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Two picnic tables and a picnic shelter along a beach.
Alki Beach Park.
Seattle Parks and Recreation

10 Seattle parks for hosting cheap, outdoor events

Want a step up from blankets on the ground?

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Alki Beach Park.
| Seattle Parks and Recreation

With the weather heating up, an outdoor party seems like a great idea. But cost can absolutely be an issue, between food minimums and facility fees and the rising cost of Seattle real estate. Sure, you can throw a party at the aquarium if you have nine grand lying around. Or you could turn to Seattle’s many marvelous parks.

The most common option you’re going to have for renting out Seattle park space is going to be a picnic shelter, a semi-enclosed space that typically comes with a grill and a little patio spill-out—perfect for upgrading a park gathering from beach blankets to something a little more formal.

But there are some alternate options at the park, too. The Alki Bathhouse has a patio area for rent in addition to the main hall and art studio. Magnuson Park has multiple event spaces in former Navy buildings. There are even two pools you can rent out for parties: Colman Pool in Lincoln Park and Mounger Pool in Magnolia.

An extra note: If you’re looking for a wedding venue, you can do that in most Seattle parks—with the right permit. Seattle Parks and Recreation has a whole guide for it.

There are plenty of options for event and picnic space rentals, but these are 10 of our favorites.

Map points are ordered north to south.

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Golden Gardens Park

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Right behind the beach at Golden Gardens, there are two reservable picnic shelters, both of which cost $120 per day. There’s also the bathhouse, which is fully indoors—any party at Golden Gardens is gonna bleed into the outside anyway—but will run you $175 per hour.

Magnuson Park

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Magnuson has three rentable shelters, depending on what you’re going for: One is by the swimming area, one is by the boat launch, and one is by the playfield. They rent from $180 to $280, depending on capacity.

The park also has indoor rental spaces, but they’re not so much integrated with the park—although, as part of the former military base, they’re still pretty cool. Those run anywhere from $20 per hour for a small classroom in a former military jail to $180 an hour for a massive former hangar, plus staffing fees.

Woodland Park

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Cap off or kick off a day at Woodland Park Zoo at Woodland Park—the not-zoo. It’s actually a pretty huge park on its own, and has seven reservable shelters to choose from, ranging from $130 to $270 per day with capacities from 30 to 210.

Gas Works Park

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The cool part about the Gas Works Park shelter rentals is they integrate with the “play barn” for an interesting, more integrated look than a standard park shelter. The space rents in two segments: one for $150 a day, the other for $190 a day.

Lowery C. "Pop" Mounger Pool

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Atop the big hill in Magnolia, Mounger Pool is an outdoor pool with kind of a resort feel—and a large deck with plenty of lounge chairs. Rentals start at $150 an hour for the entire pool. There’s also a special rental package for kids’ birthday parties: $248 gets you a party for ten with an hour of pool time in a roped-off section with the water slide, an hour of deck time, goodie bags, juice boxes, and lifeguard support.

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Madrona Park

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Madrona Park, notable for its combination of sandy beach and grassy field, has one picnic shelter for waterfront barbecues. That rents for $110 per day.

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Judkins Park and Playfield

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Whether you just want a picnic in the park or a pick-up game with a picnic afterwards, Judkins Park has one, high-capacity (150), wooden shelter with plenty of sun and shade that rents for $170 per day.

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Alki Beach Park

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Make a beach day extra luxurious by renting the park’s one picnic shelter for a day, which comes with two grills and two tables. It costs $120 for a full day. Alternatively, for a more fully indoor-outdoor option, the Alki Beach Bathhouse can be rented in segments: $40 per hour for the patio, $45 per hour for the painting room, or $60 per hour for the main hall—plus staffing and maintenance fees.

Seward Park

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Seward Park is pretty massive, and is filled with plenty of picnic shelters available to rent for anywhere from $150 per day (capacity: 40) to $270 per day (capacity: 300). The park’s surrounded by water, so there aren’t too many spots with a bad view.

Lincoln Park

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You have a few options for hosting an outdoor event in the park. You can either reserve a shelter, are all over the place—some in the wooded upper park, some below by the beach for a pretty decent variety of scenery—which will run you either $60 for a half day or $140 to $200 for a full day. Alternatively, throw a pool party at saltwater Colman Pool for $140 an hour.

Golden Gardens Park

Right behind the beach at Golden Gardens, there are two reservable picnic shelters, both of which cost $120 per day. There’s also the bathhouse, which is fully indoors—any party at Golden Gardens is gonna bleed into the outside anyway—but will run you $175 per hour.

Magnuson Park

Magnuson has three rentable shelters, depending on what you’re going for: One is by the swimming area, one is by the boat launch, and one is by the playfield. They rent from $180 to $280, depending on capacity.

The park also has indoor rental spaces, but they’re not so much integrated with the park—although, as part of the former military base, they’re still pretty cool. Those run anywhere from $20 per hour for a small classroom in a former military jail to $180 an hour for a massive former hangar, plus staffing fees.

Woodland Park

Cap off or kick off a day at Woodland Park Zoo at Woodland Park—the not-zoo. It’s actually a pretty huge park on its own, and has seven reservable shelters to choose from, ranging from $130 to $270 per day with capacities from 30 to 210.

Gas Works Park

The cool part about the Gas Works Park shelter rentals is they integrate with the “play barn” for an interesting, more integrated look than a standard park shelter. The space rents in two segments: one for $150 a day, the other for $190 a day.

Lowery C. "Pop" Mounger Pool

Atop the big hill in Magnolia, Mounger Pool is an outdoor pool with kind of a resort feel—and a large deck with plenty of lounge chairs. Rentals start at $150 an hour for the entire pool. There’s also a special rental package for kids’ birthday parties: $248 gets you a party for ten with an hour of pool time in a roped-off section with the water slide, an hour of deck time, goodie bags, juice boxes, and lifeguard support.

A post shared by Erik Bartlett (@erikbartlett) on

Madrona Park

Madrona Park, notable for its combination of sandy beach and grassy field, has one picnic shelter for waterfront barbecues. That rents for $110 per day.

A post shared by Peter Hanchak (@hamtramck) on

Judkins Park and Playfield

Whether you just want a picnic in the park or a pick-up game with a picnic afterwards, Judkins Park has one, high-capacity (150), wooden shelter with plenty of sun and shade that rents for $170 per day.

A post shared by Dana (@lollidragoon) on

Alki Beach Park

Make a beach day extra luxurious by renting the park’s one picnic shelter for a day, which comes with two grills and two tables. It costs $120 for a full day. Alternatively, for a more fully indoor-outdoor option, the Alki Beach Bathhouse can be rented in segments: $40 per hour for the patio, $45 per hour for the painting room, or $60 per hour for the main hall—plus staffing and maintenance fees.

Seward Park

Seward Park is pretty massive, and is filled with plenty of picnic shelters available to rent for anywhere from $150 per day (capacity: 40) to $270 per day (capacity: 300). The park’s surrounded by water, so there aren’t too many spots with a bad view.

Lincoln Park

You have a few options for hosting an outdoor event in the park. You can either reserve a shelter, are all over the place—some in the wooded upper park, some below by the beach for a pretty decent variety of scenery—which will run you either $60 for a half day or $140 to $200 for a full day. Alternatively, throw a pool party at saltwater Colman Pool for $140 an hour.