Marymoor Park, located on the north end of
Lake Sammamish
Lake Sammamish is a freshwater lake east of Seattle in King County, Washington, United States. The lake is long and wide, with a maximum depth of and a surface area of . It lies east of Lake Washington and west of the Sammamish Plateau, ...
in
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 census, up from 54,144 in 2010.
Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America.
With an ann ...
, is
King County's largest, oldest, and most popular
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...
, with more than 3 million annual visitors coming to roam its .
Among recreational activities available are various sports facilities,
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically a ...
, a 40-acre off-leash
dog park and a
velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...
. It is also one end of the
Sammamish River Trail
The Sammamish River Trail is a bike path and recreational rail trail in King County, Washington that runs along the Sammamish River from Blyth Park in Bothell to Marymoor Park in Redmond as part of the “Locks to Lakes Corridor.” It conne ...
, a biking and walking trail. In addition, a radio control aircraft flying field and a pet memorial garden are within the park's boundaries.
The historic Willowmoor farm and Clise Mansion lie at the western edge of the park, along the
Sammamish River
The Sammamish River (also known as Sammamish Slough) flows through north King County, Washington for about , draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington. Along its course, the Sammamish River flows through Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, and ...
. The farm and mansion were created in the early 1900s by James Clise, a banker. The landscaping was designed by the
Olmsted Brothers
The Olmsted Brothers company was a landscape architectural firm in the United States, established in 1898 by brothers John Charles Olmsted (1852–1920) and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (1870–1957), sons of the landscape architect Frederick Law O ...
. The mansion is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Ralph Dodd and two of his brothers, Dean & Lloyd Dodd were partners with Walter Nettleton in operating a large dairy farm at Willowmoor farm from 1930 - 1964. The brothers renamed the farm Marymoor in honor of Walter's young daughter, Mary Nettleton, who died in a bicycle accident. Although all 6 of Ralph Dodd's brothers were happily married, Ralph remained single. Ralph considered the children of Bellevue's
Kemper Freeman
Frederick Kemper Freeman Jr. (born October 23, 1941) is the active chairman and CEO of Kemper Development Company, which built and operates Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place, and Lincoln Square, all located in Bellevue, Washington. Kemper repre ...
to be his family, having lived at Marymoor when the Freeman's resided there.
The park is home to a summer concert series known as Concerts at Marymoor, produced by
AEG Live, which invites popular artists every year. The park also hosts movies at Marymoor every summer.
At the western end of the park, 2.1 acres are used by the Marymoor Community Gardener's Association, one of the oldest public gardens in the country.
In February 2003, King County added a one dollar parking fee to offset budget reductions.
Marymoor has a 40-acre off-leash dog area, where dogs can play in fields or swim in the
Sammamish Slough
The Sammamish River (also known as Sammamish Slough) flows through north King County, Washington for about , draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington. Along its course, the Sammamish River flows through Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, and ...
.
In February 2022, the King County Council passed a "motion of support" for the development of a cricket facility on of land at Marymoor Park. The cricket ground would be a potential venue for
Major League Cricket
Major League Cricket (MLC) is an upcoming professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United States. Operated by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) and sanctioned by USA Cricket, it plans to begin play on July 13, 2023, with six teams in major ...
, the
United States national team, and the
2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup (earlier known as ICC World Twenty20) is the international championship of Twenty20. Organised by cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the tournament consists of 16 teams, comprising t ...
. Construction is expected to begin in early 2023.
External links
Marymoor Park ConcertsMarymoor Park HomeFriends of MarymoorServe Our Dog Areas - Support and Stewardship of the Dog ParkDogs Of Marymoor Park photo site
References
{{Authority control
Dog parks in the United States
Parks in Redmond, Washington
National Register of Historic Places in King County, Washington
1962 establishments in Washington (state)