How the Park Got Its Name
Look up at the building next door and the name starts to make sense. When the park was laid out in 1911, the courthouse was known as the County-City Building and housed the governments of both Seattle and King County, with city offices staying until they moved out in 1962.
Seattle's second city hall also stood on this site. It was a patched-together structure, and locals nicknamed it the "Katzenjammer Castle" for its improvised character.
Before the City
Long before any government building rose here, this land was a Coast Salish settlement, and it was damaged during the Battle of Seattle in 1856. That deeper history is now part of what you can experience at the park after dark, as you will see below.
A Park That Kept Getting Saved
This lawn has outlasted several plans to turn it into something else. In 1945 the county proposed paving it over as a parking lot as part of a land swap involving Duwamish Head, but that plan never went through.
A minor renovation came in 1917, followed by a much bigger $25,000 project in 1962, timed with the Century 21 Exposition, that added benches, a rose garden and red pavement. The site had first been set aside as a staging area for workers renovating the courthouse, until a Parks Board member stepped in and pushed for investing in the green space instead.
Decades of Debate
The park also has a long history as a gathering place for people experiencing homelessness, which earned it the nickname "Muscatel Meadows." That use continued after the 1962 work, and further renovations aimed at cleaning up the park were proposed in the 1990s.
Closure, a Land Swap Fight and the 2023 Reopening
In August 2021, Seattle Parks and Recreation removed an encampment of about 70 people from the park. The removal followed a letter from 33 King County Superior Court judges citing crimes affecting courthouse employees and jurors, and the park was then fenced for cleaning and stayed closed for more than a year.
That November, King County proposed a land swap that would put the park under county control, drawing objections from several county council members and advocacy groups. The county council approved the transfer and weighed ideas such as a courtyard with permanent fencing, a hygiene station and patrols by the King County Sheriff's Office. The deal ended in October 2022, when the Seattle City Council voted against it.
The gates opened again on June 13, 2023, revealing a restored lawn and a permanent park ranger stationed on site. The full renovation was planned to run into 2024 at a cost of $2.3 million.
"Monuments": Coast Salish Voices After Dark
Save your visit for after sunset to catch the park at its most striking. In September following the reopening, artist Craig Walsh debuted "Monuments," a nightly installation that projects video interviews with Coast Salish people onto the park's trees.
The piece links today's lawn with the people who lived on this land before Seattle existed. Check with Seattle Parks and Recreation for current details before you plan an evening around it.
Tips for Your Visit
- Address: 450 3rd Ave, on the block shared with the King County Courthouse.
- Staff on site: a permanent park ranger has been stationed at the park since the 2023 reopening.
- Best time for the art: "Monuments" runs nightly, so come after dark to see it.
- Current information: for hours and any updates, turn to Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Historic Buildings a Short Stroll Away
The park sits among a cluster of Pioneer Square landmarks, so it slips easily into a walk through the neighborhood. Distances below are straight-line estimates.
- L. C. Smith Building (Smith Tower): under 0.1 mi
- Prefontaine Place, a small park: under 0.1 mi
- Lyon Building: 0.1 mi
- Arctic Building: 0.2 mi
- Dexter Horton Building: 0.2 mi
- Hong Kong/Shanghai Banking Co. street clock: 0.2 mi
- Union Station Square: 0.2 mi
- Pioneer Square park: 0.2 mi
Keep exploring with our Pioneer Square neighborhood guide, or browse more parks across Seattle.
