Revitalizing the Arboretum

Funding new gardens and collection restoration

The Foundation helps fund the restoration and enhancement of historic plant collections and other features in the Arboretum, as well as the addition of new gardens. Much of this work is guided by the 2001 Master Plan. Here are the key projects we’re currently working on:

• Japanese Garden North Wall
• Pacific Pathway
• Arboretum Creek Headwaters
• Montlake Peninsula

Japanese Garden Iskigaki Wall & Accessible Pathway

Designed by world-renowned garden designers Kiyoshi Inoshita and Juki Iida, the Seattle Japanese Garden in the Arboretum was dedicated in 1960. Some of the originally designed features—including a pavilion and gathering space near the north end of the pond—were not built at that time, for logistical and cost reasons. Moreover, the walls that were installed in the north section were constructed using basalt, which departed from the material palette (primarily granite) found elsewhere in the Garden. These walls are now beginning to crumble.

As Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation plan for the replacement of the walls and connecting stairs with hand-crafted granite masonry, they are working to complete a schematic design for the entire north section of the Garden in order to ensure that the current work on the walls will dovetail well with future plans for the pavilion and its surroundings. The project also includes infrastructure repairs and the addition of an accessible walkway, ensuring all visitors can safely navigate the Garden and be immersed in its beauty for generations to come.

The 2001 Master Plan recognized the importance of the designers’ original vision by including the addition of the pavilion as a future project. The current effort, made possible by the generosity of local donors, represents the most exciting opportunity to improve our beloved Seattle Japanese Garden in many years. For more details or to support the project, see our campaign page.

PROJECT SCHEDULE: Work on the north wall replacement is scheduled from June to November 2026. The Garden will be closed June 22 to July 26 for demolition and removal of the old retaining wall. Visit the Japanese Garden website for regular project updates.

Japanese Garden project rendering by Hoshide Wanzer Achitects/Berger Partnership.

Related links:

• Seattle Parks and Recreation project page
• Iskigaki Wall Campaign Page
• “Japan’s Stone Wall Culture from Ancient Times to Today,” Japanese Garden Blog, June 20, 2025.
• “Designing the New Pavilion Part 1: Aspect,” Japanese Garden Blog, March 6, 2024.
• “Public Meeting Report: The Japanese Garden North Wall and Pavilion Project,” Japanese Garden Blog, November 20, 2023.
• “Arboretum Master Plan Turns 21: Accomplishments and New Projects,” Arboretum Bulletin, Fall 2022

Pacific Pathway

Historic, Olmsted-designed Azalea Way forms the backbone of the Arboretum. At the south end of this popular 3/4-mile promenade is a steep ridge with another iconic, Olmsted-era feature—the Lookout Gazebo—perched on top. Further south along the ridge is the Pacific Connections Garden, a relatively new exhibit that celebrates temperate forest ecosystems in the Pacific Rim.

Currently, there is no pathway directly connecting south Azalea Way, and its adjacent parking lot, with the gazebo and Pacific Connections. This creates a circulation challenge and a safety problem.

The solution is the Pacific Pathway, a new ADA-accessible switchback trail that will safely guide visitors up the steep slope from Azalea Way to the gazebo and plant collections beyond. With funding from the Aldarra Foundation, Berger Partnership is designing the future pathway, which will create a more accessible and welcoming experience for our visitors.

Additionally, as part of its Local and Community Project Program, the Washington State Legislature appropriated $900,000 in its fiscal year 2026–27 capital budget to support two accessibility and wayfinding projects in the Arboretum, including the Pacific Pathway. For more information, see our project campaign page. Project construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027.

Design rendering of Pacific Pathway, courtesy Berger Partnership.

