Olympic Sculpture Park is a nine-acre former industrial site that has been transformed into an open and vibrant green space for art and people, run by the Seattle Art Museum.
Olympic Sculpture Park Overview
PACCAR Pavilion at night, looking northeast across Broad Street.
Courtesy of Seattle Art Museum. Photo: Benjamin Benschneider.
Olympic Sculpture Park is located on the waterfront at the edge of downtown Seattle. PACCAR Pavilion, which serves as park headquarters is on the corner of Broad Street and Western Avenue.
Olympic Sculpture Park spans from Western Avenue down to the water, while seamlessly skipping over Elliot Avenue and the tracks – a remarkably innovative and clever design for a park in the city.
Olympic Sculpture Park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, but the most enjoyable aspect of the park is its incredible views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.
Olympic Sculpture Park Hours
The Olympic Sculpture Park is open and free to the public 365 days a year.
Park Hours
May 1–September 30: 6am–9pm
October 1–April 30: 7am–8pm
PACCAR Pavilion Hours
May 1–September 30: Closed Mondays, Tuesday–Sunday: 10am–5pm, Friday: 10am–9pm
October 1–April 30: Closed Mondays, Tuesday–Sunday: 10am–4pm
PACCAR Pavilion is open on the following holidays: Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. PACCAR Pavilion is closed on the following holidays: Independence Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.
Art in Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park features over 20 displays (some consist of more than one piece) of artwork. The majority of pieces in Olympic Sculpture Park are large abstract or modern sculptures. Many visitors struggle to understand what the artwork is or means.Our walking tour of Olympic Sculpture Park provides guidance for each sculpture and its creator. These Olympic Sculpture Park pictures give you an idea of what you can expect to see in and around the park.
Criticism of Olympic Sculpture Park
Love & Loss by Roy McMakin.
© 2007 William Watson licensed to About.com, Inc.
As the name suggests, Olympic Sculpture Park is a park. However, the Seattle Art Museum is attempting to run it more like a museum. Signs tell visitors to stay off the grass and not to touch the sculptures because it will damage them.
No one wants to see the sculptures vandalized or ruined, but a little wear and tear comes with the territory of outdoor displays in a public park. The artwork at Olympic Sculpture Park is at the mercy of the elements as well as the animals in the park. The seagulls frequently leave their mark on Eagle, the large orange sculpture in the center of the park.
The beauty of Olympic Sculpture Park is the coexistence of art, nature, and people in the city. It will be more successful when it feels more like a park than a museum. Some of the art is meant to serve as benches and tables (such as Love & Loss by Roy McMakin) further confusing visitors what they can and cannot touch.