Genesee Park is a park in the

Rainier Valley Rainier Valley ( ) is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. It is located east of Beacon Hill; west of Mount Baker, Seward Park, and Leschi; south of the Central District and north of Rainier Beach. It is part of Seattle's So ...

neighborhood of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. A waterway, Wetmore Slough, before the lowering of

Lake Washington Lake Washington () is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest lake in King County, Washington, King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington (state), Was ...

by nine feet in 1917 as part of the construction of the

Lake Washington Ship Canal The Lake Washington Ship Canal is a canal that runs through the city of Seattle and connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington to the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate the approximately diff ...

, it was purchased by the city in 1947 and used as a dump until 1963. Development of the park began in 1968. It hosts the hydroplane races and aerobatics air show during the annual

Seafair Seafair is an annual summer festival in Seattle, Washington, that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major citywide celebrations. Its main events include the Torchlight Parade (and accompanying Torc ...

, in July–August. The L-shape park is bordered to the north by Lake Washington and the Stan Sayres Memorial Park/Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center, the south by a ridge inline with S. Alaska St., the east by 46th Ave. S. and the west by 43rd Ave. S. along its northern segment and 38th Ave. S. along its southern segment, with its namesake, S. Genesee St., traveling east–west through the middle of it. In the 1990s the Rainier Community Center was relocated across the street, from its previous home, onto Genesee Park at its westernmost edge. The park features a nature trail/wild bird habitat plus a large picnic shelter and open grass area on its northern segment, a sand upper-field for soccer plus an artificial turf lower-field for soccer and football along with a fenced-in dog park through its central segment, a circular walkabout in its southwest segment, and three child play areas (one north of S. Genesee St. at 44th Ave. S., one south of S. Genesee St. at 43rd Ave. S. and one at the Rainier Community Center). The two sports fields located just south of S. Genesee St. are equipped with stadium light poles to illuminate the field into the night as needed. During the first week of August, Genesee Park serves as the main entrance to hydroplane races and aerobatics air show festivities, part of Seattle's summer celebration known as Seafair, dating back to the 1950s.

References

External links

Parks Department page on Genesee ParkParks Department history of Genesse Park (PDF)
{{Protected areas of Seattle Parks in Seattle Rainier Valley, Seattle 1968 establishments in Washington (state)