Although the Denny Party came ashore on Alki Beach in 1851, they soon moved across Elliott Bay, where conditions were more suitable for a harbor, to develop the new town of Seattle. The Alki area and the rest of what is now West Seattle was slow in developing because of its separation from Seattle. This problem was solved with the creation of ferry service to the area which was later replaced with a trolley car line in 1902. After that the area developed rapidly and was eventually annexed in 1907.

The interest in the private and commercial beaches together with adjacent and newly acquired Alki Playground (acquired in 1908) and the beautiful forest ravine of Schmitz Park (also acquired in 1908), all combined to spark the acquisition of 2500 ft. of beach between 58th and 65th Avenues SW in 1910,?the original Alki Beach Park. The following year development began on the first municipal saltwater beach on the West Coast. It was a rare combination of recreation facilities, a beautiful sandy beach with a spectacular view and a magnificent frame Recreation Pavilion which included among other things a gym and refectories.

In 1924 a Park Bond provided funds for the acquisition of private property to create a "marine drive" along Alki Avenue. By 1927 the shoreline to Luna Park (a commercial amusement park built in 1907) had been acquired and the Seattle Engineering Department had begun work on the Marine Drive, an extension of Alki Beach Park. In 1931 the Luna Park Natatorium came to a sudden end at the hands of an arsonist. It remained in ruins until 1946 when the Park Department was able to purchase the old pool and waterfront property to SW California Place. Acquisition continued on along the shoreline, along Harbor Avenue.