Plymouth Pillars Park: Capitol Hill Off-Leash Dog Park

Frequently asked questions

Plymouth Pillars Park is at the intersection of Boren Avenue and Pike Street, on the southwestern edge of Capitol Hill in Seattle. It sits on a triangular site above Interstate 5.

Yes. The park has an off-leash area for dogs, along with benches, a pedestrian walkway and public art.

The four columns were part of Plymouth Congregational Church at 6th Avenue and University Street. After the 1965 Puget Sound earthquake damaged the church, it was rebuilt without them, and art collector John Hauberg bought the columns and gave them to the city.

The park was known informally as Four Pillars Park. It was rededicated as Plymouth Pillars Park in January 2006.

The park covers about 0.6 acre, which makes it a small neighborhood space.

Four tall columns from an old downtown church stand over a small patch of city ground at Boren Avenue and Pike Street. This is Plymouth Pillars Park, a 0.6-acre Capitol Hill off-leash dog park on the neighborhood's southwestern edge, where an off-leash area for dogs shares the lot with pillars rescued after the 1965 Puget Sound earthquake. Come for a dog run and a piece of Seattle history in one compact stop.

The Story Behind the Four Columns

Picture the pillars in their first home at Plymouth Congregational Church, at 6th Avenue and University Street. When the 1965 Puget Sound earthquake damaged the church, it was rebuilt without them, and the columns were left out of the new design.

Crews brought them down in March 1966, and local businessman and art collector John Hauberg bought them before giving them to the city. Seattle then picked a triangle of state-owned land above Interstate 5 as their new home.

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From Monument to Park

The columns rose again in April 1967, the land passed to the Seattle Parks Department, and the monument was formally dedicated on October 24, 1967. For decades, the four pillars framed views of Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, until newer buildings nearby closed off those sightlines.

You may still hear the spot called Four Pillars Park, the informal name many locals used before the city rededicated it as Plymouth Pillars Park in January 2006.

The Off-Leash Area

Seattle Parks and Recreation manages the park and lists it as a dog park. Beyond the off-leash area, you'll find benches, a pedestrian walkway and public art, so even without a dog you have somewhere to sit and look around.

At just over half an acre, the park is compact, better suited to a quick run for dogs from the surrounding apartments than to a long outing. When your pup needs more room, browse our guide to all off-leash dog parks in Seattle for larger spaces elsewhere in the city.

A Curious Viewpoint Above I-5

Because the site sits over the freeway, the setting is a big part of the character here. Look around and you'll see columns built for a church standing beside traffic and city towers. In 2018, Seattle Times news artist and sketcher Gabriel Campanario singled out the park as having one of the strangest viewpoints in the city.

Explore Nearby Landmarks

You're in the Broadway area of Capitol Hill, close to where Capitol Hill, First Hill and downtown meet. Stretch your outing with a short walk to several historic buildings and green spaces:

Wintonia Hotel, under 0.1 mile
First Covenant Church, about 0.1 mile
Paramount Theatre and Building, about 0.1 mile
Summit School/Northwest School, about 0.2 mile
Camlin Hotel, about 0.2 mile
First Hill Park, about 0.2 mile
Freeway Park, about 0.2 mile

These distances are straight-line, so your walking route may run a little longer. Check with Seattle Parks and Recreation for current rules and park details before you go.