From Pesthouse to Public Park
This hilltop was once meant for something else entirely. The State of Washington first set the land aside for state university use, and by 1892 it held a pesthouse, an isolation hospital for people with contagious disease.
Seattle bought the site in 1898, planning a reservoir and a cemetery. The cemetery never came to define the place, but the reservoir did, and it still shapes the park you walk through today. The city named the park for Thomas Jefferson in 1908.
The Olmsted Brothers and the 1915 Course
The Olmsted Brothers, who drew up a citywide plan for Seattle's parks, wove Jefferson Park into that vision. They also designed its 18-hole golf course, which opened in 1915.
The Park in Wartime
World War II gave the park a military role. Anti-aircraft batteries stood on the grounds, and the U.S. Army took over the park as a recreation center for G.I.s, complete with recreation facilities, a gym and tent housing for soldiers and their visiting families.
After the War
When the war ended, the Army removed most of its structures and the park returned to civilian life. A new Veterans' Administration hospital rose where the original 9-hole golf course had been, and a replacement 9-hole course was laid out elsewhere in the park. The postwar years also brought a lawn bowling green and playgrounds.
Things to Do at Jefferson Park
Expect a busy, well-loved park rather than a quiet retreat. Here is where to spend your time:
- Jefferson Park Golf Course: play the Olmsted-designed 18-hole course, or keep it shorter on the 9-hole course.
- Jefferson Lawn Bowling green: one of the park's more distinctive features, added after World War II.
- Jefferson Community Center: an indoor hub on the grounds, with a newer gymnasium added during the park's redevelopment.
- Playfields and playgrounds: open space for team sports and plenty of room for kids to play.
- Walking paths and gardens: stroll the routes added as part of the park's recent revitalization.
- The skate space: a sculpture built for skateboarding, opened in 2014.
Golf With a Pedigree
Jefferson Park Golf Course holds a proud place in local sports history as the home course of golf great Fred Couples. Its grounds have welcomed runners too, hosting the USA Cross Country Championships in 2011.
Tee times, rates and course details such as a scorecard change, so check with Seattle Parks and Recreation or the course directly before you book.
The CJ Rench Skate Space
In June 2014, the park opened a skate space designed by artist CJ Rench. Made specifically for skateboarding, it doubles as public art and a place to ride. If you want something different from a standard concrete bowl, it is worth a stop.
Lawns Over a Reservoir
Some of the park's newest ground sits on top of its old reservoir. Crews covered it from 2008 to 2009, creating fresh park space above, and the lid rests on 624 columns hidden beneath your feet.
The ProParks levy put $8 million toward the work, paying for redevelopment and remodeling that included new walking paths, gardens and the gymnasium. The expanded park officially opened on October 28, 2010.
Beacon Food Forest Next Door
Right along the park's west side, the Beacon Food Forest is a 7-acre forest gardening project run by volunteers that grows food for neighbors and supplies local food banks. It sits less than a tenth of a mile from the park address, so it fits easily into a walk through the grounds.
Nearby Places to Explore
Several other spots lie within a short distance of Jefferson Park, measured in a straight line:
- Fire Station #13, a local landmark, about 0.3 miles away
- Jefferson Park Golf Course entrance area, about 0.3 miles away
- Snoqualmie community garden, about 0.5 miles away
- Cheasty Blvd South, a landmark boulevard, about 0.6 miles away
- Stevens Place, a small park, about 0.6 miles away
- Rainier Vista Dakota West community garden, about 0.6 miles away
- Maple Wood Playfield, about 0.7 miles away
For more green space around the city, browse all Seattle parks, or keep wandering with the North Beacon Hill neighborhood guide.
Before You Go
Seattle Parks and Recreation manages Jefferson Park. Check the official Seattle Parks and Recreation website for current hours, community center programs, lawn bowling and golf information before you head up the hill.
