This one of those pocket parks in seattle. It's actually two levels with a nice stairway. There are nice trees but the real reason to be c there is no course Kurt Cobain. There's a nice shrine at the picnic bench and you can b nearly see where the now demolished garage was. A piece of history! read more

Beautiful spot to just sit and look over the water. Makes you wonder if the neighborhood's late famous resident used to sit and do that as its steps from his old home. Just gorgeous. read more

Viretta Park - Viretta Park - Kurt Cobain bench- Seattle, WA - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It was crazy nostalgic for me and my husband to see the bench and be around the outside of his home. The views are beautiful of Lake Washington. I met my husband in junior high, and we have been together for over 30 years, and Nirvana was a huge part of our relationship and teen years growing up. Great experience aside from a creepy guy in a tent next to the memorial read more

See all

Really small park that we ran into while exploring. Kurt's fans are hardcore and I love it! read more

See all

I wasn't aware of or looking for Kurt Cobain's memorial when we came upon Viretta Park. It was noted as a memorial to Kurt Cobain on Google maps so we went exploring. It's a bench... A bench with many messages from fans, some dried flowers, and some garbage too. I couldn't tell if the beer can and the wine bottle is part of the memorial, probably not. The water bottle definitely is garbage. Sigh. His house is next to the park, and a peekaboo view is possible. Not that exciting but might be worth it for a Nirvana fan. Sadly, the area did not smell like teen spirit. read more

Viretta Park - Kurt Cobain Memorial - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I drove down Lake Washington just to see Kurt Cobain's home. I was a teenage when he passed, and I vividly remember the news video feed from the gates at the front driveway. I was not a Nirvana fan at the time, but as I've gotten older I've come to appreciate the music that he created. Fortunately, halfway down the block there are street side parking areas where I was able to park without disturbing any o fate residents and their driveways, and I was able to walk down to the former Cobain residence. Of course the residence is no longer owned by the family and they current resident does have a sign indicating that it is a pro I at residence and to respect their privacy - certain understandable given the amount of traffic that is likely seen there. Right next to the home is Viretta park.....2 benches sit in the park and one in particular is decorated with stickers, drawings and other stuff in memory of Kurt. There were flowers that looked like hey had been sitting there for a while too. I really appreciated being in that space and seeing the Cobain home next door. If you are a music fan, its a great place to go respectfully visit the neighborhood read more

See all

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday as I was a fan of Nirvana as a child. It was interesting, and was a touching display of fan-based artwork. Definitely worth checking out, if you happen to be in the area. read more

I went here because it is a must when you are into grunge music. It is a small but cute park with a bench where supposedly Kurt Cobain used to sit. It has a good view and feels peaceful. There is always someone respectfully on the site. Cool place near the house that impacted us in the 90s. You can easily go walking to other parks while walking around because parking is tight. read more

Viretta Park - you can continue walking through the neighborhood to other cute parks :) - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here on way to visit Kurt Cobains seattle home and memorial. We walked down to the water front looking for a bathroom but think we stumbled on a nudist colony. we quickly turned around and made way towards KC house to get a photo. The park sitting next to his house has bench where people have placed things in memoriam for him- joints, mushrooms, sunglasses, drinks, stickers and words of love. Surrounded by green lush environment. Great place to sit and take in the calm read more

Visiting Kurt's memorial was the main reason I came to Seattle. I found many other things to spend time on, but this was the centrepiece. I took the bus here and walked through the quiet, expensive neighbourhood to the green space and descended the stone stairs to the lower level of the park (there are two levels, the more visited lower level, and the quieter upper level, reachable by the stairs or by the dirt path). It was very moving and amusing and fascinating to see the messages left by those who visited before me on the four benches in the park. Loving messages, and angry ones, and funny ones, and sad ones. Little drawings and stickers and quotations and lyrics that mean a lot to someone. Flowers, candles, cigarettes smoked for Kurt. All the evidence of the impact he made, and makes, in people's lives with his band and his music, music that expresses so much of what's hard to articulate and to own up to. He said it himself: "The feeling and the vibes that we're giving out I think has a lot of compassion and emotion. And I would consider that soft and romantic. Even though it seems negative and hateful." Nirvana's music was and is a powerful outlet for "dangerous" feelings that many people share, but find difficult to express. Empathy doesn't have to be hand-holding and hugs and sweet words. Empathy can be screaming and breaking things and saying what no one else has the guts to say, and doing it in front of the world: making yourself into an outlet valve for the collective pain of humanity. It's not glamorous. It didn't end well. All the sickness of Seattle, collectively - their opiate addictions, their suicidal depression, their homelessness, their passive-aggressiveness and social awkwardness - all collected like drops of rain in Kurt's wide-open soul and weighed him down so much he collapsed in on himself. He had his own pain to deal with and humans can only take so much. To paraphrase the Kinks, "He should have been made of iron or steel, but he was only made of flesh and blood." And yet, somehow, despite, or rather because of, everything he was going through internally, Kurt managed pretty often to be a kind and empathetic human being. Which is why so many people go out of their way to visit this little secluded corner of reality to pay their respects: because he paid some respect to us. "If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us -- leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records." There is much to learn here for anyone who wants to be remembered, and remembered well, after they are gone. It makes me sad that the city of Seattle is too snobby and cheap to commission a proper memorial statue to place in the park, where fans can direct their tributes. A few wooden benches, appropriated for the purpose, are not an adequate memorial for one of us who contributed so much. I saw a rather nice DIY mural of Kurt in the city while I was there, soon to be erased, and a lovely private one, in a shop. Why not commission a proper public one? Liverpool has fully embraced its Beatletude, and I think Seattle needs to fully embrace the Nirvanafication that has happened to it. Stop resisting. I think the park is an ideal site for a real memorial, as it has a peaceful, quiet, yet powerful energy, generated by the enormous trees who live there, and by the nearby presence of a large body of water. Kurt died just a short distance away, but the place feels much more alive and in motion than that reality would suggest, due to the constant influx of people who come to that very spot out of love. Viretta Park is well worth a visit if you give a damn. I do. read more

