Welcome to Seattle’s new Waterfront Park!
Waterfront Park was built by the City of Seattle – 20 acres from Belltown to Pioneer Square that serves as an invitation to reconnect to the water, to the mountains, to our city, and to one another. This expansive new park includes playgrounds, public community piers, bike lanes, thousands of native plantings, public bathrooms, and more! Friends of Waterfront Park, in deep collaboration with the community, curates diverse cultural programming and events at Waterfront Park.
Emerging out of 10 years of public comment, the completed design of Waterfront Park by James Corner Field Operations emphasizes connectivity — between people and place, past and present, sea and shore. This is a park for Seattle locals and visitors alike, with lively gathering spaces and year-round educational and recreational park programs celebrating the diverse cultures that define the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about Waterfront Park locations including Pier 62, Overlook Walk, Pier 58, the Park Promenade, Pioneer Square Habitat Beach, and Railroad Way South.
For details on Waterfront Park’s project and construction, visit seattle.gov/waterfront.
Pioneer Square
Lush, green east-west connections to a historic neighborhood and peaceful Habitat Beach where visitors can touch the water
- Washington St. Boat Landing
- Habitat Beach
- Art & Play: Buster Simpson
Play StructureCentral Public Space
The cultural hub of the waterfront ties together two iconic waterfront destinations, Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium, with added space for activity and sweeping views
- Art: Norie Sato
- Art: Shaun Peterson
- Union St. Pedestrian Bridge
- Art: Derek Bruno & Gage Hamilton
- Pike/Pine Corridor
- Ocean Pavilion
- Art: MTK Matriarchs
- Art: Ann Hamilton
- Overlook Walk
- Art: Stephen Vitiello
Play StructuresExplore Waterfront Park Locations
Pier 62, Photo by Erik Holsather
2024 Zumba Master Class on Pier 62 at Waterfront Park
Spotlight Series featuring Seattle Frankenfunk. Photo by Jo Cosme,
Pier 62
Open daily 7am – 10pm
Opened in 2020, the rebuilt Pier 62 was the first piece of Waterfront Park to open to the public. This unique public space, roughly half the size of a downtown city block, is surrounded on three sides by water and even features a floating dock along the south side, allowing park visitors to get up close and personal with the Salish Sea and its underwater residents.
Pier 62 functions both as an informal gathering space (think lunch hour, bird watching or fishing with friends, or just a place to rest before your next move) as well as home to some of the best events and programs found in Seattle. Curated by Friends of Waterfront Park, visit Pier 62 for free live performances, cultural events, markets, wellness and dance classes, and more.
Pier 62 features:
- Floating Dock for a unique waterfront experience.
- Chairs, tables, benches, and accessible seating.
- Flexible public space for recreation, live performances, free events, markets, and more!
Photo by Brandon Patoc
Overlook Walk Playground
Overlook Walk at twilight. Photo by Jo Cosme
Overlook Walk
Overlook Walk
Open daily 7am – 10pm
Overlook Walk is a defining feature of Waterfront Park, and is the place where the waterfront and downtown Seattle come together. Offering some of the best views of the Salish Sea and the Olympic Mountains, Overlook Walk is an elevated park space that functions as a pedestrian connection from Pike Place Market to the rest of Waterfront Park.
Overlook Walk features:
- The Bluff Walk playground, offering fun for all ages
- The Salish Steps, providing a built-in amphitheater
- Accessible infrastructure including wheelchair and stroller accessible ramps and an elevator located just north of Overlook Walk Café
- Indigenous plantings and art
- An elevator, making access easy for all visitors
- Community Wall featuring Botanical Tokens honoring the donors
- Permanent kinetic artwork ‘Guests’ by Ann Hamilton located under Overlook Walk
Coming Soon to Overlook Walk:
- MTK Matriarchs basket weaving art sculpture
Pier 58. Photo by Jo Cosme
Pier 58
Pier 58 offers a dynamic space for everyone to come together. With its versatile layout, it’s the perfect spot to gather for free events, play on a one-of-a-kind marine-themed playground, relax in the grove, or take advantage of the large turf lawn and make it a social day with friends and family.
