This might just be the most picturesque playground in Seattle. The Golden Gardens playground is in a prime spot at the ever-popular beach in Ballard. Located just behind the brick Bathhouse, the playground looks towards the Bathhouse, beach, marina, and Puget Sound, providing an incomparable view on a sunny Seattle day.
The parking lot is just feet away, which is great for loading and unloading kids, and is separated from the playground by subtle fencing, which provides a little peace of mind for parents of toddlers attracted to cars. There is no fence or separation between the playground and the beach, so parents with multiple young kids will want to come early when it’s not too crowded or bring along a helper to keep track of the small fry, especially with the proximity of the playground to the Sound.
On a recent foray, I took my 4-year-old and 21-month-old to the playground around 9:45 a.m., and quite a few kids were in full play on the equipment. With three separate play structures and two separate swing sets, there is plenty for kids of all ages to choose from. A pirate ship climbing structure features a double slide and is geared to the younger crowd, while a giant webbed dome will easily entertain older kids.
The third structure, which I will call the tall slide, will be the structure to cause moments of nervousness for parents. The stairs are narrow, which quickly creates a bottleneck of bodies, and the slide is steep. My 21-month-old has the climbing ability of a 3-year-old and no sense. He was able to scale the structure up to the last step, where he needed a little help. Once up there, I found myself dashing down the stairs, winding through small bodies and narrowly avoiding tiny fingers in order to catch my son at the bottom of the slide. This was a parental ballet I saw repeated numerous times during our visit.
My only playground complaint is the lack of infant swings. There is only one. There are two ADA-approved swings (one on each swing set), but for friends with little ones who would like to swing and chat, don’t plan on doing it here.
Should you or the kids get restless at the playground, the sandy beach – so close even a toddler can wobble over there – awaits. The bathrooms are easily accessible in the nearby Bathhouse, and the newly opened Kite Cafe (May 2025 – weekends only until Memorial Day) at the south end of the Bathhouse offers tasty take-out, buckets, and kites. There is also a beautiful shady grove of trees just north of the playground, perfect for picnics.
I can’t wrap up this review without mentioning the other main attraction at the Golden Gardens playground: the trains! Just to the east of the parking lot is a working rail line, and freight trains go by regularly. On our visit, every kid on the playground stopped moving, turned towards the tracks, and cheered as an enormous train rumbled south. Once it passed, the playground was a mass of movement again. Head west, parents. Golden Gardens awaits.
IF YOU GO
Where: 8498 Seaview Place N.W., Seattle.
When: Open 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Cost: The playground, park, beach, and parking are free.
Contact: 206-684-4075; www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/golden-gardens-park
Erika Lee Bigelow writes the weekly column Erika’s Picks and is the mother of three active kids. This review was written when the Golden Gardens Playground opened in 2011. Nowadays, she’s not taking her big kids to playgrounds, but the Golden Gardens Playground remains one of the best in town.
