Welcome to Seattle’s new Waterfront Park!
Waterfront Park is being 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.
Waterfront Park is still under construction, however, there are several locations already open to the public: Pier 62, Overlook Walk, the Promenade, Pioneer Square Habitat Beach. Construction will continue on the rest of Waterfront Park with completion in 2025.
For details on Waterfront Park’s project delivery and construction information, visit waterfrontseattle.org.
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
People gather around a large firepit at Pier 62.
2024 Spotlight Series Seattle Frankenfunk on Pier 62
Pier 62
Open daily 7am – 10pm
This world-class park is a canvas for Seattle’s rich and vibrant culturally diverse communities to come and create on – Pier 62 offers event space for programming, fitness classes, intimate performances and concerts, and informal group get togethers, all while having the mountains and sea as a backdrop!
Programming and events are curated by Friends of Waterfront Park. Enjoy free, live performances, cultural events and markets, wellness and dance classes, or simply relax with friends, Pier 62 is the place to be.
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 stunning engineering marvel, offering a world-class design that creates the first-ever direct pedestrian connection between Pike Place Market and the waterfront. Elevated above the Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion, this beautiful path features cascading steps, gathering spaces, and plenty of seating, all with breathtaking 360-degree views of Waterfront Park, Downtown Seattle, and where the mountains meet the sea!
Overlook Walk features:
- The Bluff Walk playground, offering fun for all ages.
- Wheelchair and stroller accessible ramps, ensuring everyone can enjoy the space.
- Indigenous art thoughtfully stamped into the concrete, reflecting the region’s cultural heritage.
- An elevator, making access easy for all visitors.
Coming Soon to Overlook Walk:
- Café with covered pavilion seating.
- MTK Matriarchs basket weaving art sculpture.
- Permanent kinetic artwork by Ann Hamilton.
- Community Wall near Café.
Image by Field Operations courtesy of the City of Seattle
The future Pier 58. Image by Field Operations courtesy of the City of Seattle.
Render by Field Operations, courtesy of the City of Seattle.
Pier 58 | Coming Soon
Pier 58 is still under construction.
Pier 58 will offer a dynamic space for everyone to come together. With its versatile layout, it’s the perfect spot to gather for free events, playing on a one-of-a-kind playground, relaxing under trees or on the large lawn with friends, or take advantage of the barbecue grills and make it a social day.
Coming Soon to Pier 58:
- Historic Fitzgerald Fountain.
- Tree grove & grassy knoll provide natural shade.
- Marine-inspired playground with a one-of-a-kind 18-foot-tall Jellyfish tower.
- Stadium seating.
Waterfront Park Promenade
New permanent art on the Seattle waterfront by Oscar Tuazon.
Park Promenade image by Field Operations, courtesy of the City of Seattle.
Image by James Corner Field Operations courtesy of the City of Seattle.
The Promenade
The Promenade is the common connector 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.
- Permanent art installations by local artists: Oscar Tuazon, Buster Simpson.
- Protected two-way bike lanes & pedestrian boardwalks.
- Swings and other play structures.
- Public Restrooms are now open 8:00am – 7:00pm. Located near Pier 58.
Coming Soon to the Promenade:
- Permanent art installation by Shaun Peterson near Pier 58.
- Columbia Street Fountain.
Habitat Beach. Image by Erik Holsather.
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach
Now Open: 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 a connection to the water and provides a safe place for not only local marine life but also local Seattleites. The man-made beach supports the waterfront ecosystem, including enhancing the salmon corridor by adding rocks and nearshore vegetation.
Habitat Beach features:
- Elliott Bay Seawall, designed to encourage natural ecosystem growth, and also optimize the salmon migration corridor.
Coming Soon to Habitat Beach:
- Historic Washington Street Boat Landing Pergola food vendor.
Photo of artwork by Kimberly Saladin (Muckleshoot) on display at Stadium Plaza. Photo by Jo Cosme.
Rendering by Field Operations, courtesy of the City of Seattle.
Photo of artwork by Kimberly Saladin (Muckleshoot) on display at Railroad Way. Photo by Jo Cosme.
Railroad Way South
Railroad Way South offers a safe pedestrian connection to the stadiums with additional space for nine semi-permanent art installations showcasing Indigenous artist Kimberly Saladin with plans to rotate the art exhibition’s artist yearly.
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
Downtown Connections
Through the City’s multiple improvement projects, accessing our urban waterfronts will be easier than ever before.
- Bell Street Improvements Project
- Downtown Seattle Association’s Elliott Bay Connections Project
- Union Street Pedestrian Bridge
- Colman Dock renovation & Marion Street Bridge
- Pioneer Square East West Pedestrian Improvements
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 waterfrontseattle.org.
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.
Overlook Walk Café bid winners are announced – Boona Boona Coffee & Dossier Wine Collective.
Public Restrooms officially open on the Promenade near Pier 58. The first open-air, six-stalled, all-gendered restroom facility on the Promenade.
Opening this year
- The Historic Washington Street Boat Landing Pergola
- Pike and Pine Street Improvements
- Pier 58
- Overlook Walk Café
Join our e-newsletter to receive updates and invites to special opening celebrations!
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
The future Pier 58. 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