HistoryLink Uncovering the History of Seattle's Central Waterfront 2023

Uncovering the History of Seattle’s Central Waterfront

Starts at Occidental Park | Free Tickets
Thursday May 1, 5:30–6:30 pm
Thursday June 5, 5:30–6:30 pm
Thursday July 3, 5:30–6:30 pm
Thursday August 7, 12 am–6:30 pm
Thursday September 4, 5:30–6:30 pm
Thursday October 2, 5:30–6:30 pm

Join historian Jennifer Ott as she tells the stories of piers and people, ships and railroads, and Seattle's ever‑evolving landscapes.

Family‑friendly!

HistoryLink Uncovering the History of Seattle's Central Waterfront 2023

HistoryLink Uncovering the History of Seattle's Central Waterfront 2023

WHAT

Join HistoryLink historian Jennifer Ott on a one-mile tour across time to explore the piers and people, ships and railroads, and ever-evolving landscape of the waterfront. The central Seattle waterfront has layers of stories, many of them hidden from view like the beach that once welcomed Coast Salish canoes.

WHERE

This tour starts at Occidental Park, makes its way along the waterfront, and ends at Pier 62.

WHEN

5:30 – 6:30pm. The tour is planned to occur the first Thursday of each month running May through October.

INFO

  • Group size is limited, register on Eventbrite to reserve your spot for free.
  • The entire session will be held outdoors, so please dress for the weather.
  • Recommended age: 4 years and older.
  • Tickets are free and available two weeks before each tour date!  Need a reminder? Visit our Eventbrite page, choose the tour date you want, and click “Remind Me” to receive an email when tickets go live.

About Jennifer Ott

Jennifer Ott is an environmental historian with a particular interest in Seattle’s history of moving dirt, rerouting waterways, and leveling hills.

She is an environmental historian and executive director for HistoryLink, and has written for Seattle magazine and the Oregon Historical Quarterly. She is the author of:

  • Where the City Meets the Sound: The Story of Seattle’s Waterfront (coming in July 2025)
  • Olmsted in Seattle: Creating A Park System for a Modern City (2019)

General editor and contributor to:

  • Seattle at 150: Stories of the City Through 150 Objects from the Seattle Municipal Archives (2019)

Co-author of:

  • Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal (2017).

Photo by Sunny Martini

Photo by Sunny Martini

Photo by Sunny Martini

Take in the sights and sounds of the Waterfront in its current iteration as you learn about its incredible history!

Photo by Sunny Martini

Photo by Sunny Martini

Seattle Waterfront, 1898.

RR Ave N from Marion, c 1910.

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