Freeway Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Freeway Park |
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Aerial view of Freeway Park at night
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location |
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| Area | 5.2 acres (2.1 ha; 0.0081 sq mi; 0.021 km2) |
| Owned by | Seattle Parks and Recreation |
| Operated by | Freeway Park Association |
| Open | 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. |
| Public transit access |  Symphony station |
| Architect | Lawrence Halprin, Angela Danadjieva |
| Architectural style | Brutalism |
| NRHP reference No. | 100004789 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 2019 |
... Freeway Park, officially known as Jim Ellis Freeway Park, is a super cool urban park in Seattle, Washington. It's special because it's built right over a busy highway, Interstate 5, and a big parking lot! This park connects downtown Seattle to the Seattle Convention Center and First Hill, making it a unique bridge in the city.
Designed by Lawrence Halprin and Angela Danadjieva, this 5.2-acre park opened on July 4, 1976. It has a unique look with lots of concrete structures mixed with green plants. This style is sometimes called "Brutalism," which just means it uses strong, bold shapes and materials.
Freeway Park is also a very important place for city planning. It helped show how cities could build parks over highways. Because of its special design and history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 2019. It also became a Seattle Landmark on May 18, 2022.
The park's unique architecture has made it famous among parkour enthusiasts. Parkour is an activity where people move quickly through an area, overcoming obstacles. The World Freerunning and Parkour Federation even listed Freeway Park as one of the best parkour spots in the world!
The History of Freeway Park
Freeway Park has an interesting past. When it first opened, it was a new idea to build a park over a highway. It cost $23.5 million to create this amazing space. In 1982, the park got even bigger with an expansion that included a stairway and a ramp for wheelchairs, making it easier for everyone to enjoy.
Making the Park Safe and Fun
For a while, the park had some safety concerns. People thought its design might be part of the problem. So, a group called the Freeway Park Neighborhood Association (FPNA) worked with the city to make things better. They created a plan in 2005 called "A New Vision for Freeway Park."
This plan suggested many small changes to improve the park. These included more security patrols, brighter lights, trimming some plants, and encouraging more people to visit. The goal was to make the park a lively and welcoming place. These efforts worked! Crime in the park went down a lot.
In 2008, the park was renovated and renamed to honor Jim Ellis. He was a community leader who helped make the park a reality.
Images for kids
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A fountain with bold shapes in Freeway Park, around the 1970s.
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The park has stairs and ramps, making it easy to explore.
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Another view of a unique fountain in Freeway Park.
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A view into one of the park's "canyons."
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The park's design features many interesting shapes.
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A beautiful waterfall feature in the park.
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The park's geometric design.
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A sign in Freeway Park.
See also
In Spanish: Freeway Park para niños