See all

Growing up being a Nirvana fan definitely had to check out the Kurt Cobain mansion and unofficial Memorial located next to his mansion while in Seattle. Pretty much only thing located in this park is a bench where people wrote messages or leave flowers and other items for the late Rockstar. Tons of huge homes occupy the area where this park is located. Right up the road are beautiful views of the lake and also of Mount Rainier. The group jumped out lit up a fat one and popped on Smells Like Teen Spirit. Seemed like like the right thing to do while we were there. Spent about 10 minutes soaking it up and taking a couple photos. You can easily spend one minute there and save been there not much to really see. Not the greatest thing to do but if you're acting like a tourist you might as well put this part on the list. read more

See all

Definitely worth going to if you love Nirvana or Kurt Cobain. I was actually surprised on how small and simple it was...but thinking about it I think Kurt would have approved of it. And there was tiny little daisies growing all around which added to the experience. And probably it is granted that if you show up there, there will be others there to reminisce with. read more

See all

A peaceful and quiet memorial tribute to the late Kurt Cobain. The man/band changed the face of music and fashion. The little area is respected and taken care of. RIP Kurt. read more

Smells like teen spirit. Drove through a fancy neighborhood filled with big green trees, extravagant homes, and beautiful lakes surrounding it. Chills ran down my spine as soon as we drove up to the park. There alone you can spot the bench filled with lyrics and words for Kurt Cobain. Right across from the bench you can see his home. Take a moment and leave your mark. read more

Viretta Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Viretta Park is definitely a must go to spot for those who are devout Nirvana fans or any individual who likes to take a stroll down rock music history by going to locations of events that happened to musicians over the years. I was in my 20's when I heard of the suicide of Kurt Cobain. I was in Colorado at the time but had I lived in Washington at the time, in the Seattle are where I do now I probably would have attended the vigils that took place. And I like to tell myself before the tragedy that I would have went to Nirvana's early shows to prove to myself that my musical tastes were of the underground sort. Maybe they are maybe they aren't. Kurt's death had quite an impact on me, like it did many from my generation. There were lots of promising artists and more established ones that passed away during this time (like Brandon Lee for example). In honor of those that passed away too soon I dropped daisies off a river bridge to make closure of such sad events back in 1994. Viretta Park is right by the residence where Kurt Cobain passed away in and therefore the park has become more or less a memorial park unofficially to the musician. Especially one particular bench where Kurt apparently once sat. There is another bench there as well which also bears lamentations. There is etchings, writing and spray paint on the fence separating the house from the park as well. As far as parks go in of themselves and aside from the memorial aspect it is pretty basic. There is no playground equipment or anything like that there. There are a couple of paths. One goes to the fence that divides the house and the park and another path that goes up a hill which takes you to the driveway of a residence in which you can walk out to some neighborhood streets I imagine. There is also stairs by this driveway where you can go down back to the park too. So if you are looking for a excitable park for children this probably isn't it but if you want to give your respects to a great musician, leave a memento, quietly do lamentation to the situation that unfolded here in 1994 or for historical value then this is definitely a place to visit. read more

See all

A quaint park next to the house famously occupied by Kurt Cobain. It has two benches visited by fans who have left their mark by carving the wood, hand written notes, cigarettes, candles, stones, and flowers. Sit on the bench, say a prayer, sing a song and soak in the energy of the park. read more

