Olympic Sculpture Park
- Good for Kids: Yes
77 Reviews for Olympic Sculpture Park
I love this park.
It's not too crowded and it's always nice and calm for a quiet walk on a Crispy Seattle day. The art pieces are.. interesting? They're nice but the amazing views totally makes up for it!
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Great views... of everything.
I was expecting a few more complicated structures though, but overall, I would recommend visiting the park once.
There are plenty of BRIGHT orange seats to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
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I'd been here in early spring the last time and it was nice but there weren't enough people there to show off the whole urban parkiness of the place. So this time I was there on a perfect Seattle day(perfect except for annoying plane fying overhead with a banner for the Gameshow Network). The sky was clear, the water was that deep dark blue you only see a few times a year and there were people everywhere.
I love the mix of tourist, business types having outdoor lunch, families and street folks all hanging out. In just one little stretch I saw some folks from an Internet company having a meeting, a couple bickering in Russian, a woman in a bikini getting sun(and a geezer looking on) A homeless guy talking to himself and a Japanese TV crew.
I"m still really annoyed by the no touching policy and I really don't like all the sneering security guards. But in just over a year this has become a fantastic local park and a world class destination.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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04/05/2007
It's a museum. It' a park. It's two great tastes in one.
One thing Seattle does really well is… Read more »
Very enjoyable for a stroll on a clear (rare) Seattle day. Strategically placed cafe is a plus... but I have to agree with a previous review.
I wasn't exactly blown away by the art. Unless you count the semi creepy naked men fountain... whats up with that?
You really can't beat the view, and if you walk a little off the beaten path there are lots of fun little watery nooks where you can pull up a log and watch the sunset away from the crowds.
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Take your Indian mother-in-law here for a gladsome gravel jaunt on the first blue, true day of summer after she's been in wet grumpy Seattle for a month and has cooked lots of tasty things for you and is beginning to despair over the rain and chill, or take someone else who is not Indian and/or not your mother-in-law and not despairing and may or may not cook tasty things or cook at all, even, on a different kind of day in a different kind of season.
Might be 5 stars if it had a tire swing and/or a peanut vendor.
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You break my heart, Olympic Sculpture Park. Look at you, all cool and serene and faux artsy glamorous. With your sweet coffee bar. And your little orange chairs. And your squeedorable doggies. And your girls in summer dresses. And your boys following the girls in summer dresses. And your artists sketching and sketching and sketching.
I have a big crush on you. I might as well admit it. One small thing though....
The art, Olympic Sculpture Park, it is not good. It is not good at all. With all your wonderful qualities, is there any reason for you to be sporting a giant orange cone on your pristine acre? I think not. You could be the Tuileries if you had only tried. Still, I will always come back to you with a book and a latte. After all, you're on the 16 line.
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On nice days I'll detour through this park on my walk to work to take in the great views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, and downtown Seattle and it always puts me in a good mood. I'm not a fan of the artwork, but the landscaping is top-notch. I'd describe it as kind of a modern take on a traditional pastoral landscape.
I missed the Eagle, and he has landed here in the Sculpture park. nice park with some cool things and heck it's free. can't go wrong, but don't touch the art or the lady there will order the birds to poop on your head.
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They took a beautiful city park and actually made it even more beautiful. The once weed filled vacant lots now host interesting works of art and lush, grassy areas that beg you to come and relax and enjoy the view. I love the crazy, cirque 1950's eraser sculpture from Paul Allen's private collection. I drive by it on my way to work each morning and it brightens my day. I fantasize that one day it will roll down the grassy knoll and just keep going....
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A great place to take the kids after they've been couped up indoors all day. I let them do their business, bark uncontrollably at most passers by and irritate the runners and cyclers passing by. What a beautiful day !!!
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Interesting to review something that has already been *Heavily* reviewed...
Lots of positive reviews tempered by a surprising amount of rage, hmmm...
The ironic thing is that ART in general should get as diverse a range of reactions possible, so the angst filled reviews are playing right into their hands...
(cue three menacing chords from the studio orchestra)
-BTW I enjoyed it very much
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If I just did the "tuck and roll" out my window, I would end up impaled on that big red eagle thingy. There are days that I have considered this form of suicide. Alas, the shame of dying upon that monstrosity mitigates my desire to end it all.
