Montlake Playfield: Seattle's 27-Acre Park on Portage Bay

Frequently asked questions

Montlake Playfield is at 1618 E Calhoun St, Seattle, WA 98112, on Portage Bay in the Montlake neighborhood, part of the Capitol Hill district.

Montlake Playfield covers 27 acres of park and playfield along Portage Bay.

The playfield was dedicated in 1935, after a late 1920s push for a playfield and community center, some controversy and condemnation proceedings.

The site was originally a peat bog about 20 feet deep. It was raised with fill starting in 1960 to fix flooding, including dirt from the State Route 520 excavation, but the ground is still uneven and boggy.

Before becoming a park, the land was part of a dahlia farm that extended south past Lynn Street, where St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church was later built.

Beneath your feet at this waterside field lies an unusual story: a deep peat bog that became a dahlia farm and, in 1935, a city playfield. Montlake Playfield is a 27-acre park on Portage Bay, set along the shore at 1618 E Calhoun St in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood, and that layered past still shapes the ground you walk on today.

From Peat Bog to Dahlia Farm

Picture the site long before anyone played ball here, when it was a peat bog about 20 feet deep. Its first real working life came through farming, as the land was developed as part of a dahlia farm.

That farm spread well beyond today's park edges. Its southern end reached past Lynn Street, onto ground that later became the site of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.

Read the full guide

A Principal's Push for a Playfield

The idea for a public field took shape in the late 1920s, when the principal of Garfield High School made the case that the area needed both a playfield and a community center. The dahlia farm was chosen as the spot.

Getting there took some doing. The project stirred controversy and required condemnation proceedings before Montlake Playfield was finally dedicated in 1935.

Why the Ground Feels Soft Underfoot

Building on an old bog left the field with a lasting challenge in flooding. Beginning in 1960, the field was raised with fill to tackle it.

Some of that fill was dirt dug out when State Route 520 was cut through Montlake. Even with the added soil, the ground at Montlake Playfield remains uneven and boggy, so lace up sturdy shoes if you come after rain.

Plan Your Visit

Head to 1618 E Calhoun St, Seattle, WA 98112, where the park stretches along Portage Bay. Seattle Parks and Recreation manages the grounds and is the best place to check current facilities, field use and hours before you set out.

To get to know the surrounding streets, browse the guide to the Montlake neighborhood, which is part of the larger Capitol Hill district.

Easy Walks From the Playfield

Step off the field and you are close to several local landmarks, most within a few blocks by straight-line distance:

Montlake Community Center, under 0.1 mile away, right beside the field
Seattle Yacht Club, about 0.2 mile
West Montlake Park, about 0.3 mile
Montlake School, about 0.3 mile
Montlake Bridge and Montlake Cut, about 0.3 mile
Lake Washington Bicycle Path, about 0.3 mile
Montlake Boulevard, about 0.3 mile

The community center next door fits neatly with that original 1920s vision of pairing a playfield with a neighborhood gathering place. When you are ready for more green space, explore these parks in Seattle.