Enjoy free, family friendly activities all day at the park this Saturday
Stop by to wish Discovery Park “Happy Birthday” on Saturday, October 1st! To commemorate the parks’ 50th anniversary, Seattle Parks and Recreation, in collaboration with scores of community members and organizations, is hosting a full day of activities, including a formal ceremony with honored speakers at 1 p.m. at the North Meadow. Walks, talks, activities, and games are scheduled all throughout Discovery Park! We will have free shuttle buses so you can easily get to your next activity.
More information here.
FULL EVENT SCHEDULE for OCT 1, 2022
Download a copy of the Event Schedule and Event Map.
Location: North Mall
10:30am – 11:30am, Wolf Tree Nature Trail
10:30am – 11:30am, Pond Walk
11am – 3pm, Booths, Games and Giveaways
11:15am – 12:15pm, Bird Walk
12pm – 1pm, Picnic Lunch
1pm – 1:45pm, Main Ceremony
2:30pm – 3:30pm, Urban Conservation Walk
2:30pm – 3:30pm, 25 Years of Restoration at the Old Hospital Site
Location: Fort Lawton Cemetery
11:30am – 12:30pm, Fort Lawton Post Cemetery Q+A, led by Brian Combs from the VA
Location: Visitor Center
10am – 11:15am, Jack and Leslie Hamann, The 1944 Fort Lawton Riot and Lynching
11:30am – 4pm, Discovery Park Documentary – Part 1, ten-minute documentary will play every 30 minutes
Location: Historic District Bus Stop
10am – 11:30am, History of Fort Lawton
11:30am – 12:30pm, Guided Walk of Capehart
2:30pm – 3:30pm, Guided Walk of the South Beach Trail
Location: West Point Beach
11am – 3pm, Intertidal Life Station
11am – 12pm, Archaeology of West Point Walk
2:30pm – 4pm, Beach Cleanup Event!
New Program: Become a Discover Ranger on the 50th Anniversary of Discovery Park.
Become a Discover Ranger and earn your certificate and medallion sticker! This pilot program for kids 5-12 years old is based on the Junior Ranger National and State Park programs. Kids can enjoy fun activities while learning about Discovery Park as well as plants, birds, human history, and science. Pick up an activity packet and instructions at the Discovery Park Advisory Booth (DPAC) or Visitor’s Center. Supplies limited.
About Discovery Park:
Discovery Park is 50 years old. On September 1, 1972, the U.S. Army formally transferred Fort Lawton to the City of Seattle. The history of the land at the park actually goes back thousands of years. Archeological evidence suggests that what is now Discovery Park was once an important meeting ground for Native Americans in the region. In 1898, the Army built Fort Lawton after the old growth timber was cleared from the site. During World War II, the fort was the second largest point of embarkation and housed German and Italian POWs. The fort reached its peak in the 1950s when there were more than 350 buildings on site.
As Fort Lawton faded in importance to the U.S. military, Seattle residents began to push for a new use for the site. Proposals ranged from a golf course to low-income housing, but the idea that drew the most public support was the creation of a new city park. U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson helped pass legislation in 1970 that resulted in the creation of Discovery Park in 1972.
Daniel Kiley, the landscape architect chosen to develop the park’s master plan, wrote, “The site is one of breathtaking majesty…the seclusion…the magnificent vistas, the stretches of tidal beaches, the stands of native trees, the meadowlands, all combine to make this site one of surpassing beauty and serenity.”
