This is a blog post from the Waterfront Seattle Program. The Waterfront Seattle Program is a collaboration between the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and other Seattle departments including the Mayor’s Office, Parks and Recreation, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Planning and Community Development.
The City’s Office of the Waterfront, Civic Projects and Sound Transit is excited to announce the opening of Pier 58 on Friday, July 25, with a free community celebration from 4 to 8 PM!
Pier 58, a historic part of the Seattle waterfront that originally opened in 1974, will again be a part of history as the last major brand-new public space to open as part of our reimagined 20-acre Waterfront Park.
The much-anticipated Pier 58, located between Union and Pike streets near the Seattle Aquarium, adds nearly 50,000 square feet of new park space to the 20-acre Waterfront Park. It was designed specifically to be family-friendly and will be a noteworthy addition to this cultural hub, drawing residents and visitors alike to this newest downtown park. The pier includes a playground with a jellyfish-inspired climbing tower, an elevated lawn, a tree grove to provide shade, a flexible and activated plaza, plenty of seating, and the restored Waterfront Fountain.
Let’s Celebrate: Join the Office of the Waterfront on Friday, July 25, between 4 and 8 PM for a special community event to mark the opening!
Dance, play and meet beloved local mascots
4 – 8 PM on Friday, July 25
Located at Pier 58 on Seattle’s waterfront by the Seattle Aquarium
This is a family-friendly event, free and open to all
Marine themed attire and costumes encouraged!
Traveling via the FREE Waterfront Shuttle? You can get to Pier 58 at Stop D.
More information at waterfrontseattle.org.
Enjoy the new above water “ecosystem”
Whether you visit on July 25 or later, Pier 58 has many new elements, both new and familiar, for you to enjoy. Take a deeper dive into the cool new features:
- Marine-inspired playground
- Elevated lawn
- Tree grove
- Open water area for marine habitat improvements
- Plaza
- Art
Marine-inspired playground
A visually striking and whimsical play area features various marine-themed elements. There is a 25-ft jellyfish-inspired tower with tentacles for climbing and an 18-ft slide. Thanks to our friends and partners at the Seattle Aquarium, we learned that jellyfish are now referred to as “jellies” and that they are made up of 98% water. If they get washed up on the beach on a warm and sunny day, they can literally evaporate to almost nothing!
Around the tower are other interactive play features like crab wobble boards, kelp forests and accessible play elements like magnetic bead panels. Contrary to their name, hermit crabs aren’t solitary creatures. In the wild, they’re found in groups of 100 or more. While there are not 100 crab wobble boards on the pier, visitors will find them in a grouping.
The playground was designed based on feedback gathered from hundreds of community members. Thanks to a visual online survey, parents and kids alike shared their priorities for the new play area, which included tall slides and climbing features. Kids can let their imagination run wild and become their favorite marine critter surrounded by above ground kelp.
Elevated lawn
The elevated lawn is nearly 3,000 square feet of artificial turf, a perfect spot for visitors to relax, enjoy a picnic and take in the views. Artificial turf was chosen due to the high use the lawn is expected to see and to make sure it can stay open to all throughout the year. The area around the elevated lawn features more than 400 native plants and built-in benches. This is a premiere place to enjoy the views by the water.
Tree grove
The tree grove creates a space with shade for people to sit, eat or play games. Frontier Elm trees were planted as they are resilient to disease during wet and dry conditions, well suited for the pier. Bonus: Frontier Elm have beautiful maroon fall foliage! The tree grove will also have many seating options, including built-in concrete benches and tables with chairs where people can experience different views of the pier.
Open water area for marine habitat improvements
The north side of Pier 58 by the Park Promenade and Seattle Aquarium features an open water section. This nearly 5,000 square foot open water area allows more natural light to access the shallow water zone below, which helps aquatic plants to grow and provide food for fish. Light penetrating grating used for the bridge connection on the west side of the playground allows additional light to pass through to the water below to provide a safer passage for juvenile fish near the shore where there are fewer large predators.
Plaza
Like Pier 62, Pier 58 has a flexible plaza space for people to take part in community gatherings and seasonal activities. Friends of Waterfront Park will activate the pier as a dynamic public space through a mix of community events, curated rentals, and free programming. With amenities like tables and chairs for everyday use, the pier will host activities ranging from fitness and live music to markets and family gatherings. The space is also supported by Friends’ Park Experience Ambassadors, who help ensure it remains clean, welcoming, and accessible for all. Sign up to the Friends of Waterfront Park newsletter to be the first to learn about activities taking place in this space, and in the rest of Waterfront Park.
Fun fact: Similar to the metal inlays on the Park Promenade, Pier 58 has a unique feature that provides information on the water below. On the south side, metal inlays show numbers that indicate the bathymetry, or underwater topography, below the pier, showing how the water gets deeper as you go west. Thanks to our partners at the Seattle Aquarium, on the north side, next to the playground, metal inlays have names of sea creatures that you might see at each of the bathymetry levels. Creatures that live in shallower waters are on the east side closer to the shoreline, and creatures that live in deeper waters are on the west side.
Art “a-piering” on the waterfront
Pier 58 will be home to familiar art by James FitzGerald and Margaret Tomkins and new art by Qwalsius – Shaun Peterson will be installed across from the pier on the Park Promenade.
Waterfront Fountain, by James FitzGerald and Margaret Tomkins, returns to its home on Pier 58. A historical feature, the fountain was originally installed at Pier 58 (which was formerly called “Waterfront Park”) in 1974. It has returned following restoration and the construction of a new basin. It is one of two historic fountains to return to the waterfront; the other is the Joshua S. Green, Sr., Fountain by George Tsutakawa located by the Colman Dock ferry terminal.
Qwalsius – Shaun Peterson is a Coast Salish artist working and residing in the Pacific Northwest region. His artwork Family will be located along the promenade, across from Pier 58. He will create three figures that will welcome visitors to the homelands of the Coast Salish people as sculptures have for generations.
Both the fountain and the Peterson carvings are made possible by Central Waterfront 1% Funds, administered in collaboration with the Office of Arts & Culture.
Maintenance, Safety & Programming
Seattle Center and Friends of Waterfront Park will be responsible for the activation, operations and maintenance of Pier 58 as part of Waterfront Park to ensure it remains a welcoming space and top destination for residents and tourists alike. Friends of Waterfront Park is the nonprofit leader and steward of the public space, responsible for its programming, events, visitor experience, and long-term vision for how to keep engaging community.
Seattle Center manages operations, maintenance, and public safety at Waterfront Park, including Pier 58. They have a dedicated team of City employees who provide maintenance and public safety at the park. Their Emergency Services Unit, which is available 24/7 and can be reached via their hotline, supports visitors with varying needs.
See you there!
The City’s Office of the Waterfront & Civic Projects is excited to open the revitalized pier to the public. Pier 58 is the last major piece of Waterfront Park to open prior to the grand opening celebration planned for later this summer. We look forward to welcoming you, your friends and family to Pier 58!