The shelter house is one of just a handful of Olmsted-designed structures still standing in Seattle parks. The 1910 building has a restroom on each end, with a loggia connecting the two. It is designed in the Arts and Crafts style.
The shelter house is one of just a handful of Olmsted-designed structures still standing in Seattle parks. The 1910 building has a restroom on each end, with a loggia connecting the two. It is designed in the Arts and Crafts style. It is stucco-clad, with decorative projecting gable roofs, exaggerated rafter tails, brackets, and curved cross braces.
The benches in the loggia were originally intended for caregivers tending to children playing on the Little Folks Lawn. The two beds that are today planted with cherry trees and low shrubs were originally sand boxes. Scups — which appear to have been the bucket-like swings for small babies and toddlers — and swings occupied the space between the lawn and the wading pool.
Other things to see at the park
Lily Ponds
Two lily ponds flank the terrace along the west side of the Concourse.
The Burke Memorial
Judge Thomas Burke was an important civic leader in Seattle.
The Amphitheater
The performing arts have been part of Volunteer Park’s history since the first concert grove was constructed in 1910.