Artist resurrects memory of N. Seattle's forgotten amusement park |

Seattleites in the 1930s could hop on the Phinney Avenue electric trolley line to the North 85th Street city limits, then transfer to the Interurban Railroad headed for a day of thrills on the bumper cars or young romance in tunnel of love at Playland, North Seattle’s near-forgotten amusement park.

The Dipper, the 85-foot-high wooden rollercoaster that was the centerpiece of Playland, sat on the current site of the Bitter Lake Community Center. Though Playland, in the half-century since it closed, condemned by the city when Seattle annexed the area, has been forgotten by many in the city, one artist, inspired by the grand curves, scaffolding and scale of the Dipper, wants to make sure Playland doesn’t stay lost forever.

Jennifer Dixon, hired by the city to create a public art project for the planned Linden Avenue North section of the Interurban Trail, only found out about Playland recently, after talking to a handful of long-time North Seattle residents. It sparked her imagination.

“It was this incredible, huge amusement park,” she said. “Now, you just walk down the street and there’s no evidence of it whatsoever. That’s just really interesting.”

Playland included a merry-go-round, carousel, miniature railroad, fun house, penny arcade, shooting gallery, racetrack and more.

Thought she won’t have a firm design for a few weeks, basing her art installation on Playland is an obvious choice for Dixon.

“A lot of times, I’m interested in bringing the history to the surface, and a lot of history has happened on this corridor,” she said, pointing not only to Playland, but also to the Interurban Railroad and more.

Dixon’s art project and the completion of the Interurban Trail are part of the Linden Avenue North Complete Street Project, which includes new sidewalks, lighting and street trees, as well as a two-way bike lane separated from traffic by parked cars.

Dixon said she is excited to be part of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s plan to improve an important but neglected corridor that is home to 3,000 people, including many seniors.

“It seems a little embarrassing, actually, that nothing has happened here before,” she said.

Dixon’s “FlipBooks,” a series of photographic signs, was installed on the southern portion of the Interurban Trail in 2008 with little community input. For her new project, Dixon has met with a number of residents, who she said seem excited to see Playland making a comeback.

“This time around, I really wanted to get to know some community members and get a sense of what they want, what’s their vision for this corridor,” she said.

She said she has never been interested in making art for herself, rather she enjoys the challenge that occurs at  the intersection of art and community.

“I’ve always been interested in if it is possible to make art that can talk to this group of individuals who are trained – the art world – and at the same time have that same work communicate to the lay person,” Dixon said.

Dixon’s final concept for the art project is due to the city by the end of May. It will go in front of an advisory committee in June and be finalized by August, thought the art will not be installed until the second half of 2012.

And, throughout the process, Dixon is being guided by a quote from the original owners of Playland: to create a place “to banish jaded nerves, nagging thoughts and worries, and to apply instead wholesome recreation and relaxation.”