HistoryLink Tours

Built in 1939-1940 with funds provided in part by the WPA, Floral Hall is a legacy of federal public works in the 1930s Great Depression. Concept for the building came from members of the Snohomish County Gladiolus Society who convinced the city to build an exhibition hall for flower shows and community events and their plan was made a part of the park’s depression era transformation. It is the most significant building in Forest Park.

According to a 1939 Everett Daily Herald account, the city announced that the building would be constructed using labor funded by the WPA and that the design would employ the Rustic Style of federal park architecture, using specially selected logs from the Three Lakes area east of Everett in Snohomish County. The unhewn peeled timbers ranged in size from eight to 24 inches in diameter.

Gladiolus Society President Hazel Carter dug the first shovelful of dirt at the building’s official groundbreaking ceremony on February 6, 1939, Floral Hall was completed in time for the group’s flower show in 1940.

Floral Hall has an open space interior with exposed wood rafters, a fireplace constructed of river rock on the east wall and a raised stage on the building’s south end. Originally it had a 12-foot veranda on its north and west sides, but a 1963 remodel enclosed the west side so that a large kitchen could be added. The flooring is maple and wagon wheels surround ceiling light fixtures, in keeping with the rustic theme.

Floral Hall was renovated in 1989 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year. Over time it has become a community center, providing a place for exhibits, music events, city and community meetings, programs, weddings and more. With a full kitchen, restrooms and a stage, the building is available for renting and is wheelchair accessible.

Continue to the Swim Center, next door, immediately south of Floral Hall.