Bradner Gardens Park

The park's pavilion. RobertPakko (Atlas Obscura User)

This nearly two-acre park manages to pack seven ornamental theme gardens, an apiary, a 33-foot tall vintage windmill, and much more for visitors to see.

The park is also home to beautiful art, from its many sculptural scarecrows to its variety of mosaics. The landscape became what it is today thanks to a collaboration between dozens of municipal organizations and volunteer-run associations, as well as numerous sponsors and partners.

The process of founding the park changed how parks are protected in Seattle. After a two-year battle with the city over whether the land would become a park or housing development, community residents drafted an initiative that eventually became a new Seattle city ordinance.

It stated that the land that was owned by the city for park use could not be sold, traded, or used for non-park use unless it was replaced with an equivalent park in the same neighborhood.

It protected Bradner Gardens, allowing it to become what it is today.

Know Before You Go

Unfortunately, the community center burned down in 2020, though there are plans in-the-works to rebuild it.

Remember that although the park is free for anyone to visit, the P-patches are paid for by individual gardeners, and to pick or eat the plants and food growing there would be stealing.