HistoryLink Tours

The forest recovery sign roughly marks the location of Forest Park Zoo’s bear cage, built when bears were added to the zoo in 1919. Housed in a small, caged area, the bears occasionally escaped. A 1922 news story recounts the wanderings of a female bear who made her way into a nearby ravine, pursued by Parks Superintendent Hall, a city deputy and two workers. Hall, the officer and one worker ended up needing hospital treatment before capturing the bear. Over the years there were other bear escapes and vandalism to their cage. Once vandals shot and killed two of the bears, leading to the removal of the bear exhibit. In 1976 the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim agreed to take the remaining three bears and their Forest Park cage was removed.

Climb this main park road. On the left you will pass parks administration and maintenance buildings below, which are not open to the public. Parks administration had originally operated out of City Hall but moved to Forest Park in 1967. The main administration building was constructed that year by an Everett Junior College Vocational Carpentry class.

Continue to the top of the hill.