Woodland Park - Seattle, WA
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 47° 40.372 W 122° 20.671
10T E 549204 N 5280150
The Olmsted firm designed the city of Seattle's park system in 1903 and Woodland park was one of several individual parks that they designed within the system.
Waymark Code: WM3FPQ
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 03/30/2008
Views: 82
The Olmsted firm designed the city of Seattle's park system in 1903 and Woodland park was one of several individual parks that they designed within the system.
According to the city of Seattle's parks Website "John C. Olmsted, the stepson of Frederick Law and the senior partner in the firm, spent several weeks in the summer of 1903 studying the topography of Seattle and its parks." Within 10 years of the city councils acceptance of the plan most of the primary elements of the plan would be put into place.
Part of the reason for this plan was the recent (1900)acquisition of two large parcels of property - Woodland and Washington (Arboretum) Parks.
Woodland Park was originally the estate of Guy Phinney. The park's Webpage tells about its history:
Guy Phinney, who built the first industry on Lake Washington, invested $40,000 in 1889 to develop his residence estate, "Woodland Park". Woodland Park was to have a small zoo near his residence in the southwest portion of the park, a bandstand and paths through the woods to Green Lake (where Phinney built a bathing beach and a boathouse), picnic grounds, and two ballfields. Phinney then built a trolley line from the southwest corner to the Fremont line to Seattle.
In 1900 the City Council bought the park from the estate of Mr. Phinney, in spite of vigorous protests over the price - $100,000 - and complaints that it was "too far out of town"! Another trolley line had been built to connect Seattle with the east and north side of Green Lake, and by 1904 it was extended on around the lake and through Woodland Park on a trestle.
In 1903/1910 the Olmsted Bros. included the development of Woodland Park in their comprehensive parks plan but the location of Aurora Avenue in 1932 voided their concept of Zoo expansion in that area. This was protested in vain and a beautiful forest area was removed - some trees were transplanted at Gilman and Wallingford Playgrounds. Dirt from the excavation was used to fill at the south end of Green Lake. The U. S. Army used "Lower Woodland" Park as a barracks site from 1941-1944. (Adapted from the files of Don Sherwood, 1916-1981, Park Historian.)
Today the park is home to the Woodland Park Zoo and the Rose Garden. The Zoo is recognized as one of the best Zoos in the world, and houses nearly 300 species of wildlife. Adjacent to the Woodland Park Zoo, the Rose Garden is one of only two dozen certified American Rose Test Gardens in the United States. At its picturesque best from May through August, the garden displays new rose hybrids before they become available to amateur rose enthusiasts. Admission to the Rose Garden is free.
The lower park features sports fields, tennis courts, lawn bowling courts, a fenced off-leash dog park, picnic shelters, and acres of wooded rolling hills. A skate park is currently being constructed in this area, also. At the top of the hill three pedestrian bridges link the east and west portions of the park, dividing in 1932 by Aurora Avenue. The upper park is now primarily used for the Woodland Park Zoo, but Phinney's Rose Garden, incorporated into the Olmsted plan, can still be visited for free and is located on the upper, west side of the park adjacent to the zoo.
Coordinates given are for the main parking area on the lower portion of the park, across the street from Green Lake.