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A waterfront office building that was designed to leverage the look of Fremont’s erstwhile industrial structures houses this software company.

The Burke-Gilman Trail passes under the Fremont Bridge and the Aurora Bridge. Both span the Ship Canal, although only the drawbridge opens for boat traffic.

Two ivy-covered dinosaur topiaries, which had formerly decorated the lawn near the Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center, now grace Fremont’s narrow Ship Canal Park. To save them from extinction, History House and a group of Fremont artists purchased these in 1999 for $1. The mother, 66-ft (20-m) long, and young apatosauri are now sanctioned by the city and fully integrated into the crazy quilt of what is virtually a neighborhood-wide sculpture garden.

The fenced-in area with benches and a roof sits right on the water, making it perfect for sunsets and bird- and boat-watching. Distant views include Salmon Bay’s dry-dock industry and the Olympic Mountains beyond to the west.

The lowest of four bridges spanning the Lake Washington Ship Canal, this connects Fremont to residential Queen Anne and two main arterials to downtown. Because of the bridge’s low clearance, it faces frequent openings from sailboat, motor yacht, or industrial vessels. Neon art adorns a portion of the span, in the form of a golden-haired Rapunzel and her locks cascading down from the bridgeman’s tower.

A boater’s dream, the small passenger-only steamer plies the waters of Lake Union from its north shore in Fremont to the grounds along the southern shore near downtown during the July Wooden Boat Festival. A labor of love for captain, Larry Kezner, the ferry is strictly for sightseeing cruises along Seattle’s Ship Canal and adjacent lakes.

An icon of Fremont’s free spirit is a 15-ft (4.5-m) tall Volkswagen-eating troll created by Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead, after winning a national competition sponsored by the Fremont Arts Council, that in 1989 decided that public art was the best use for a dark space beneath a highway bridge. Though ugly, the troll’s location under the north end of Aurora Bridge means that it remains on the route of almost every visitor who walks or takes a tour bus.

Mounds of gravel, asphalt, and conveyor belts make stark contrast with the solemnity and serenity of the water and parkland nearby.

Seattle’s colorful past is on view at History House where historians interpret and preserve the heritage of the city’s distinct neighborhoods. Exhibits in the main gallery complement a three-sided, sepia-tone wall mural that depicts 100 years of Seattle history, encompassing the arts, technology, and industry. Peruse the pictorial history of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (see The Locks & The Locks). Other features include a sculpture garden and a gift shop.

Huge plants decorate the front, and bright grow lights illuminate the interior of Seattle’s favorite neighborhood home and garden store.