Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Danger Vehicle Weight Limit at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Entrance

Due to structural conditions at the driveway entrance, access to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens main entrance and parking lot is limited to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 16,000 pounds or less.

Overview

Deep within Kenilworth lies an oasis, hidden behind trees and cattails. It's a place where beavers build their homes and turtles sleep on logs. Lotus blooms rise from the muck and lilies sit on the water. The wind dances with the dragonflies, rustling through the trees, carrying the song of the birds until it brushes across your face, fading to a whisper, saying "come join."

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Craft Demonstrations
  • Cultural Demonstrations
  • Food
  • Picnicking
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Hiking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Plan your visit

Hours

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens: Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Getting there

The park is located in North East Washington D.C. south of route 50 and just off the Baltimore Washington Parkway. The park is also within the D.C. Kenilworth community and the Anacostia river runs along the park boundary. Interstate 295 runs parallel to the park. The park is within half a mile from the Deanwood Metro station on the orange line. There is free parking at the park.

Visitor centers

Weather

June-September expect warm and humid weather. Average high temperatures are in the 80s, though often in the low 90s. On humid days, showers and thunderstorms often build in the late afternoon. July and August are the warmest months. The coldest month is January, with average daytime highs in the low 40s and overnight lows in the upper 20s.

Phone: 771-208-1571

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Aquatic ponds during the fall with trees displaying orange and yellow colors.
Fall Colors · NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez.
Turtles basking in the sun.
Hanging around · NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez.
A woman taking a photo of lotus flowers
Capturing Moments · NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez
Great Blue Heron in flight over the ponds during the fall.
Flight in Fall · NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez

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