Overlake Elementary School
As you enter Downtown Park from the north entrance and stroll past the fountain, pause at the concrete railing ahead. Off to your left, you’ll notice a low, grassy wall, which is easy to overlook unless you know what to look for. This subtle rise marks the footprint of Overlake Elementary School, which was built in 1942 and renamed Bellevue Elementary in 1950. It was demolished in 1985 after new schools were built southeast of downtown, to make way for the development of Downtown Bellevue Park to balance rapid urban development with access to green space. Long before the park’s fountains and walking trails, this land belonged to Overlake School District, now known as the Bellevue School District. Today, plaques scattered throughout the city’s flagship park honor the early educational roots of the area, including several of Bellevue’s first schools. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder that even in a city known for constant growth, pieces of the past still lie just beneath our feet. And yet, this park is anything but still. Today, Downtown Park is a true gathering place; home to free summer movie nights, Bellevue’s annual Family Fourth celebration, and a winter ice rink that transforms the central water feature into a sparkling seasonal landmark. Just southeast, the Inspiration Playground invites children of all abilities to explore, play, and connect through interactive features designed for inclusivity and creativity. More than a green space, it’s a stage for community life, where Bellevue’s past and present come together in the rhythm of everyday joy.
Piloti Sculpture
Standing 23 feet tall and shimmering with over 180,000 rivets, Piloti was created by world-renowned artist Catherine Widgery and installed in 2020. With its 6,665 unique panels, this architectural marvel marks the threshold between Bellevue Downtown Park’s calm oasis and the buzz of Bellevue’s commercial core. The name “Piloti” comes from the world of architecture, referring to support columns that lift buildings above ground and represents a modern gesture that creates space, air, and light with both form and function.Step underneath the steel rotunda and you’ll notice a constellation of tiny holes punched through its surface. By day, these openings play with beams of natural light. By night, they scatter a soft glow, making the sculpture feel alive; a lantern for wanderers. It’s not just a beautiful frame for the sky above; it’s a space that invites gathering, whether it’s a quiet moment of reflection or a full-on wedding celebration.Piloti also represents a milestone in Bellevue’s evolving identity. It anchors the north end of Bellevue’s Grand Connection, a developing pedestrian corridor that stitches together art, design, and public life across downtown.
WWI Memorial Grove
In the heart of Bellevue Downtown Park stands a tribute memorializing three fallen soldiers who died in WWI. Look for a small grove of elm trees surrounding a weathered stone base and bronze plaque. This is “Lest We Forget,” erected to honor the sacrifices made by Bellevue’s own Victor Freed, Victor Edgar Hanson, and Clarence Oscar Johnson, In 1920, the Bellevue Minute Women of Washington State planted three elm trees to honor the lives of the three sons, and a few years later in 1926, the community added a flagpole and officially dedicated a plaque. While the original flagpole is gone, the base and plaque endure along with the spirit behind them. One of the elms was replaced in 2006 after a storm, but the memory it represents remains unshaken. Thanks to recent efforts by local residents, this modest monument is being lovingly restored. It’s a reminder that even amid the growth and bustle of modern Bellevue, the city’s roots, and those who gave their lives, are never forgotten.
Meydenbauer Bay Park
Before bridges stretched across the lake and highways carved through the hills, this shoreline was how Bellevue moved, playing a major role in the city’s development. Starting in the 1860s, Seattle baker William Meydenbauer became one of Bellevue’s earliest non-indigenous residents, attracting others and establishing early community. From 1892 to 1921, ferries docked right here in Meydenbauer Bay, linking the Eastside to Seattle and beyond as a bustling hub of connection and commerce. Even after ferry service shifted to nearby Medina, people would catch a shuttle just to make the connection. Look closer and this bay tells another story of industrial history, and it’s documented on a display in front of the Boathouse In 1919, William Schupp transformed the site into the winter base for his whaling fleet, part of the American Pacific Whaling Company. The boats worked the icy waters of Alaska, but came here for repairs and refuge in the off-season. The buildings once used as a machine shop and garage were later repurposed into the Bellevue Marina by the late 1950s. The park itself has had a journey of its own. Built in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration, Meydenbauer Beach Park fell into obscurity just a decade later. Overgrown with brambles and brush, it was nearly forgotten until a rediscovery in 1954 revived its place in the community. Today, thanks to careful restoration and expansion with community input, the park stands as a serene blend of nature, recreation, and history of a bay that once bridged Bellevue to the world. Now, the bay has been opened as a place for all to enjoy. The city continues to ensure public access, making this shoreline a shared treasure for both residents and visitors. On a summer day you might see families splashing in the calm inlet, anglers casting from the iconic curved dock, or adventurers renting kayaks and paddleboards from the Boathouse; once operated by REI and now run by Best Kayaks. Whether you come for a swim, a quiet moment on the shore, or an afternoon of exploration on the water, Meydenbauer Bay welcomes everyone to experience its waterfront beauty.
