
Gas Works’s rusty ruins were once part of a working energy plant. The Seattle Gas Light Company owned the 19-acre site from 1906 to 1956, burning coal and oil to generate gas for the growing region.
After the plant closed, landscape architect Richard Haag thought the space might make a nifty park because of its scenic location. But the grounds were pretty gross after decades of manufacturing, so a lot of detox was required to make it nice again through a process called bioremediation (basically letting microorganisms do the dirty work).
Fab features
Even after getting rid of all that gas trash, not everyone was convinced it was a good idea to retain the plant structures. But Haag had a vision to create a park with character, making it the local landmark we know and love today. The site has:
- Concrete trestles that look like a mini Stonehenge
- The Great Mound known for kite-flying
- A former pump station painted in bright colors
- Cracking towers that recently served as a performance stage
Status updates
Over a half a century after its debut, Gas Works Park is still making improvements. New grass was planted near the trestles this summer, but the bigger lift will be a $74 million cleanup project that just got rolling. The full plan will be released this fall, with construction planned for 2027.
Hey, maintaining a status as one of the most popular parks in the country takes a lot of Works.
