Gas Works Park
About
What It Is
Gas Works Park is a 19.1-acre public park on the north shore of Lake Union in Seattle, Washington, occupying the former site of the Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant [1]. The plant ran from 1906 to 1956; the city purchased the land in 1962 and opened it as a park in 1975 [1]. Landscape architect Richard Haag designed the conversion, earning the American Society of Landscape Architects Presidents Award of Design Excellence for the work [1]. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 2, 2013, and holds both Seattle city landmark and Washington State landmark status [1].
Activities & Experiences
Visitors can fly kites from an artificial hill at the park's summit, which features a sculptured sundial [1]. Several of the original industrial structures have been repainted and incorporated into a children's play barn built partly from the former exhauster-compressor building, while other remnants stand as open-air ruins [1]. The park serves as a trailhead connection to the Burke-Gilman Trail, which follows the abandoned right-of-way of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway northwest toward Ballard [1]. It has also hosted recurring events including an Independence Day fireworks display, a summer peace concert series, and serves as the traditional endpoint of the Solstice Cyclists ride and the starting point of Seattle's World Naked Bike Ride [1].
Practical Access
The park is open to the public and sits on the north shore of Lake Union within the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle [1]. No fees, hours, or reservation requirements are stated in the available sources. The kite hill and open grounds are accessible on foot; the Burke-Gilman Trail provides a non-motorized route to and from the park [1].
Restrictions
The industrial towers have been the site of at least 14 documented fall-related incidents since 2008, including three fatalities, and a legal dispute over the safety of the structures' ladders, catwalks, and platforms was ongoing as of late 2025 [1]. The Landmarks Preservation Board rejected a Parks Department proposal to remove those elements in fall 2025, calling for further study [1]. No other specific restrictions are noted in the sources.
What Makes It Distinctive
Gas Works Park contains the sole remaining coal gasification plant structures in the United States, making it a singular example of industrial heritage repurposed as public green space [1]. The design approach, which retained and recontextualized the plant's machinery rather than demolishing it, was groundbreaking in landscape architecture and brought its designer national recognition [1]. The park has served as a backdrop for feature films, two seasons of a major television competition, and a professional sports expansion draft, reflecting an unusual cultural footprint for a municipal park [1].
Sources
- Open year-round
- Typical duration: 2h
Access & fees
- free entry
Things to do
- burke–gilman trail access
- kite flying
Before you go
- industrial tower safety dispute
Events & seasons
- independence day fireworks
- peace concerts summer series
- solstice cyclists end point
- world naked bike ride start
Features
- children's play barn
- former gasification plant ruins
- industrial ruins preserved
- kite-flying hill with sundial
- national register of historic places
- seattle and washington state landmark
Nearby
- lake union waterfront
- wallingford neighborhood
Good to know
- opened to public 1975
- park size 19.1 acres
Photos
