Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park occupies the site of a former coal gasification plant on the north shore of Lake Union, and the preserved industrial ruins create one of the most visually striking urban parks in America. For families, the combination of open green space, the best kite-flying hill in Seattle, panoramic skyline views, and free-flying seaplanes provides a full afternoon of outdoor entertainment at zero cost.

The park's most distinctive feature is the rusted industrial machinery left standing from the Seattle Gas Light Company plant that operated here from 1906 to 1956. Rather than demolishing the equipment, landscape architect Richard Haag incorporated the towers, pipes, and boilers into the park design. While the main machinery is fenced off, the visual effect is dramatic -- kids imagine robot factories, alien spaceships, and post-apocalyptic landscapes.

A former pump house has been converted into a covered play barn with brightly painted machinery that children can touch and climb around.

The great grass mound at the center of the park is Seattle's premier kite-flying spot. Rising above the waterline, it catches consistent breezes off Lake Union that make launching a kite easy. On breezy afternoons, dozens of kites fill the sky above the hill. The mound also provides a 360-degree view of the Seattle skyline, Space Needle, Lake Union houseboats, and the Cascade Range.

Lake Union sits directly in front of the park and provides constant entertainment. Kenmore Air seaplanes take off and land on the lake, thundering past at close range. Sailboats, kayakers, and the historic Center for Wooden Boats create a lively waterscape.

The Burke-Gilman Trail runs along the waterfront through the park, connecting Fremont to the west and the University District to the east for flat, paved family walks or bike rides.

The park is the primary public viewing location for Seattle's July 4th fireworks, which launch from a barge on Lake Union. The hilltop provides unobstructed views, but the event draws enormous crowds -- families should arrive by mid-afternoon to claim a good spot.