Denny Park is located at the north end of the central business district on Denny Way at 100 Dexter Avenue N, 98109. It is 4.6 acres.
Seattle pioneer David Denny donated land for a cemetery that in 1883 would become the city’s first public park, five-acre Denny Park. John Charles Olmsted included the existing park in his 1903 plan and observed that “John Street, bounding the park on its north side, is too steep between Eight and Ninth avenues to be of any use as a street. The northerly sidewalk may be improved and provided with a staircase down to Ninth avenue, but the rest of the street might better be thrown into the park.” He also made specific recommendations as to the planting, noting that many of “the shrubbery plantations are on steep banks adjoining the walks, which brings the bare earth among the shrubs more than usually close to the eye. The earth should, therefore, be covered with dwarf periwinkle, or some other low, shade-enduring, ground-covering plant.”
The park was regraded in 1930 to conform in elevation to surrounding properties. Today the park consists of a sloping, flat terrain with formal paths, shade trees, a new play area, and a temporary dog off-leash area.