Green Lake Aqua Theater

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.