Most Washingtonians Have No Idea This Amusement Park In Seattle Ever Existed
By Jessica Wick|Published April 14, 2020
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Jessica Wick
Author
Jessica Wick is a writer and travel enthusiast who loves exploring new places, meeting new people and, of course, beautiful Big Sky Country and every part of Washington State.
If you grew up in Washington, you know that it was a bittersweet day when the Seattle Center’s amusement park, the Fun Forest, closed down in 2009. Plenty of us can recall spending many a day dragging our families through the entertainment area, begging for one more ride or game.
But Washingtonians who are a little older might recall a different amusement park in Seattle, one that had a 31-year run before a series of unfortunate events shut it down forever. Allow us to introduce you to Playland.
This is Seattle's Bitter Lake, which sits in a growing neighborhood located up north between Northgate and Shoreline.
The park was constructed for $750,000, which was not a small amount at the time. But even though the United States had entered the Great Depression, the business proceeded as planned. And when the under-capitalized Washington Amusement Company failed after just a year, the amusement park was saved by Carl E. Phare, a Pacific Northwest local who built roller coasters for a living. He and his business partners kept the park going for another 30 years.
The Dipper was a state-of-the-art roller coaster that would send riders soaring 85 feet into the air and through a virtual somersault. Other popular attractions included a merry-go-round, a Penny Arcade, and the Canals of Venice ride, which took people through a long, dark tunnel (and was the site of many a first kiss).
Unfortunately, Playland's Aurora Stadium Speedway grandstand was destroyed by a fire in 1950.
Most of the park was rebuilt in its off-season. But by then, interest was fading, and the city of Seattle had annexed Bitter Lake. The park was officially condemned in 1961. Carl Phare died the next year.
While many Washingtonians were sad to see Playland go, it seemed to have served its purpose well.
