Wagner Houseboat, Historic houseboat in Lake Union, Seattle, United States.

Wagner Houseboat sits on Lake Union near the Aurora Bridge with traditional wooden construction and floating home architecture typical of Seattle's waterfront. The structure maintains its original cottage design while accommodating the specific needs of waterway living.

The houseboat was built in 1912 and moved to Lake Union in 1938 where it remains today. It earned National Register of Historic Places designation in 1982.

The houseboat is named after Richard Wagner, who bought it in the 1950s with his wife Colleen. From their dock they hung a sign reading "The Old Boathouse" and rented out restored wooden boats, work that led to the Center for Wooden Boats, opened as a nonprofit on February 1, 1968.

The houseboat sits in an accessible area of Lake Union and can be viewed from public pathways nearby. Remember that this is a private residence and should be respected as such when visiting the waterfront.

This is one of Seattle's oldest surviving floating homes and demonstrates how waterfront dwellings evolved from temporary worker housing into permanent residential communities. Its survival over more than a century makes it a rare example of this distinctive way of life on water.