House where Kurt Cobain died

Kurt Cobain died in the greenhouse above the garage of his Seattle home at 171 Lake Washington Boulevard East on April 5, 1994. He was 27 years old. His body was discovered on April 8 by an electrician who had come to the property for a job. Cobain had shot himself with a 20-gauge shotgun. A note written in red pen, addressed to his childhood imaginary friend 'Boddah', was found near the body. He had been missing for several days following a stay at a rehabilitation centre; his wife Courtney Love had hired a private investigator to find him.

The house on Lake Washington Boulevard -- a large, secluded property behind a wall in the affluent Denny-Blaine neighbourhood near Madrona Park -- had been purchased by Cobain and Love in 1993. Cobain had been struggling with heroin addiction, depression, and stomach pain for years; the commercial success of Nevermind in 1991 had brought a level of fame that he found deeply uncomfortable, and the In Utero tour in 1993-94 had left him exhausted and in evident crisis. His death confirmed the fears of many who had watched him deteriorate and ended Nirvana at their commercial peak.

The property at 171 Lake Washington Boulevard East remains a private residence. Viretta Park, immediately adjacent to the property, has become an informal memorial site where fans leave notes, guitar picks, flowers, and graffiti on two benches that face the house. The benches are regularly covered in messages and are repainted by the city, only to be covered again. Visiting the park is the closest public access to the site of Cobain's death.