Houghton Park and Ride/Play

Announcement

Thank you for playing with us! The temporary Houghton Park and Play closed May 4, 2026 to make way for the future Kraken Iceplex and Kirkland Community Center.

The Houghton Park and Ride was purchased by the City of Kirkland in early 2024 for recreational use. Temporary recreation improvements were added to transform the site into the Houghton Park and Play while the City evaluated long-term uses of the site. Parking is available on the site and there are limited restroom facilities. Please enter the site from NE 70th place.

The temporary Houghton Park and Play closed on May 4, 2026 to make way for the future Kraken Iceplex and Kirkland Community Center. Learn more about the Kraken Iceplex and Kirkland Community Center.

The City is committed to relocating the temporary Park and Play features so the community can continue to enjoy them. Here are the current plans:

Community Gardens: The garden plots moved to a new section of Rose Hill Meadows, made possible by a generous land donation. The gardens opened April 2026.
Pickleball Courts: Work is underway to convert the tennis court at Peter Kirk Park into six pickleball courts. The conversion is expected to be completed by June 2026 and depends on weather.
Skate Park: The skate park at Peter Kirk Park will be upgraded and incorporate favorite elements from the Houghton Park and Play. The skate park design work will take place in the first half of 2026, with a goal to start construction in late 2026.
Bicycle Features: The pump track and bike features are under assessment.

Community Gardens (Pea Patches)

The temporary community garden plots have relocated to Rose Hill Meadows.

Learn more about community gardens and how to reserve a plot

Pickleball

There are four temporary pickleball courts at this location. In the first half of 2026, the tennis courts at Peter Kirk Park will be converted to pickleball courts and these temporary courts will be closed.

The two eastern courts (closest to parking) are challenge courts. If both challenge courts are full and there are players waiting, limit play to one game to 11 points and rotate.
The two western courts (closest to 116th Ave and the gardens) are timed courts. If both timed courts are full and there are players waiting, limit play to 30 minutes and rotate.

The courts are available on a first-come, first served basis from 8AM to dusk.

Learn more about pickleball in Kirkland

Bicycle Play Garden

A bicycle play garden or traffic garden is a mini streetscape for youth or new cyclists to practice biking and traffic safety skills.

In this drawing, the play garden is at the loop that appears at the top of and curves to the right side of the image.

Drawing of temporary features at Houghton Park and Play

Pump Track

Pump Track at the Houghton Park and Play

A pump track is a special circular loop with rollers and berms for cycling. It is designed to be ridden by riders "pumping" or generating momentum by up and down body movements.