Leif Erikson Statue

Leif is 100 feet south of the Seattle Sailing Club: 7001 Seaview Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98 177. Easy to visit him 24 hours a day.

The Leif Erikson Statue (now located at the Shilshole Marina) is a fun statue demonstrating Ballard’s Scandinavian past standing tall for all its immigrants (primarily Danes, Finns, Icelanders, Norwegians, and Swedes). Leif Erikson remains the first recorded European to set foot on American shores and represents all immigrants who travelled to new lands for freedom, opportunity and a hopeful future.
The statue was a gift to the city of Seattle from the Norwegian-​American community during the Seattle World’s Fair in June of 1962. At the base of Leif Erikson is a large granite stone six feet in height. The circular plaza is encircled by «Stonehedge-​esque» upright, runic-​like stones. Each stone features a Viking carving and plaques with the names of 1,767 immigrants, accompanied by their hometowns and years of immigration. The tribute display was designed by Jay Haavik.
The statue is a unique piece of Ballard’s past worth a visit to the Shilshole Marina with gorgeous views of the Olympic Mountain Range.

The Leif Erikson statue is one of the many cool yet slightly odd statues that you’ll find all around Seattle. It’s a tribute to Scandinavian immigrants across the United States.
Leif Erikson was the first Scandinavian to come to North America (he didn’t actually come to Seattle though). This 16 foot tall statue was first unveiled during the 1962 World’s Fair. For many decades after, the statue was a kind of touchstone for the Scandinavian community here. The King of Norway even visited!
In 2002, the Port of Seattle announced that they were going to renovate the Shilshole Marina, where the statue is located. By 2007, Scandinavian groups had raised enough money to commission local carver Jay Haavik to add a new base to the statue, as well as new stones to surround it. The stones have plaques on them which include the names of Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, Danish, and Finnish immigrants, their home towns, and when they immigrated to America. It’s really pretty neat. As of right now, there are almost 2,000 names, and they’re still adding more.
If you’re interested in Seattle’s history or even just the vikings in general, this imposing and unique statue is a must visit.