The park fills a long, narrow band of the slope. W. Olympic Place runs along its northeast side, while W. Mercer Place and Elliott Avenue W. mark the southwest edge. To the west and east, the park reaches the rights of way of 9th Avenue W. and 6th Avenue W.
Why the views matter here
The water view is the reason Kinnear Park exists in the form it does. When the city brought in John C. Olmsted in 1903 to draw up a citywide parks plan, the park was already finished. He liked what he saw, praising its careful detail and the wide outlook over the Sound, and he held it up as a model for a whole series of bluff parks he hoped Seattle would build. Kinnear Park was folded into his overall plan.
How Kinnear Park Came to Be
The park carries the name of George Kinnear, a local real estate developer. In 1887 he sold the city an 11-acre parcel for one dollar. A decade later, in 1897, he gave a second parcel of 3 acres, bringing the park close to its present size.
Work on the grounds was underway by 1892, the year E. O. Schwagerl became Seattle's superintendent of parks. Schwagerl went on to shape much of the park's design as its landscape architect, overseeing the plantings and the building of its amenities. The result was complete before Olmsted's 1903 survey, which is part of why the park is so often cited in the story of Seattle's early park system.
A city landmark
The City of Seattle has designated Kinnear Park an official landmark. That status recognizes its role as one of the first designed parks in Seattle and its place in the city's broader parks history.
Planning a Visit to Kinnear Park
Kinnear Park works well as a short stop for a view or as part of a longer walk around the south side of Queen Anne Hill. Because the park has two levels separated by a cliff, it helps to decide ahead of time whether you want the open lawn up top or the wooded lower section.
- For views: head to the upper tier along W. Olympic Place, where the lawn sits at the bluff's edge.
- For shade and trees: the lower tier near W. Mercer Place and Elliott Avenue W. is the wooded part of the park.
- With a dog: an off-leash dog park listed under the Kinnear Park name is within a tenth of a mile of the main address.
For current hours, rules and any closures, check the Kinnear Park page from Seattle Parks and Recreation before you go.
Around Kinnear Park in West Queen Anne
The blocks around Kinnear Park hold several other small parks and historic buildings, which makes the area easy to explore on foot. You can read more about the surrounding streets in our West Queen Anne neighborhood guide.
Landmarks within a short walk
- Chelsea Apartment Building: a city landmark less than a tenth of a mile away.
- Bowen/Huston Bungalow: another designated landmark less than a tenth of a mile from the park.
- Parsons Memorial Garden: a landmark garden about 0.2 miles away.
Other green spaces nearby
- Blaine Place: a small park about 0.1 miles from Kinnear Park.
- Marshall Park: also roughly 0.1 miles away.
- Parsons Gardens: about 0.2 miles from the park.
Pairing Kinnear Park with one or two of these makes for an easy loop on the slope of the hill. For more places to walk and relax, browse our full list of parks across Seattle.
