ARTS AND COMMUNITY

Playfield Walkway

Grab yourself a free banana
Banistas prepare to hand out bananas to the Puget Sound Community
Listen

Welcome to the Amazon Playfield! Depending on the day you’re visiting, there are lots of things that might be happening here. For example, during the summer months we have a twice-weekly community farmers market (an extension of the famous Pike Place Market) where local farmers can set up to sell their produce and goods to South Lake Union residents. Amazon Community Impact, an Amazon group focused on giving and building community, regularly organizes volunteer events for employees like assembling disaster-relief kits. We also host local groups like The Girls Scouts of America for STEM education classes. Also in the playfield, you will find free concerts that occur throughout the summer.

Blue seating pods line a grassy area outside the Spheres for an event

Special seating pods line The Playfield for a Winter Wonderland pop-up event

You might also notice the silver Airstream trailer which houses our community banana stand. Go ahead and grab one - they are free for everyone! Every day Amazon gives out about 6,000 bananas to anyone passing by. Did you know that a bunch of bananas are referred to as a “hand,” and each individual banana is a “finger”? Also, the people giving out the bananas? We call them “Banistas”, and they are full of other fun banana facts.

Two passerbys grab bananas from a silver trailer that sits in the Playfield

Passerbys grab a quick potassium-filled snack from friendly Banistas

At Amazon, we aren’t just giving out community bananas. Our employees, working with a variety of our local charitable partners, delivered over 1.8 million meals to underserved families in the Puget Sound area in 2022. Once a year, you will see this area transformed for Amazon’s global month of volunteering. In September of 2023, Amazon hosted over 1,800 unique volunteer opportunities in over 50 countries. In the Puget Sound area Amazon is the #1 corporate philanthropist donating more than $174 million to 200 nonprofits in 2021 & 2022.

hqdefault.jpg
Hear about a few ways Amazon is supporting the Puget Sound community

What about what you are seeing in the gardens? The landscape along the exterior walkway separating The Spheres and the Day 1 Playfield features many hardy plants that are related to those inside The Spheres, including begonias, bromeliads, and epiphytic ferns. These species hail from areas around the world, with a focus on species from Asia, South America, and Australia.

As you walk along this northern path, the large tree ferns make it feel as though you’re transported back to the prehistoric era. These ferns live comfortably in Seattle’s cool, rainy climate, but are pampered in winter with special blankets provided by our horticulture team!

Explore the Area
Map showing all tour stops with Playfield Walkway highlighted
Map showing all tour stops with Playfield Walkway highlighted
Nearby Tour Stops
Don’t miss the chance to explore these nearby sites for more fascinating discoveries!
AMAZON CULTURE
Over 40,000 plants from 30 countries
2 minutes
HORTICULTURE
Amazon Go “Just Walk Out” technology
ARTS AND COMMUNITY
Bronze art among rare trees