The Fremont Rocket

The Fremont Rocket is a 53-foot sculpture attached to a building at 3420 Evanston Ave N in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Its body uses the tail boom of a Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar” transport aircraft, fitted with rocket-like fins. Look up to see the sculpture; its lower end is hidden from view. An information panel nearby explains its background. The rocket works well as one stop on a walk around Fremont, where nearby sights include the Fremont Troll and the Statue of Lenin.

A rocket made from an aircraft

The sculpture was assembled from military surplus, including the tail boom of a Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar” transport aircraft. Rocket-like fins were added to give the aircraft part its new form. An early version had trouble staying upright and was substantially redesigned in 1993.

The 53-foot structure stands on a building at the corner of North 36th Street and Evanston Avenue. It became a Fremont landmark and fits the neighborhood’s motto, “De Libertas Quirkas,” translated as “Freedom to be Peculiar.”

Finding the sculpture

The rocket can be easy to miss from street level because it is attached to the building, and its bottom is out of sight. Look toward the roof as you approach, then find the nearby information panel for more about its background.

Before its move to Fremont, the rocket stood at an army surplus store in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. It came to its current location in 1994, after the store closed. Nearby Fremont sights include the Fremont Troll and the Statue of Lenin, so the rocket can be part of a wider neighborhood walk.