East Montlake Park is located in the Montlake neighborhood at 2802 E Park Dr E, 98112.
Washington Park Addition, which includes the shoreline along what is now East Montlake Park, was originally intended by John Charles Olmsted to carry Montlake boulevard along the shoreline to the University. In his 1903 report, Olmsted averred that the west boundary of Washington Park “should be extended about three to five hundred feet from the shore line to the proposed government canal [today’s Montlake Cut], . . . and all the land between it and Union Bay, together with all rights under water in front of it should be secured.” He recommended using this route for a “pleasure drive” that might “command views of Union Bay.”
The developers of the Shelby-Hamlin neighborhood, however, platted their development so that the boulevard would be centered north-south through the neighborhood. The park used to house the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), which has since moved to a new location. The park features an observation deck over the Montlake cut, as well as floating bridges, trails and a totem pole.