Two stars for the fantastic view. If I could just get everybody else to go home and leave me alone, I would be a happy camper. I imagine myself here solitary, wind blowing through my hair, staring pensively toward the gray and blue horizon, mentally composing the next Great American Novel.
Yes, I know. That was almost as pretentious as the "art". Hurts, doesn't it?
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This park was awesome, the sculptures were beautiful, and I was able to experience all of this place in my manual wheelchair
(side note: hills + gravel=difficult/annoying to ascend and scary/fun to descend).
There isn't much to say about this place for me. The place is simply gorgeous and very, very clean (something that seems impossible for someone living in San Francisco). The arboretum was awesome, and the volunteer/employee working that day took time to really explain all the intricacies of the design, the science, and the life of the nurse log.
This place is a fun, free and more importantly, a relaxing place to visit. I would completely recommend this to anyone visiting Seattle, if a beautiful weather day occurs during your visit.
It was beautiful and a great sunny day in Seattle, so I was really lucky apparently. I went the next day and it rained, so it was not as nice. The cafe is cute that they have over there. I'd say we were there for about 45 min to an hour.
Definitely worth checking out.
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I love you, Ryan. You have really made Seattle a dream place for me! I heart it, I lust it, I fervently desire to move here as soon as possible! The city is awesome itself, but you have made a wondrous work preparing me for my move. It has been an amazing, amazing process. A year ago, it was just me and my strange fascination for "that city at the end of the U.S., far north, so cool, so swell, so keen...with all its famous terrific stuff, the mountains, the serious recycling, the fantastic produce, THE COFFEE, THE CHOCOLATE, THE MUSIC SCENE, yes! Oh, and I can't forget McDreamy, being so nice it makes me want to punch him..." It was just that city I always wanted to visit but never happen to be close enough for it.
Until I met you.
Ten months later, it's almost my new home after four trips (at every school break), and I'm in love with it. That 6 miles walk we took on Saturday was great...my body is still stiff and my calves are sore, but man, it was one of our coolest reveries! The part I liked the most was our brief stop at the Olympic Sculpture Park. What a nice place! I was a little overwhelmed by the amounts of steel and the maybe too-modern-forms. But the paths were nice, the people around seemed to be so at ease, and the surroundings were so beautiful, it made me love the place. I wish everybody could welcome and cherish it more candidly. How wonderful is to have a park like this!
I wish my hometown could have its own Olympic Sculpture Park. Back there, it's usually so dangerous to wander in an open, public space there is an almost non-existent park culture (thanks to fear...). Sadly, anytime one is built, there is a high chance that the art is going to be trashed or stolen.
When I have the chance to enjoy a place like the Olympic Sculpture Park in the U.S., I'm always tempted to tell people here "love what you guys have...it's more than a gift."
And you, Ryan, are the one who is bringing these places to me! That afternoon, we walked up a bit, climbing the crunchy, wooden foothpaths while I pointed the infamous Ampersand neon sculpture (that looked so far from where we were), and then sat in those loose orange chairs to watch people, dogs, kids, the clear mountains afar, and yes, the sunset.
Our life ain't a romantic movie, but dude, you're the best companion a girl could ever wish for. And Seattle, the best place to be at, together.
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This is a great spot to watch the sun set over the Sound and the mountains...take a little picnic with you and call it a (sweet) night.
I love this park. My last visit was ended shortly by an impromptu performance by nature ala' thunderstorm, but I stood firm until the lightning strikes were getting closer.
I love nature, and I like all forms of art. I dislike placards that TELL me what the art is, but that's just my stubbornness.
The allure here for me is the amazing views, being on the water, the 'natural' setting created and maintained and the stark contrasts the use of modern art sets against the backdrop.
Wandering through, coffee in hand...and just allowing the eyes and mind to wander with you is a very calming and simultaneously invigorating experience to me.
You should do it at least once.
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There are only a few parks downtown, and this is one of them.
I guess this is where they put some of the overflow from SAM.
It is a good pick for a stroll after some havoc in Belltown, or if you are attending an event held here, but it really isn't a destination.
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Parks in general... I just don't know. I'm glad they're there, but I don't spend a large amount of time in them. I'm not what you would really call a "park person"... the outdoors is pretty, yet unpredictable. It can get cold, it can rain, you could get lost (okay I don't know if you could get lost in the sculpture park but you get what I'm saying)... usually I'm only down for the park if I'm walking through it as a shortcut, or there's live music involved, or I'm taking a dog there... dogs love parks.