Related links:

• Seattle Parks and Recreation Pacific Pathway Project Page
• Pacific Pathway: Arboretum Foundation Campaign Page
• “Arboretum Granted State Funding for Accessibility Projects,” Arboretum Foundation Blog, June 2, 2025.
• “Arboretum Master Plan Turns 21: Accomplishments and New Projects,” Arboretum Bulletin, Fall 2022

Arboretum Creek Headwaters

The Arboretum partners are working with local non-profit Friends of Arboretum Creek, King County, Seattle Parks Foundation, and others to improve the ecology of the creek and watershed in and around the park. A key initiative is the Headwaters Project, which will help restore year-round waterflow to Arboretum Creek by reconnecting it to two groundwater seepages in the neighborhood uphill from the Japanese Garden.

In the Winter 2023 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin, Friends co-founder and Arboretum Foundation board member Larry Hubbell described the project and his organization’s vision of a future creek teeming with aquatic life and supporting numerous species of fish-eating birds. Read full article >

Related links:

• Seattle Parks and Recreation Project Page
• Friends of Arboretum Creek
• Seattle Parks Foundation Headwaters Project Page
• Unit 86 Donation Helps Fund Restoration of Arboretum Creek, Arboretum Blog, June 13, 2025.
• Arboretum Creek Project Receives $1.2 Million from King County, Arboretum Blog, Nov 4, 2024.
• Arboretum Creek Project Receives $1.1 Million in County and State Funding, Arboretum Blog, Nov 5, 2025.

Montlake Peninsula: Returning Nature to the People

The conclusion of the SR 520 construction project will bring a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Washington Park Arboretum and the city of Seattle. By 2031, the Montlake Peninsula will be returned to the Washington Park Arboretum, offering Seattle the opportunity to transform 28 acres of construction site into a lush landscape of trails, gardens, wetlands, water, and shoreline access—all within city limits. This project is more than a restoration, it’s a reconnection—healing ecosystems and bridging neighborhoods and providing a welcoming entrance for Seattle’s Arboretum and Botanic Gardens that will benefit generations to come.

Key Project Opportunities

• Arboretum Creek: Daylighting and restoring Arboretum Creek to increase instream flows and restore fish access, reduce water temperatures, and improve stream habitat.
• Native Plant Collections: New gardens will focus on conservation, ethnobotany, and Pacific Northwest native ecosystems.
• Water Access: Kayak and canoe landings, observation decks, and open shoreline will provide visitors the opportunity to connect with the shoreline.
• Transportation Improvements: A new roundabout near Foster Drive, additional bicycle infrastructure, and better connections to mass transit will make the Montlake Peninsula a more accessible gateway to our Arboretum and botanic gardens.
• Infrastructure for Education and Engagement: Building space will provide visitors with amenities, information, and critical infrastructure for public education and engagement.

CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL HERITAGE: This is the traditional land of Coast Salish peoples since time immemorial. Once home to flourishing waterfront villages, the area remains a place of important cultural connections. We have a responsibility to honor and care for this landscape in partnership with its original caretakers and we are approaching this project as an opportunity to co-design a welcoming and inclusive space to honor that legacy.

SUPPORT THE PROJECT: We are beginning early-stage fundraising and planning now, offering initial funders a unique opportunity to be part of this effort from the ground floor. To support this once-in-a-generation project, please email giving@arboretumfoundation.org.

Preliminary design rendering of the Montlake Peninsula, courtesy Berger Partnership.

Related links:

• New 520 Bike and Pedestrian Bridge Improves Arboretum Accessibility, Arboretum Blog, December 2024.
• Last Remnants of the “Ramps to Nowhere” Removed, Arboretum Blog, April 2024.
• 2023 Arboretum Community Survey (included preliminary public input and ideas on the Peninsula design)
• Arboretum Receives Multi-Project Grant from the Aldarra Foundation, Arboretum Blog, February 2022.
• Arboretum Master Plan Turns 21: Accomplishments and New Projects, Arboretum Bulletin, Fall 2022

HEADER PHOTO: Beaver in the Arboretum wetlands (courtesy Larry Hubbell).