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Natcher Conference Center Information

The Natcher Conference Center (Building 45) is part of the National Institutes of Health and is located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md. The Natcher Building is across the street and north from Building 38A and the National Library of Medicine.

The Natcher Conference Center is a state-of-the-art conference center with the latest technology in audio-visual presentations, recordings, interactive video and audio technology.

The center consists of a 1000 seat auditorium, two (2) video teleconferencing rooms with 30 seats each, and seven (7) conference rooms with a maximum of 140 seats. The center is expected to serve 315,00 to 360,000 patrons per year. The center hosts events such as meetings, workshops, multi-day conferences, exhibitions, scientific counselor sessions, broadcasted and interactive teleconferences, and multi-language, simultaneous interpretation meetings. The Natcher Conference Center is fully accessible.

Getting There

NOTE: New security measures have been put in place on the NIH campus, affecting both staff and visitors. For more information, please refer to the NIH Visitor Information [nih.gov] page on the main NIH Web site [nih.gov].

We strongly encourage taking the Metro to the Natcher Conference Center. There are very few visitor parking spaces at NIH. There is a three-hour limit on visitor parking spaces, and ticketing is enforced and irreversible. The Natcher Conference Center is a 5-minute walk from the Medical Center station on the Red Line. The Natcher Building is located on Center Drive directly behind the Medical Center Stop.

NIH Campus Parking Map [parking.nih.gov]

Washington Metrorail Maps and Stations [wmata.com]

If you must drive, take the Wisconsin Avenue exit from the Capital Beltway (Rte 495) and go 1.5 miles south on Wisconsin Avenue toward Bethesda to the 5th traffic light at Center Drive/Jones Bridge Rd. Turn right onto Center Drive. The Natcher Building is at 45 Center Drive and is located across from the Library of Medicine.

An alternative parking at NIH is to drive to Bethesda and park in a public lot in Bethesda. From Bethesda you can either take the Metro (stop is located at East West Highway and Wisconsin Ave.) to the Medical Center Stop or walk up Wisconsin Avenue to Center Drive (about a 10-15 minute walk). You may also drive and park at other Metro Stops on the Red Line that have public parking and take the Metro to the Medical Center station. Convenient stops include Rockville, White Flint and Grosvenor.

Getting to the Natcher Building

Due to increased security on the NIH campus, a guard or policeman will stop you at the entrance to South Drive and ask for your driver's license and the purpose of your visit. You will be sent to a parking lot nearby and your car will be inspected. After the inspection, you will receive a visitor pass. Continue down South Drive to the intersection with Center Drive. Turn left, and then make the third left into the visitor parking lot. This turn is immediately after the turn into the plaza in front of the William H. Natcher Building (Building 45) and just before a large intersection and traffic light.

Food and Vending Service

The Natcher Building contains a cafeteria, with open and private dining facilities, located on the first floor level, A Wing.

Service Hours
Breakfast: 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
Lite Fare: 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Soda and snack vending machines are located in the galley areas of levels two through six, A Wing on the P2 level of the Natcher Conference Center B Wing, adjacent to the north and south walls of the floor.

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Last Reviewed: November 12, 2008