Groves and Stones
Tucked between the sleek lines of Bellevue’s Amazon towers, you’ll find something unexpected: a grove of art that begs to be touched. Groves and Stones was sculpted by artist Julian Watts in 2023 and features eight smooth bronze sculptures nestled into West Main Plaza. At first glance, they might look like abstract benches or oversized pebbles, both familiar and strange. Watts began by carving small, hand-held wooden models that evoke the organic shapes and tactile forms of river rocks worn down by centuries of water and time. These forms were digitally scanned, scaled up, and cast in bronze using ancient methods, like fossils of making. The result? Art that connects the digital and the elemental as urban folklore you can lean into, step across, or fall into reverie with. Inspired by the flowing landscape of the Pacific Northwest, amid glass and steel, Groves and Stones invites you to reconnect with something softer: the simple joy of touch, shape, and the rhythms of nature.
De Sol a Sol
Glowing in vivid red-orange hues, De Sol a Sol is a bold, culturally-rooted public sculpture that brings modernist radiance to downtown Bellevue’s West Main towers. Created by Puerto Rican artist Iván Carmona in 2023, the piece honors his heritage with a dedication to the Jíbaro, the island’s modern-day farm workers who tend the land De Sol a Sol, which translates to “from sunrise to sunset.” It’s a powerful homage to resilience, routine, and reverence for the land. Take a closer look and you’ll notice the textured striations along the surface, which echo trowel marks in wet concrete and neatly furrowed rows of tilled soil. These details are rooted in the artist’s deeply personal childhood memories of building alongside his father, shaping not just materials, but moments of connection, tradition, and craftsmanship. De Sol a Sol holds space for so much of Carmona’s lived experience and invites us to reflect on the labor we often overlook in a high traffic corridor surrounded by tech offices and modern development; the work that sustains life, that begins before dawn and ends well after dusk. This sculpture brings a grounding force, connecting the hyper-modern pace of downtown Bellevue with something timeless: the dignity of working with your hands.
The Root
Just outside Bellevue City Hall’s glassy facade and rising from a reflective pool, The Root stretches skyward in shimmering silver. Created by Dan Corson in 2006 and cast in bronze from the tangled roots of thirteen ancient western red cedar trees cleared during Bellevue’s early settlement, the sculpture contains more than 250 pieces and weighs over 10,500 pounds to resemble the metaphor of what holds Bellevue together. While these trees once supported ancestral forests, their sculpted roots now symbolize the hidden networks and systems of infrastructure, transportation, utilities, and government that support the city. The reflective surface is a nod to Bellevue’s industrial polish, and the silver patina blurs the line between water, wood, and wind, inviting contemplation on what lies beneath our modern lives. Behind it stands a living “nurse tree,” planted intentionally to mark the beginning of this civic space’s new story. Over time, it will be replaced by a towering tree of its own as a living symbol of regeneration and growth, rooted in the legacy that came before.
Endless Celebration
At the corner of NE 8th and Bellevue Way, towering above the sidewalk at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, a pair of abstract bronze figures stretch skyward to support one another in a sweeping gesture of grace. Endless Celebration was created by artist Gesso Cocteau and installed in 2005 at 51 feet tall, making it the tallest cast bronze sculpture in the western United States.Weighing close to three tons as a signature piece for Bellevue Place, the sculpture is a tribute to humanity’s powerful qualities of trust, joy, and communal uplift, crafted for a city that has built its identity on growth, optimism, and shared ambition.This sculpture has held the same pose for decades, offering a reminder to pause occasionally and look up.