BUT if I were to spend some hang time in a park, the sculpture park is a good one to pick. I'm dubious about the artistic nature of the "art" but I think it's cool regardless. My favorite piece is one I've named the Black Opal. It's that long, geometrical black one... maybe you know what I'm talking about. The most beautiful art in the park, though, is nature's own work of art (yes, I'm going there).. the view of the water and sunset. Gorgeous and awe-inspiring. Kind of like the Black Opal.
As others have mentioned, I do get really annoyed with the "AHHH! DO NOT TOUCH!" signs. Like, okay. I get it. Do not touch. But you don't need to force a barrage of these warning signs on me at every corner. Plus I'm pretty sure people are going to touch it anyway, that's what you get for putting art outside, in public, for free. Oh well.
Basically, if you're in the area and it's a nice day, the sculpture park is a good way to spend about a half hour and watch the sunset... but don't get tooooo excited...
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Eh...
Super pretentious stuff here, especially the write-ups from the artists. Some of the sculptures weren't bad, but overall, it felt like a bit of a waste of time. The park is nicely designed though.
Mind you, this visit took place about a year ago, so maybe things have changed.
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You don't have to be into sculpture (I'm not) to enjoy this park. In fact there doesn't seem to be all that much sculpture in the park. I enjoyed the sculpture, but even more enjoyed the park for its breathtaking view of the sound and its excellently done landscape architecture.
This is a great place to go with out of town visitors to give them a quick taste of Seattle.
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I absolutely love this park. It was one of my favorite parts of Seattle when I went to visit recently. I recommend grabbing a coffee or hot tea and taking a stroll. It's right against the water so it's an amazing view and very serene. If you're not into artsy things or great scenery - it's not your kinda park. This place isn't for everyone.
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This is the only urban sculpture garden I can think of in the United States that's a worthy stand-alone destination, not a fashionable accessory for some shiny building by a famous architect. The design of the park (particularly the circulation) is elegant, the view is splendid, and the collection is top-notch. Serra, Oldenburg, Calder, oh my.
Wow, people really like this park. I think it frickin' sucks. The view of the bay is great, but not because of the park, rather despite it.
I guess I'm biased because I hate modern steel sculpture with a passion (that red LOV E thing...)
Seriously, what's the process on making that stuff? "I think I'm going to set a steel girder at a 45 degree angle, then lean another one against it, at a 37% angle. Hmm, still needs something. Oh yeah, red paint."
http://www.waymarking....
Quick Description: This neon ampersand is part of a unique sculpture by Roy McMakin that was commissioned for the Olympic Sculpture Park in downtown Seattle.
Neon ampersand? Seriously? I can't wait to find out what other punctuation Roy McMakin gives the neon treatment to!
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Screw you, shitty, dated, impersonal "public" art that I'm not supposed to touch. You are cold and thoughtless and will inevitably be touched by wind, rain and bird droppings and climbed by children and hippies anyway, so shut up. Have you noticed that everyone mentions how nice the park is but asks "Is that it?" about the sculptures? That's because the art is boring, challenges nothing, and cost a bajillion dollars.
Screw you, lazy landscaping. You don't provide any shade, privacy, or magic. You hold no intimacy or comfort.
Screw you, SAM yuppies, wanting to shut down Hempfest. I don't particularly like it either, but pull the stick out of your ass. Don't pretend like you don't smoke pot.
Screw you, security guards trying to anally regulate how everyday people use green spaces ostensibly designed for them.
On the other hand, I like the walk and the view (which is gorgeous enough to add two stars to this review). I will return, but I'm holding a grudge. A multi-million dollar park should encourage beauty, not nervously underline weird top-down rules and regulations.
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A well thought out sculpture park that embraces its urban setting and exhibits work by some pretty big name artists. The Richard Serra piece "Wake" seems the strongest offering to me. The path winds nicely down towards the water. My only gripe is that the park missed out on a great opportunity to endorse the exciting public sculpture being done by the likes of Andy Goldsworthy, Newton & Helen Harrison, Strijdom van der Merwe and a host of other environmental artists and chose to instead focus on the played out minimalist aesthetic. Hopefully there are plans for the incorporation of new work in the future.
