Lincoln Memorial
Listen! Beneath the bustle of Washington, DC, the song of a meadowlark joins the sounds of friends, families, and fun. Authorized almost a hundred years ago as a multiple use park, Anacostia Park serves as a playground while protecting the natural scenery and water quality of the Anacostia River. The park serves as an example of how far-sighted urban planning serves today’s generation as well.
The Capitol Hill Parks include several park areas east of the U.S. Capitol. Included in this group are Folger, Lincoln, Stanton, and Marion Parks, the Eastern Market and Potomac Avenue Metro stations, and several smaller land parcels such as Seward Square, Twining Square, the Maryland Avenue Triangles, the Pennsylvania Avenue Medians, and 59 inner-city triangles and squares.
Four hundred years ago Englishman John Smith and a small crew of adventurers set out in an open boat to explore the Chesapeake Bay. Between 1607 and 1609 Smith and his crew mapped nearly 3,000 miles of the Bay and rivers and documented American Indian communities. Smith’s map and journals are a remarkable record of the 17th-century Chesapeake. Come join the adventure on the Chesapeake Bay!
Before Dr. Carter G. Woodson, there was very little accurate written history about the lives and experiences of Americans of African descent. Today a National Historic Site, Dr. Woodson’s home served as the headquarters for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Dr. Woodson established Negro History Week here in 1926, which we celebrate today as Black History Month.
Preserving America's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural and recreational treasures!
Through the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, and the Star-Spangled Banner and Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trails, NPS helps you learn, love, and care about the Chesapeake and rivers. Take a boat ride, bike a trail, sit by the Susquehanna, slurp an oyster, camp under the stars, and enjoy scenery that looks much like it did hundreds of years ago.
On forested hills surrounding the nation's capital are the remnants of a complex system of Civil War fortifications. Built by Union forces, these strategic buttresses transformed the young capital into one of the world's most fortified cities.
Officially established in 1965, National Mall and Memorial Parks actually protects some of the older parkland in the National Park System. Areas within this premier park provide visitors with ample opportunities to commemorate presidential legacies; honor the courage and sacrifice of war veterans; and celebrate the United States commitment to freedom and equality.
Explore Ford's Theatre NHS, discover Abraham Lincoln's life in Washington DC, the struggle for a united country, and the motivation behind Lincoln's Assassination. The National Park Service presents a variety of programs year round. Review our Schedule of Events for a list of the programs and other important dates that may affect your visit.
Fort Dupont Park is celebrating three important anniversaries this year. 2012 marks the Park's sesquicentennial as a Civil War fort, as well as its centennial as a park (79th year as a unit of the National Park Service) and our Summer Theatre concert series is commemorating 40 years of outstanding musical performances. There will be many programs to celebrate all the Park's birthdays.
Refine your list of the National Park Service's activity in this state or territory.
These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for fiscal year ended 9/30/11.