Hey everyone! Welcome to Gas Works Park, an iconic and well-visited gem of Seattle. Let’s begin on the trail that connects the parking lot to the park because this is where you get to catch your first glimpse of the space as a whole. Take a look around and you might notice small bands meeting up to play music, people practicing different sports, dogs running off leash, and children playing games. Other people may be using the trails to exercise, taking photos of the beautiful views and landscape, or having a picnic. People gather at this park for all sorts of reasons, but I want to focus specifically on what events led to this park’s current state. Gas Works Park has come a long way from it’s past of being an operating coal gasification plant, and I want to help you understand the steps it took to turn this land upside down, and create a striking, well-used, 19.1 acre public park. The land was purchased by the city of Seattle back in 1962 with the intention of repurposing the space into a park. With the help and leadership of landscape architect Richard Haag, who received an award of design excellence for his work, the park was opened to the public in 1975. With its well-placed location looking out over Lake Union, many would recommend attending the park around sunset to capture the orange light shining out across the water, and a glowing city skyline as a backdrop. The combination of nature and urban city life at this spot is truly one of a kind, and you can’t go wrong with a good shot of the space needle. I can’t wait to explain to you all the unique history of this land, as well as highlight the collaboration that took place between people representing a variety of different fields.