The Love Between
At the intersection of art, identity, and community pride, The Love Between bursts from the pavement just outside Downtown Park. Made from thermoplastic material and installed directly onto the intersection near Carmine’s restaurant, this mural was created by Latinx and LGBTQ+ artist Esmeralda Vasquez and unveiled on June 1, 2024, during Bellevue’s Paws & Pride celebration. The design features two hands reaching toward one another, connected by a flowing stem that blossoms into eight vibrant flowers. Each bloom represents the colors inspired by the LGBTQIA+ pride flag, and by the colors of the trans and non-binary communities. This piece was shaped not just by the artist’s vision, but by conversations and input gathered from the local LGBTQIA+ community. More than just a striking crosswalk, this mural is a living, colorful declaration of inclusivity, and a profound reminder that love, in all its forms, deserves space to grow in every corner of the city.
Fu Dogs at City Hall
Standing proudly at the entrance to Bellevue City Hall, these marble Fu Dogs are symbols of international friendship and cultural pride. Culturally recognized as guardian lions, the Fu Dogs are a gift from Bellevue’s sister city, Hualien, Taiwan. The imposing stone statues arrived in 2010 and carved from marble quarried in Taiwan’s Chungyang Mountains. In 2013, the City of Bellevue held an “awakening” ceremony to celebrate the 30-year sister city relationship and introduce the sculptures to the community. Fu Dogs are traditionally placed in pairs to watch over important building, and Bellevue’s pair replaced a single “bachelor” lion that had stood near City Hall since the 1980s. Now, these 3,600-pound sentinels welcome visitors, guard the peace, embody cultural bridges, and stand as reminders of international friendship and civic pride.
Gandhi Statue at Bellevue Library
Near the Bellevue Library, you’ll find a quiet, yet powerful, life-sized figure of Mahatma Gandhi, cast in bronze and striding forward with his iconic staff. A thoughtful gift from the Government of India in 2009, this statue represents the values of peace, justice and freedom that Gandhi championed and the growing Indian community in Bellevue and across the region. Indian artist Anil R. Sutar’s sculpture was presented by the National Federation of Indian‑American Associations (NFIAA) alongside the Washington state chapter of Federation of Indian American Associations (FIAWA), in collaboration with the City of Bellevue and King County Library System, and was unveiled under the leafy canopy of Diwali Day. Today, more than 6,000 people of Indian descent now call Bellevue home. This statue stands not only as a symbol of India’s legacy but also as a sign of mutual respect between cultures, and the potential for continued connections across continents. Pause here to reflect on Gandhi’s powerful message, and on the rich cultural stories that shape Bellevue today.
Old Bellevue Main Street
Step off the high-rise avenues and into a street where Bellevue’s earliest stories still echo. Old Main Street feels worlds away from the glass towers that define downtown, yet this tree-lined corridor was once the city’s bustling main artery. In the late 1800s, after Seattle baker William Meydenbauer settled nearby, Bellevue grew from a patchwork of logging camps, orchards, and farms into a small town with its first businesses clustered right here along Main Street. For much of the 20th century, this stretch was Bellevue’s retail hub; a place where families shopped for groceries, picked up supplies, and gathered with neighbors. Though Bellevue has since risen into a global city with a skyline of its own, Old Main has held on to its intimate, small-town charm. Strolling today, you’ll pass locally owned boutiques, family-run restaurants, and welcoming storefronts that keep Bellevue’s early spirit alive. Pause here and you’ll notice that the rhythm of the street is slower: shopkeepers greet regulars by name, patios spill into the sidewalks with al fresco diners, and flower boxes brighten every corner. At night, the area comes alive again, with cozy bars and restaurants buzzing with conversation. Old Main Street also connects Bellevue’s past to its present through community traditions. The Bites of Bellevue tour, led by Savor Food Tours, highlights local favorites like Monsoon, Bis on Main, and Matcha Magic, weaving culinary exploration with history. It’s just one example of how Old Bellevue continues to reinvent itself while honoring its roots. Here, among the boutiques and bistros, you’re walking the same route that once defined Bellevue’s early town center; a reminder that even in a modern city of rapid growth, some streets still carry the character and spirit of its beginnings.