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So the art is a bit iconic -- I still love this park. The view is amazing and enhanced by the design. The main building has incredible views, and I love hanging outside with a good book when the sun is shining. There's lots to recommend it. Haven't eaten at the cafe yet, but plan to.
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Olympic Sculpture Park is very Helvetica.
This park has a modern, clean-cut asthetic that made me revamp my impression of Seattle's urban style as a super-granola-ish, outdoorsy sock-and-sandal wearing feel (cliched as that is). It's pretty stylish.
The park's winding, garden path helps seperate visitors from their urban surroundings but I really enjoyed the urban aspects of the layout: the ocean boardwalk, the gleaming white steel benchs, the funky orange chairs, the ampersand artwork, the bright silver metal tree. I was here on a sunny day at noon and tons of people were jogging along its paths, its definitely a nice respite while touring the city sights plus its free. Nothing beats free.
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You know how when everybody raves about something and then you try it yourself and it's good but not great, you're severely disappointed? Crushed, even? But if you hadn't heard anything about it beforehand, you'd probably have been perfectly happy?
That's how it was for my brother and Bible Camp.
Sorry, Bro!
That's how it was for my sister and sex.
Sorry, Sis!*
That's how it was for me and the Olympic Sculpture Park.
Now who's going to apologize to me?
I went for the first time today, and lemme tellya, my expectations were H-I-G-H. Friends had raved about how the Sculpture Park makes Seattle the Coolest Place Ever. Yelpers had given high praise. And I had some experiences with such things, since they've had a super-cool Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis for nearly 20 years (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). And since Seattle's just a little cooler than Minneapolis, and since the Sculpture Park is on the water instead of in a random neighborhood ... obviously, the Sculpture Park should be just a little bit cooler than the Sculpture Garden.
But No.
Don't get me wrong: It's fine. It's lovely. It's viewy. The art sure made me think, especially with the pompous little quotes from the sculptors, though I guess I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate truly abstract art. But to my eye, some of the pieces don't enhance the gorgeous setting at all. The zillion huge signs and grouchy security guards all around telling you Not To Touch It! make me want to climb up while they're not looking. Especially the ones that are designed to swing in the wind. I kept noticing all these little nooks that would make perfect spots for a homeless person to sleep. Ha! Take that, art!
We had a nice time wandering the paths, laughing at the captions, and sitting on the patio watching the water and sipping Izzes from the cafe. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the day. The park is a great place to take relatives, kids, dogs or dates. It just wasn't as awesome as I'd expected.
...
*Actually, I don't have a sister. But you know what I mean.
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Do stop by here while we still have decent weather.
Went last weekend on a perfect Seattle late summer day. Clear skies, sunny, and a warm breeze coming off the Sound.
The Olympics were visible and there were plenty of ships on the Sound, people around the Sculpture Park (and dogs), and of course, the sculptures, to see.
The cafe was open, so we grabbed lunch there. A bit unexpectedly pricey, so you might want to brown bag it or at least tote your own beverage... there is a Subway sandwich shop across the street too if you want to stretch your budget a bit more.
I recommend getting a map that explains the sculptures in some detail. I also recommend walking down to the water and through Myrtle Edwards Park.
Parking here in the park garage was $6 for up to 2 hours and $12 for up to 4 hours prepaid. Unfortunate, because we could have spent more time here, but prepayment meant we had to get back to the car quickly after lunch.
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I wish I could articulate all the things that I feel about this park. But I can't, and so I won't try. But I can at least say that it's beyond cool. Because cool just doesn't convey the emotions one experiences during a quiet, peaceful, stroll through the park. It's the serenity of stopping and absorbing the panoramic views. It's the fascination with the juxtaposition of soft meadow against hard concrete. It's the curiosity from studying the hundreds of forms, textures and lines, and how they mingle and intertwine and become part of a cohesive whole. It's the playfulness from seeing a colorful giant eraser, set against a grove of blindingly white Alder. It's knowing that on your next visit, you'll see different things, and see things differently.
5 Stars - Go! Go because you can!
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maybe it's because I like nature and dislike modern art, but this review is strictly getting 5 stars because of the vivarium. A big a tree supporting it's own ecosystem inside a computer controlled building for the perfect environment. That's just coolio foolio. Oh and the metal tree, that rocks too.
