A look back: Playland ‘Fun for All” and Seattle Center’s Fun Forest
By Will Murray
In 1930 a small amusement park stood at Bitter Lake near Seattle Washington when Carl E. Phare arrived to build the Dipper an 85’ tall 3400’ long wooden roller coaster towering over the lake and Playland was born. Soon more rides followed; Shoot the Chutes, dodge em cars, Merry-Go-Round, haunted house and free parking for 12,000 cars! Playland featured a midway with games, a restaurant and Funhouse.
Photo of Shoot the Chutes at Left
Admission was 10 cents and 10 cents per ride including the Canals of Venice and entrance to a large dance hall. Playland operated annually from Memorial Day to Labor Day and hosted thousands of fun seekers including a yearly All Seattle crossing guard day when rides were free.
Finding Playland a 2009 documentary produced by Broadview resident Greg Brotherton features personal stories of Playland including Tobin Fraley whose parents and Grandfather worked at Playland, Tobin describes the park as a living entity that offered a sense of belonging. Playland was so successful a young entrepreneur named Walt visited and spoke at great length with park owners before returning to California to start Disneyland. Elsie Von Stubbe recounted Walt Disney filming a Mickey Mouse club episode in their backyard at 145th and 3rd NW in the Broadview neighborhood. In 1961 the City of Seattle purchased Playland. Bitter Lake Community Center now stands where the Shoot the Chutes ride operated, and Broadview Thompson K-8 school was built on the western entrance to Playland.
Just as Playland shut down, Seattle’s 1962 Century 21 World’s Fair opened with an amusement park of its own. The Gayway was a small amusement park on the World’s fair grounds located near the monorail entrance featuring 20 rides and a popular cotton candy – snow cone concession sponsored by U & I sugar. From April 21 to October 21 1962 the fair drew 10 million visitors and Seattle was on the World stage. After the fair Gayway became the Fun Forest which operated until 2011. In the 80s Disneyland officials pitched an ambitious $70 million update of Seattle Center that was turned down by the City of Seattle. Over an 80 year stretch many generations of visitors and Seattle residents alike enjoyed thrills, chills and good old-fashioned fun at Playland, Century 21 World’s Fair and the Fun Forest.
