Green Lake Aqua Theater, Lake stage in Green Lake, Seattle, United States.
The Green Lake Aqua Theater was an open-air stage built directly on the lake with a circular platform surrounded by a water moat. The structure held thousands of spectators on concrete bleachers and used the waterside location as a central element for performances.
The theater opened in 1950 for the Seafair Summer Festival and operated until 1965. It represented a period when Seattle sought to establish itself as a destination for major entertainment events.
The venue hosted opera performances and musicals that drew visitors from across the region during its heyday. These shows shaped Seattle's cultural life and created a special connection between water and performance art that was unusual for the time.
The original structure was later transformed into a public waterside walkway, with parts of the old seating still accessible to explore. Today the site does not host organized events but serves as a historical remnant that visitors can walk through and experience directly.
The stage was surrounded by a water moat that served both as a design feature and enabled water ballet performances to take place. This combination of a floating platform and audience seating was an uncommon design choice for outdoor theaters in the 1950s.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
