A great place to avoid crowds on the weekends!

While many families flock to Kerry Park in Queen Anne for trademark Seattle views, I recommend you check out Yesler Terrace Park. Built in 2017 (relatively new), the playground has innovative features like a rotating climbing globe, a roller slide and a 2 story slide. 

While the play equipment is mostly geared towards elementary-aged kids, my toddler and preschooler love having multiple play structures to choose from and there's plenty of spacing so kids can play independently or together. 

Parents will love the views over the Puget Sound (including the Olympic Mountains) while kids will appreciate the "things that go" on offer - look for ferry boats, loading cranes for cargo ships, construction on the lower terrace, and the huge football and baseball stadiums. The First Hill streetcar goes right by the park and my kids love waving to the drivers. 

There's a large grassy (turf) hill where families can enjoy a picnic (or some time rolling down the hill). The turf holds water, so if you're visiting during rainy season (which is most of the year), pack rain pants to keep everyone playing in comfort. There isn't much shade since the park is still new, so make sure to pack sunscreen for sunny days.

This might be one of the few parks that isn't busy on weekends - it's not in a suburban/large single-family home area, so enjoy the space!

After your play session, head across the street to Tougo Coffee for a warm beverage and homemade sourdough. My favorite is the "bitter housewife" mocha - oat milk, espresso and housemade chocolate bitters are a unique offering and owner Brian Wells serves everything with a smile (my kids love him!). 

Restrooms are normally available in the Yesler Community Center (parking underneath), but they appeared closed due to COVID on our recent visit (available in the coffee shop across the street, however). Street parking is available although in limited supply.