Cal Anderson Park (Seattle, WA)

While visiting Seattle, WA last month, I stopped by Cal Anderson Park, a public park in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.  It’s located in the middle of the city, not too far from the downtown area.  The park has a fountain, reflecting pool, walking paths, a plaza, and sports fields.

The park isn’t small, but it’s not too large either.  It’s about three city blocks long and one-and-a-half blocks across.  According to the Seattle Parks and Recreation website, its entire circumference is 2/3 of a mile.  It seems like a nice place for walking dogs, playing sports, and otherwise getting some fresh air.  Despite its small size and urban location, it does offer adequate open space for outdoor activities.

According to the Cal Anderson Park Alliance website, Calvin “Cal” Anderson (d. 1995) was the “first openly gay Washington State elected official.”  He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate from 1987 to 1995.  He fought for several issues, including low-income housing, gun control, and civil rights.  He is known for advocating for laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.  Senator Anderson died in 1995 of complications from AIDS, a year after being elected a state Senator.

There are walking paths intersecting the park from each side.  On its northside, a stand-out feature is a cone-shaped concrete fountain with cascading water.  Also on the park’s northside, there is a walking path called the AIDS Memorial Pathway (AMP).  It includes several pieces of artwork.

A series of protest signs commemorate Seattle’s response to the AIDS crisis.  Besides being a space for recreational activities, Cal Anderson Park is known as a location for protests and social activism.  In recent years, it was known as being the center of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in 2020 to protest the killing of George Floyd and police brutality generally.

 

 
Continuing along the AMP, “Ribbon of Light” sculptures are made of laminated glass.  I was here during the daytime so they weren’t illuminated.  They are placed here for reflection and remembrance.  In addition, the “Names Tree” is a digital memorial to the thousands of lives lost during the AIDS epidemic in Washington state.

Nearby, there is a nice reflecting pool.  I didn’t notice anyone going into it, but I can imagine people dipping their feet into it or sitting around it.

In the middle of the park, there is a lot of open space for recreation and picnics.  Some the grass was dead and sparsely planted.  It was the middle of August after all, so I guess it wasn’t the right time for a perfect lawn.

Continuing southward, there are full-size soccer and baseball fields, complete with soccer goals and a baseball diamond with a backstop.  The fields were well maintained.

Next to the recreation fields, there are basketball and tennis courts, complete with abundant graffiti.  They are located right next to residential buildings.  I didn’t see anyone playing here at the time.  Right next to the courts, there is a small skatepark with many ramps and jumps.

At the southern end of Cal Anderson Park, I saw a large group of people doing yoga-like exercises.  By far, this part of the park was the most populated while I was visiting.  People seemed to be having a lot of fun.

 

Cal Anderson Park is an interesting place to visit.  Since it’s in the middle of an urban neighborhood, it provides a necessary greenspace for local residents.  According to Historic Seattle, its origins date back to the late 19th century.  While it’s not the most noteworthy tourist spot in Seattle, it is worth checking out due to its place in contemporary social movements.