Otherwise, modern art bores me. yawn
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Really? Totally free? And you can just wander in at any time (provided it's open-the amount of "security" wandering around the place is puzzling. Even on a a dreary rainy day, the Olympic Sculpture Park dazzles. The docent that we ran into was delighted to talk about it, without going overboard into too much detail.
Worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood. Please keep in mind that I have no basis for comparison, never having visited a sculpture garden before, so I may be overblowing this if you're a sculpture hound. The not being able to touch is a part of any museum, so that didn't surprise me, either.
There's not much I can add to the reviews already posted here. The place is a nice to go and relax on a warm Seattle day. What I found funny the day I went is all the "Ouch don't touch signs" with the security guards milling around making sure people weren't touching the art but at the "bench" sculpture there were people sleeping on it, someone said that was "live" art but to me it was people touching it which I just found ironic. Besides not being able to touch the sculptures I also found it odd that most you couldn't even get a 360 degree view of it but that's just me I guess. Don't get me wrong I do love the place and think it's a great addition to the Downtown Seattle waterfront but some of the placement of the sculptures were odd, I like to get up close and personal with my art and the park just doesn't let me.
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Love love loved it. Go on a nice day. Take in the scenery. Love & Loss and Wake were my favorites. I went this past weekend and it was beautiful out and not too crowded. This would make for a great outdoor date.
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This is actually really cool. I'm not 100% sold on the art that is there versus just having a really really kick ass park, but it's cool. All the flowers were in bloom, tons of people walking around, etc.
I do like the art, it's just a little off-putting to see all the "stay on the path", "don't touch us there" signs plus the security guards. Really, security guards in an outdoor park. -1 star.
Otherwise, great job.
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My first visit to the Sculpture Park was just after it opened last winter. I liked it, but the impact didn't really sink in.
I visited again about six months later. This time, walking through Richard Serra's "Wake" on a hot, uncrowded summer day, I finally got it. Those minutes gave me the first real peace I had felt in weeks.
The Sculpture Garden is such a gift because of moments like these: when the public becomes private, and people can feel what the art means to them. It's better still in its reclamation of public space; the views blend beautifully with the art. A real achievement.
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I love the new Sculpture park! I work a block away and have enjoyed watching it being built.
Flaws:
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Security guards riding bikes, telling people that they can't ride bikes. The only signs that say no bikes, are tiny and readable only by pedestrians looking for the name of a sculpture or artist. What's next security guards in sleeping bags dragging themselves around the park to kick out homeless people at night? How about security guards leaning on sculptures telling us not to...
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The "ouch" signs telling you not to touch the sculptures. Weak and so PNW passive aggressive. Which part of Public outdoor art didn't the SAM get? Sculptors who enter into competitions to build pieces generally don't plan on using tissue paper for outdoor permanent installation. Oh don't touch my steel sculpture, in 1,000 years it might develop a patina.
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Sculpture is to be viewed in the round... Except at Olympic Sculpture Park. The actual design of the park doesn't make sense in a few places especially the "valley". Staircases that lead to blocked off area, so you won't trample the grass. A series of sculptures that you are supposed to only look at from 1 vantage point, to protect you from trampling the vegetation... I am guessing no 3d artists or sculpture buffs were involved in designing this part of the park, maybe someone who does wicked awesome nativity scenes was flown in from Arkansas or something.
Goodness:
The amount of walking space is so cool! They altered the topology of a crappy part of Belletown into what feels like a much larger, magical area.
My favorite part of the space is the greenhouse with the decomposing tree ecosystem.
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Amazing views of Elliot Bay, great art and on a sunny day one of the best places to relax and people watch in the city.
A great stopping point to get away from Public Market crowds and the Seattle Center.
Easy to get to by bus or on foot. Free bathrooms on site too which is always nice, especially when you are playing tour guide all day with out-of-town guests.
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What an amazing (and FREE) way to spend an afternoon. Between the fantastic waterfront view, the landscape of the city as a backdrop, and the meadows dotted with wildflowers, it's a beautiful park even without the sculptures. That being said, the sculptures are around every corner but spaced out enough that it really feels as though you're in a natural setting where they can coexist with and complement their surroundings. I could have spent all day here!
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