Pier 58 features:
- Historic Fitzgerald Fountain
- Tree grove & turf area provide green space for games and relaxation
- Marine-inspired playground with a one-of-a-kind 18-foot-tall Jellyfish tower
- Stadium seating for epic views
Waterfront Park Promenade
Waterfront Park Promenade Boardwalk. Photo by Emily Ferrer.
The Park Promenade
The Park Promenade is the backbone of Waterfront Park — providing a linear pathway from Pioneer Square to Pier 62 and improving access to waterfront activities.
The Promenade features:
- New wooden seating benches & lighting fixtures
- Thousands of new plantings in the new garden beds
- Publicly-sited art installation To Our Teachers – deqʷaled (Houseposts) by Oscar Tuazon, featuring carvings by Randi Purser (Suquamish Tribe), Tyson Simmons (Muckleshoot Indian Tribe) and Keith Stevenson (Muckleshoot Indian Tribe)
- Pubicly-sited art installation Migration Stage by Buster Simpson
- Protected two-way bike lanes & pedestrian boardwalks
- Swings and other play structures
- Joshua Green Fountain by George Tsutakawa at Columbia Street
- Public Restrooms located near Pier 58
Habitat Beach. Image by Erik Holsather.
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach
Photo by Jason Merges courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach
Open daily 7am – 10pm
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach is at once a thoughtfully engineered beach and a return to nature for Seattle’s downtown shoreline. The beach supports the waterfront ecosystem, including enhancing the salmon corridor by adding rocks and nearshore vegetation, while offering residents and visitors alike a peaceful place to reflect, interact with nature, and watch our gorgeous sunsets across the Salish Sea.
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach features:
- Elliott Bay Seawall, designed to encourage natural ecosystem growth, and also optimize the salmon migration corridor
- Historic Washington Street Boat Landing Pergola featuring Molly Moon’s Ice Cream
Photo of artwork by Kimberly Saladin (Muckleshoot) on display at Stadium Plaza. Photo by Jo Cosme.
We Move to Give energizing Railroad South with Zumba class. Photo by Hannah Te.
Railroad Way South. Photo by Jo Cosme.
Railroad Way South
Railroad Way South offers a safe pedestrian connection to the stadiums with additional space for nine temporary art installations showcasing Indigenous artists that rotate annually.
Railroad Way South features:
- Flexible space for events and gatherings
- Rotating art exhibit
Event Rentals at Waterfront Park
Have an occasion but need the perfect place to host it? We have you covered! Choose from four locations that offer flexible space, centrally located in Seattle’s reimagined waterfront.
- Pier 62
- Pier 58
- Overlook Walk
- Railroad Way South
Photo of Norie Sato's "Unfurling a Gesture (The Nature of Persistence)" by Sunny Martini.
Photo courtesy of the City of Seattle
Photo of Shoreline Alley paving in Pioneer Square courtesy of the City of Seattle
Waterfront Capital Program
Waterfront Park is part of a greater waterfront transformation that includes new, accessible connections to the shoreline, street improvements, a rebuilt seawall, and more! Learn more about the transformative Waterfront capital projects at the link below.
Boardwalk Bulletin
Years In The Making
A New Era For Seattle & Its Waterfront
The design for this 20-acre linear park responds to the public’s overwhelming call for an open, accessible waterfront — one that reconnects the city to its coastline just as it restores the health of the nearshore environment.
For details on Waterfront Park’s project delivery and construction information, visit seattle.gov/waterfront
2025
March
Protected bikes lanes & Pedestrian boardwalks connecting the 20-acres of Waterfront Park and beyond are completed and open to the public.
Swing sets near Colman Dock are completed and open to the public.
Public Restrooms officially open on the Promenade near Pier 58. The first open-air, six-stalled, all-gendered restroom facility on the Promenade.
July
Pier 58 is completed and open to the public as a space for the whole family, featuring a marine-themed playground, tree grove for shade, and large lawn area to relax.
September
Friends of Waterfront Park and the City of Seattle celebrate the completion of Waterfront Park at the Waterfront Park Grand Opening Celebration on September 6, 2025.
This historic moment, over 15 years in the making, is marked by an all-day celebration welcoming all to Seattle’s newest public space.
