Location: Bellevue
Address: 410 130th Pl. S.E., Bellevue/Crossroads
Acreage: 150
Spring is the perfect time of year to escape to the countryside and visit Kelsey Creek Park, an enormous green space with a working farm east of downtown Bellevue.
Many kids who grow up on the Eastside remember this park fondly as a popular field trip spot. Today it’s still a favorite and regularly draws visitors from Seattle and all over the Eastside.
Plan for a half-day so you have time to visit both the farm and enjoy a picnic lunch on the park’s grounds, which feature nice kid-friendly trails. With stately white barns and fencing, the park (and your kids petting animals) is a very photogenic scene, so don’t leave your camera behind. The farm animals are generally around for viewing between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. To interact more closely with the animals and learn more about the park’s interesting history, it’s best to book a tour for your group. The farm also hosts birthday parties and has summer camp programs.
Near the barns be sure to look at the Fraser House, built in 1888, it is one of the oldest structures still standing in Bellevue. It was the home of Fanny Fraser, early pioneer Daniel William Fraser’s sister. (He built it for her to live in as a newlywed.)
Explore the 1.5 miles of trails that cross over wetland areas, circle around the park and lead you back to a small play area near the parking lot (best for preschool-aged kids).
You can combine this park with a visit to the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
#479 (Visited 5/2/16)