Oxbow Park

Welcome to Georgetown’s Oxbow Park, a unique setting that is home to one of Seattle’s oddest and cutest roadside attractions. A peculiar sight awaits, a huge cowboy hat and some colorful boots seem ready for a giant to step in.

The history of these intriguing objects may be mysterious to those who are not familiar with them, making them confusing to see. But fear not—a fascinating story is concealed behind this intriguing allure. The Hat n’ Boots formerly played a crucial role in a Texaco gas station that adorned the landscape in 1955. It proudly stood on East Marginal Way as the beacon of a lofty vision for a “Frontier Village” commercial area, but fate had other ideas and prevented it from coming to be.

The gas station’s vitality diminished throughout the years, and in the late 1980s, it bid farewell, leaving the steel and plaster structures—masterworks by regional commercial artist Lewis Nasmyth—to deteriorate in disrepair. However, there was a ray of hope, and the neighborhood came together to fight to save these beloved reminders of a bygone age. The Hat n’ Boots were meticulously rebuilt, finding a new home at Oxbow Park—a sanctuary where their charm could endure—as a result of their perseverance winning out.

The Hat n’ Boots evoke memories of another beloved artifact from the same era—the fabled Elephant Car Wash sign—under the warm rays of a beautiful afternoon. The Elephant enjoys a position of respect within a museum, but the Hat n’ Boots have chosen a different route while staying true to their origins. In this adorable little park, they gracefully tower over the neighborhood, adding magic and whimsy to the area and paying homage to its vivacious history.