Paid our respects to the Legend. I remember the day he died, so much sadness for his fans. My dad loved him, blasted his music every day at home when we were teens. I will always have a place in my heart for Nirvana and 90s alternative brings back so many memories for me and my teen years. I'm so glad I got to bring my kids here, a new generation who appreciates his talent. read more

See all

Just as others asked... Should there be more?? Well, the obvious answer to this is YES. The park is cute and quaint, and pretty much completely vacant. Which is awesome... But it was so small. Like there should have been just a little bit more. Not here, because Viretta Park is PERFECT. But there should be a little something at Linda's Tavern. Just a thought. Smoke a bowl, add some art to the bench, light a candle and try to look over the fence at the new owners of Kurt's house. read more

If your a Kurt fan this is a must stop when visiting Seattle. The park was so nice and the people who live there are very welcoming. Visitors who come by to see Kurt's house always leave a little something behind on the bench. read more

See all

I've lived in Seattle for almost 10 years now and had never before stopped by this morbidly famous site. Kurt and Courtney's old house, the spot where Kurt took his life (unless you're into the conspiracy theories about his death) and Viretta Park are right beside each other along Lake Washington Boulevard. Viretta Park is a tiny little lot that has only two benches, one of which is used as a shrine to Kurt. On the 21st anniversary of his death, I found the time to go to the house and the park next door. These days, the house is hidden mostly by vegetation and a big front gate. The above-garage apartment / greenhouse where Kurt took his life was demolished back in 1996. You can get a little closer to the house by walking down a well-worn path in the park, but there still isn't much to see from there. The bench is probably the only real "site" to see. Seattle parks repaints the bench, but it doesn't take long for it to fill up again with Kurt's lyrics, photos of Kurt, fan letters, flowers, picks and graffiti. The closest relic of those days comes in the form of this tree, which someone had carved "RIP" and the date into - sometime in either 1997 or 1998. The tree hasn't yet fully healed, much like the fans visiting the bench today - still listening to the music and wondering "what if." read more

See all

RIP Kurt Cobain. I feel bad this Memorial is in the middle of a very fancy neighborhood. The locals must feel bummed too. read more

To some it's just a tagged bench, to others it represents a huge genre of music and encompasses the history of one Seattleite that left a big mark on the world. Definitely worth a stop by if you're in town. The neighborhood is beautiful and so is the gate of Kurt's former house! You may even catch some clever lyrics, notes and props left to pay homage. It does look like they re-paint every so often as the names and dates were all fairly recent. read more

Viretta Park - Fun fan art. - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a small, hidden, private park in the Madona/Lechi neighborhood mostly well known for its adjacency to Kurt Cobain's last Seattle residence. The house where he committed suicide is vaguely visibile from the park itself. The park itself is rather small and consists of a couple park benches under a shaded friendly redwood that overlooks Lake Washington. Many visitors have left a note of thanks and tribute to their favorite Seattle rocker. It's a peaceful quiet park within walking distance to Denny Blaine Park just down the hill. The only reason I give it 4 out of 5 stars is because parking is pretty inconvenient in the area and if you miss the park it may take a while to find a reasonable turnaround spot. Of course, this is really no fault of the park. That said, best bet for parking is at Denny Blaine Park and just walk uphill about a quarter mile. read more

See all

I parked on 39th and John, the entrance to Viretta Park. From there I took the stairs down to the bench. Good views of Kurt's house from 39th and the stairs. read more

See all

This park. Oy. I have been here so many times - any time any out-of-towner comes calling, i bring them here. "that was kurt's house" and this is "Kurt's park" The last time I brought some folks here, there was such an eruption of giggles I could barely breathe for an hour. Reading all the graffiti and heartfelt confessions and accusations (Courtney did it!) My favorite, by far was this: Dear Kurt, Thanks. Love, Dave Grohl. read more

I took a bus out to this area, and even with a smartphone I could not, for the life of me, figure out which way to go. When I first arrived I was alone, and then this guy came up and asked if I was a fan. I'm really not a BIG fan, I came really because my friends wanted to live vicariously through me. So naturally I told him I was a huge fan. I was under the impression that he was the curator of the bench (sort of the way that guy takes care of strawberry fields in New York). A few minutes later he starts crying and shouting, "HOW COULD HE DO THAT! HOW COULD HE DO THAT TO ME!" It was then I realized he was just an overly emotional pothead. A couple more minutes pass and the place starts to fill with tourists. It's a somewhat secluded neighborhood-- definitely for rich families, and I can't help but feel like I'm invading their space while I'm here. I guess I empathize with these people because I live right behind the Painted Ladies in San Francisco (Full House houses) which has recently become a major tourist attraction, and it's been annoying. Anyway, it was worth the trek, but it's quite the commute for the five minutes you'll probably be there. read more

