Sundial-Gasworks Park
N 47° 38.716 W 122° 20.181
10T E 549843 N 5277087
Sundial at the top of the hill in Gasworks Park. Coordinates will take you to the instruction plaque for the sundial.
Waymark Code: WM46F0
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 07/14/2008
Views: 63
The sundial sits atop the highest elevation in park, the mound or kite hill. This is an artificial elevation made of many thousands of cubic yards of building foundation rubble. The rubble was then covered with topsoil and is now grassy. There is a significant elevation gain to get to the sundial. There is a paved path that zigzags up the hill, so strollers and wheelchairs can make it as long as you have the strength to push them up and to control them on the descent! The views from the top are worth the climb! There are great breezes up here and you will probably encounter someone flying a kite from the top.
The main artist for this piece was Charles Greening and he was assisted by Kim Lazare. The sundial was originally completed in 1978 and is made out of concrete in-layed with many different materials including brass, rocks, glass, and shells. The piece was not well maintained and a 9 month restoration project was completed in June of 1998. At that time, better irrigation was also done at the top to help protect the artwork and a commitment for maintenance was made.
With this sundial, your body is used to cast the shadow to tell time. Detailed instructions are given on the plaque at one end of the sundial. The location where you should stand is marked. The artwork within the sundial is quite intricate with many details to look at. Bright sunlight, while great for using the sundial does make seeing some of the details difficult.
There is a large parking lot available at the park, with four hour parking available. Restrooms are available as well as a seasonal food stand. There are a few caches hidden in the park as well as a Wherigo cartridge specific to this location.
Learn More about Seattle Public Art