2024
Ocean Pavilion seamlessly integrated into Overlook Walk. Photo by Jo Cosme
August
Friends of Waterfront Park is honored to work with Kimberly Saladin to present her beautiful art to the public in the inaugural exhibition that showcases the diversity, strength, and resilience of the Native Peoples of this region. Her collection includes nine vibrant digital paintings that are deeply rooted in cultural heritage and storytelling.
October
Overlook Walk is complete and opens to the public as a direct pedestrian bridge from Pike Place Market to Waterfront Park.
2023
May
Elliott Way opens with the honorary name Dzidzilalich which means “little crossing-over place” in the Lushootseed language of the Coast Salish People.
July
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach, south of Colman Dock, opens to the public. The man-made beach supports the waterfront ecosystem, including enhancing the salmon corridor by adding rocks and nearshore vegetation. The plantings on the shoreline restore the function of a natural shoreline and improve ecosystem productivity.
Fall
Friends of Waterfront Park hosts their first Pier Party fundraising event on Pier 62.
The Railroad Way South plazas open to the public to be used for sports fan celebrations and other cultural activations.
2022
July 9th
Friends of Waterfront Park hosts the first annual Waterfront Block Party on Pier 62. This inaugural event featured live music, dance, art activities, parades, food trucks, a beer garden, and more.
December
Union Street Staircase opens, connecting downtown and Pike Place Market to the waterfront. It features two large scale art installations by Norie Sato.
2021
July
First season of free community events curated by Friends of Waterfront Park begins. The events season included Waba Korea K-Brand Expo & Festival, Bollywood Dance Choreography Class, HIIT the Pier, DropSound Yoga & Meditation, Skate Like A Girl, Downtown Summer Sounds Concerts, Dancing Til Dusk, and more!
October
In the spirit of the 1990s iconic Summer Nights at the Pier, the first Pier Sounds concert series begins. This series included regional bands and artists The Black Tones, D’Vonne Lewis and Friendz, Lady A, and Tiffany Wilson. Visitors enjoyed three days of live music, local food trucks, a beer garden, and all the sights and sounds of Seattle’s waterfront.
2020
An aerial photo of Pier 62. Photo by Erik Holsather.
Fall
The rebuilt Pier 62 opens to the public. This new pier features seating, space for free community events, and a floating dock.
2019
Early
Viaduct closes and the new SR-99 Tunnel opens.
City Council enacts Local Improvement District to fund park.
Fall
Alaskan Way Viaduct is removed; Waterfront Park construction begins.
2017
Photo by Sandra Harris
Fall
Pier 62 Rebuild project begins with groundbreaking.
Elliot Bay Seawall replacement project is complete.
2016
Image by James Corner Field Operations courtesy of the City of Seattle
Aquarium expansion concept design begin.
July
City Council approves Pier 62 Rebuild project, allowing Friends and City to deliver a piece of Waterfront Park early.
2014
August
Metropolitan Park District (MPD) approved by Seattle voters: designates $3.5M in annual support for Waterfront Park operations and maintenance.
September
Friends of Waterfront Seattle (now Friends of Waterfront Park) established. Friends and City open Waterfront Space, a public project showroom, event space, and Friends’ headquarters.
2013
November
Seawall construction begins.
2012
Image by Field Operations, courtesy of the City of Seattle.
July
Informed by community input, Waterfront Park Concept designed by JCFO and CWC Strategic Plan rolls out.
August
City Council adopts JCFO concept design and CWC strategic plan.
November
77% of Seattle voters approve $290M seawall bond to replace the Elliott Bay Seawall.
2011
January
Seattle City Council creates Central Waterfront Committee (CWC) adopts guiding principles to advance the project (co-chaired by former Seattle Mayor, Charles Royer, and Maggie Walker). Broad public outreach with wide-ranging community participation to design Waterfront Park begins.
2010
Image by Field Operations courtesy of the City of Seattle.
September
James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) wins international competition to work with the city to design Seattle’s Waterfront Park (also designed the Highline in NYC).
2009
December
The Central Waterfront Committee (CWC) is formed by a city ordinance to advise on public spaces and framework for Seattle’s waterfront design.
1950's
The viaduct was built in three phases from 1949 through 1959, with the first section opening on April 4, 1953