Queen Anne Boulevard

Queen Anne Boulevard is a 3.7-mile loop tracing the crest of Seattle's Queen Anne Hill, built between 1911 and 1916 as a City of Seattle scenic route rather than a state or federal byway. The Seattle Parks Board initially resisted the idea because the proposed road followed ordinary city streets and didn't meet the 150-foot minimum width required by the 1903 Olmsted Plan for the city's boulevard system; the project only moved forward once the Queen Anne community agreed to help fund construction. Stitched together from streets including West Highland Drive, Bigelow Avenue North, and West Raye Street, the boulevard offers sweeping views in every direction from the hill's summit and was, for years, the only route commercial vehicles could use to reach parts of upper Queen Anne. Its best-known feature is the Willcox Wall, an ornate 1909 retaining wall at 8th Avenue West and West Highland Drive that varies from 4 to 22 feet tall and is decorated with brickwork, balustrades, and period street lights.

• 3.7-mile loop atop Seattle's Queen Anne Hill
• Built 1911-1916, a City of Seattle scenic route
• Not part of the original 1903 Olmsted Plan
• Willcox Wall (1909), 4-22 feet tall
• W Highland Drive, Bigelow Ave N, W Raye St
• 360-degree hilltop views