When I went to Seattle, visiting this park was a must so I could pay my respects to Kurt Cobain. I made sure to bring a marker to write him a note, and my husband ate his breakfast on the bench. We still miss you, Kurt! read more

Definitely worth the trip if you're in Seattle and were a Nirvana fan. The house is pretty hidden by trees and a gate but if you walk up a little dirt path to the left of the house by the bench you can get a pretty good look at Kurt's former house where he was found murdered (yes). Two benches with lots of notes and flowers from fans. Overall a sad and heavy feeling here so we didn't stay long. read more

See all

Pretty much the reason I moved to Seattle, nearly 10 years ago. The moment I arrived, I wanted to find Kurt's park. Here it is. Public park right next to the house he lived in. Courtney had the garage torn down a few months after he died, with the greenhouse on top of it, where he was found. (No comment). I found this park a few days after I arrived in Seattle - it's at 171 Lake Washington Blvd E. Beautiful neighborhood. I remember Kurt saying in an interview that he bought this house for $400,000 back in 1993, and that was this incredibly huge amount. Ha. Wonder what it's worth today. Viretta Park is public, with two benches. Both benches are covered in candle wax and messages to Kurt from visitors from all over the world. Very peaceful place. Make sure to walk down Lake Wash Blvd a bit, to the water. There's another little public area there right on the water where you get a view of Bellevue and the 520 bridge. read more

It was the most beautiful little park that had a perfect view of Kurt's former house. I went with my family after 19 years of always wanting to live in Washington and now we are living here. My son even wrote Kurt's name on the bench it was a very special day read more

See all

Child of the 80s/90s? Or just a music fan? If you find yourself in Seattle, visiting Kurt Cobain's Seattle house & his memorial bench is a MUST!!! I sat on his bench for 30 minutes listening to BLEACH ... the experience was chilling & surreal. There's a dirt path to the left of his house that gives you a better view. Park on "top" of the park and take the stairs down into the park / memorial bench. read more

See all

There's not much to see here other than the bench with all the stuff left on it. It's neat to see all the stuff people leave. You can get a glimpse of the house but not very much. Not even looking at the lake was good, it was a day full of wildfire smoke. read more

We all remember seeing this house on the news one dark day in April '94 & if you come to this park you'll see it in the flesh... well, the rooftop and a bit of the garage. Leave some flowers or some other offering that Seattle park officers will remove unceremoniously. Try graffitiing the bench, just know it's systematically painted over. It's unfortunate the people who now live in the neighboring house aren't more willing to exploit the homes history. read more

Beautiful park that overlooks the former house of Kurt Cobain. Park on the street. Easy walk up nice neighborhood too. read more

Viretta Park - Gate open! - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was probably my favourite part of my Seattle visit. We drove all the way there in our rental van based on some half-hearted directions and the pictures I saw on this site. I recognized the house right away, but we didn't see the bench because we were coming from the other direction. As half of my party gave up hope, I went and asked a local jogger, and she pointed out "a bench" but she had no idea what it meant or that it was Kurt Cobain's house. "Lady, that' Kurt's bench!" "How do you know that?" "The internet." "Did you come all the way from Canada just to see it?" "No." She was friendly despite her ignorance and I was THRILLED beyond belief at all of the love that was there, in poetry, scribbles, gifts, candles, and marijuana leafs. I could have stayed for hours :) read more

Viretta Park - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This bench is awesome, being a fan for so long and finally getting to come here was a real treat for me... THE house is gorgeous and practically the same as when Kurt lived there and the bench is a really great place to read messages left by other fans and sit and think about Kurt.. IT'S a little tricky to find but so worth it once you're there... read more

Viretta Park - Kurts bench... - Parks Near Me - Seattle, Washington

On one hand it's hard to believe that this is the only monument to Kurt Cobain in Seattle. In that respect this is a stunning space. A couple of benches, lush Seattle landscaping, and small little personal memorials to Kurt Cobain left here and there by fans who are still grieving the loss. No statue, no bronze plaque, just eery silence. On the other hand should there be more? Come as you are... read more

I agree. I don't think Kurt Cobain committed suicide. I think he was murdered and it's a fraudulent handwritten letter. But unfortunately we can't prove conspiracies and speculation. An educated guess. read more

The bench is possibly the best unofficial memorial for Kurt Cobain, as it sits right next to his former home. It's small and plain simple. When I went the bench looked like it was recently painted over with brown paint. read more

It's so amazing to see the house, his bench, the views of Seattle and to see where he lived. I can't believe I'm actually here!!! One more item off the bucket list of mine. The bench is open to the public and it's where Kurt spent a lot of time sitting. It's very emotional honestly. read more