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This is one of a series of pages guiding you around  Seattle's viewpoints.

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Seattle Viewpoints
Harborview Park

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Location
Harborview Park, at the foot of the Harborview Medical Center, corner of 8th Avenue and Jefferson Street, First Hill.

Admission
Free.

Getting there by car

Click icon to map your route on MapBlast!

Getting there by bus
From downtown, via bus number 3 (Madrona) or 4 (Judkins Park), whichever comes along first.
Board the southbound bus at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Pine Street.
Alight from the bus at the corner of 9th Avenue and Jefferson  Street.
It is about a 12-minute ride each way.

Walk west on Jefferson Street, alongside the Harborview Medical Center to the extension of 8th Avenue.  You will see the park and outlook ahead.

Notes and Tips
The park is fairly shabby, with only the views (as accompanied by the continuous, low roar of traffic from Interstate Highway 5) to recommend it.  It sees frequent visitors in the form of hospital staff taking breaks, but is probably best avoided after dark.

To make full use of your visit, you might like to inquire at the West Entrance Main Lobby of the Medical Center about views from within the building.  A positive response might lead to a place where you can look westwards as you were in the park (see photo below), as well as eastwards towards the Cascade Mountains. 

If you are in need of a restroom try inside the Medical Center.

You might like to continue back along Jefferson Street, to visit Seattle University, about 6 blocks to the east.

The Views 
Harborview Park offers 180� views over the "back side" of Seattle and port.  There is quite a good view over the Safeco Field baseball stadium.  The buildings along I-5 to the north block views of Elliot Bay and the Olympic Mountains.

Best time for photos is in the AM.

The following photos were taken late morning, on a slightly hazy, sunny day in late September.  Click on photo for full-size image.

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by Emmett Watson, Robert W. Cameron (Photographer)
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