A hillside that folds down to the bay
The park is built as one long Z-shaped path. It starts at Western Avenue and drops about 40 feet to the waterline. On the way down it crosses the BNSF rail tracks and Elliott Avenue, so freight trains pass under your feet. The land was once an oil transfer site. Weiss/Manfredi designed the park and it opened in 2007 as part of the Seattle Art Museum.
At the bottom you reach a small restored pocket beach, with the Olympic Mountains across the water. On a clear day Mount Rainier appears to the south. The path then runs straight on into Myrtle Edwards Park, which follows the shore north.
The pieces worth stopping for
The sculptures are spread out, and each one gets its own stretch of lawn or gravel. Look for these:
- The Eagle, Alexander Calder: bright red steel, framing the bay and the Space Needle from different angles.
- Echo, Jaume Plensa: a tall, narrow white head of a girl facing the water.
- Typewriter Eraser, Scale X, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen: a giant pop-art eraser with its brush fanned upward.
- Wake, Richard Serra: curving walls of weathering steel you can walk between.
- Father and Son, Louise Bourgeois: a fountain by the shore where water rises and falls over two figures.
- Neukom Vivarium, Mark Dion: a glass greenhouse holding a decaying nurse log.
The PACCAR Pavilion at the top has restrooms and a place to get out of the rain.
Timing the walk around the crowds
This is one of Seattle’s most visited free spaces, so plan your timing. From 7am to 9am it’s quietest, on weekdays and weekends alike. Morning light also comes from behind you onto the Olympics. On weekends, don’t count on having it to yourself any time from 11am to 10pm. That’s the busiest window, and Echo and The Eagle draw clusters of people taking photos.
Opening hours can change, so check the Seattle Art Museum site before an early start. Sunset is the other big draw, and it’s popular for the same reason. If you want empty paths, mornings are better.
Reading the park the way regulars do
You can walk in freely at any entrance. There’s no ticket desk or gate, and entry is free. Plenty of Seattle runners and dog walkers treat it as the start of a longer shoreline loop. They come in at Western Avenue, carry on through Myrtle Edwards Park and turn back somewhere along the grain terminal stretch. Doing the same turns a quick look into a proper waterfront walk of an hour or more.
Some rules to follow:
- Don’t climb on the artworks, even the ones low enough to sit on. Staff will ask you to get down.
- Keep dogs leashed on the paths.
- Bring a layer. Wind off Elliott Bay makes the lower path feel colder than downtown.
Getting there: walk north from Pike Place Market along Western Avenue, about 15 to 20 minutes on the flat. From Seattle Center and the Space Needle, head west down Broad Street for roughly 15 minutes. Westlake Station on Link light rail is about 20 minutes away on foot. Street parking nearby is tight, so walking or taking transit is easier.
Frequently asked questions
When is the quietest time to visit Olympic Sculpture Park?
From 7am to 9am, on weekdays and weekends. Weekends are busiest from 11am to 10pm. Check the Seattle Art Museum site for current hours before an early visit.
How do I get to Olympic Sculpture Park from Pike Place Market?
Walk north along Western Avenue for about 15 to 20 minutes. The park's upper entrance is at 2901 Western Ave in Belltown.
How long should I spend there?
About an hour covers the Z-shaped path and the main sculptures. Add another hour if you continue north along the shore through Myrtle Edwards Park.
Which sculptures shouldn't I miss?
Calder's red steel The Eagle, Jaume Plensa's tall white head Echo, and Oldenburg and van Bruggen's Typewriter Eraser, Scale X. Also look for Richard Serra's Wake, Louise Bourgeois's Father and Son fountain, and Mark Dion's Neukom Vivarium greenhouse.
What else is nearby?
Myrtle Edwards Park continues along the water to the north. The Space Needle and Seattle Center are about 15 minutes east on foot up Broad Street, and Pike Place Market is to the south.
Plan your trip to Seattle
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