District of Columbia
Parks
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African American Civil War Memorial
Washington, DC
Over 200,000 African-American soldiers and sailors served in the U.S. Army and Navy during the Civil War. Their service helped to end the war and free over four million slaves. The African American Civil War Memorial honors their service and sacrifice.
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Park
Anacostia
Washington, DC
Whether you exercise along the river trail or relax by the water, Anacostia Park is a breath of fresh air and a space to unwind amid a bustling city.
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National Monument
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality
Washington, DC
Home to the National Woman's Party for nearly 90 years, this was the epicenter of the struggle for women's rights. From this house in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, Alice Paul and the NWP developed innovative strategies and tactics to advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment and equality for women. President Barack Obama designated the national monument on April 12, 2016.
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Capitol Hill Parks
Washington, DC
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.
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National Historic Trail
Captain John Smith Chesapeake
Various States, VA,MD,DE,DC,PA,NY
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!
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National Historic Site
Carter G. Woodson Home
Washington, DC
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.
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National Historical Park
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
Potomac River, DC,MD,WV
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!
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Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, DC,MD,NY,PA,VA,WV
NPS helps you learn about and enjoy the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America. Here, you can visit major league cities, colonial towns, farms and fishing villages. You can learn to kayak, pick crabs, go fishing, tour a lighthouse, slurp oysters, and slow down to enjoy the natural beauty of the Chesapeake. Download the Chesapeake Explorer mobile app or visit FindYourChesapeake.com. ...
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Civil War Defenses of Washington
Washington, DC,MD,VA
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. This month CWDW will talk about Battleground National Cemetery.
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Constitution Gardens
Washington, DC
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.
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Ford's Theatre
Washington, DC
Explore Ford's Theatre NHS, discover Abraham Lincoln's life in Washington, D.C., the struggle for a united country, and the motivation behind Lincoln's assassination. The National Park Service and the Ford's Theatre Society present a variety of programs year round.
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Fort Dupont Park
Washington, DC
Will be hosting garden information sessions and 2016 permit issuance on the following date: July 16,2016 10:00AM - 12:00PM Location will be at Fort Dupont Park Activity Center 3600 F Street & Minnesota Ave, SE Washington, DC 200
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Washington, DC
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself...." iconic words from an iconic president. Learn more about the man, his memorial and his lasting legacy to the Nation.
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National Historic Site
Frederick Douglass
Washington, DC
Frederick Douglass spent his life fighting for justice and equality. Born into slavery in 1818, he escaped as a young man and became a leading voice in the abolitionist movement. People everywhere still find inspiration today in his tireless struggle, brilliant words, and inclusive vision of humanity. Douglass's legacy is preserved here at Cedar Hill, where he lived his last 17 years.
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Memorial Parkway
George Washington
DC, MD, VA
The George Washington Memorial Parkway was designed for recreational driving. It links sites that commemorate important episodes in American history and preserve habitat for local wildlife. The parkway and its associated trails provide a scenic place to play and rest in the busy Washington, DC metropolitan area.
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Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens
Washington, DC
In an age old dance wind, water, and land combine here. Sparkling in the sun on a breezy day, this natural area of Anacostia Park has origins in a 1926 act of Congress to preserve the forests, water quality, and recreation value of the waterways of Washington, DC. The park reflects the policies that affect rivers and wetlands. Come, join the dance.
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Korean War Veterans Memorial
Washington, DC
Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.
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LBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac
Washington, DC
From this distance the seat of national power appears pristine across the river, so President Johnson came here often when he needed to escape from the stresses of building a Great Society. After he died, his wife chose this place for his memorial. A landscape of serpentine paths, white pines, a granite monolith, and an open meadow honors his legacy of social justice and conservation legislation.
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Lincoln Memorial
Washington, DC
"In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." Beneath these words, the 16th President of the United States sits immortalized in marble as an enduring symbol of unity, strength, and wisdom.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Washington, DC
Located in downtown Washington, D.C., the memorial honors Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice.
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National Historic Site
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House
Washington, DC
Mary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse that is now this National Historic Site. The Council House was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Bethune’s last home in Washington, DC. From here, Bethune and the NCNW spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women.
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National Capital Parks-East
Washington, DC
Welcome to National Capital Parks-East. We invite you to journey to parks Beyond the Capital of Washington, D.C. National Capital Parks-East is 13 park sites, parkways and statuary covering more than 8,000 acres of historic, cultural, and recreational parklands from Capitol Hill to the nearby Maryland suburbs
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National Mall and Memorial Parks
Washington, DC
Each year, millions of people visit the National Mall and Memorial Parks to recreate, to commemorate presidential legacies, to honor our nation's veterans, to make their voices heard, and to celebrate our nation's commitment to freedom and equality. Note: The Washington Monument is currently closed for modernization of the elevator.
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Old Post Office Tower
Washington, DC
Built in 1899, the Old Post Office's clock tower offers panoramic views of Washington, D.C. The tower houses the Congress Bells, a Bicentennial gift from England commemorating friendship between the nations. The Tower remains closed as we work out the details and timeline for reopening with the General Service Administration, owners of the building.
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Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
A street unlike any other. It is known the world over as the heart of the Nation's Capital. America's history has marched, paraded, promenaded, and protested its way along the Avenue.
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National Scenic Trail
Potomac Heritage
the corridor between the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Highlands, DC,MD,PA,VA
Linking the Potomac and upper Ohio river basins, the Potomac Heritage Trail network follows the paths explored by George Washington. You can follow the same routes today—on foot, bicycle, horse and by boat—exploring contrasting landscapes between the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Plateau.
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President's Park (White House)
Washington, DC
Every president except George Washington has called the White House and its surrounding grounds his place of work, rest, and solitude. Recognizable around the world, the White House stands as a symbol of democracy. The White House and its park grounds serve not only as the seat of the executive branch of government of the United States of America, but also as an iconic place for civil discourse.
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Park
Rock Creek
Washington, DC
Rock Creek Park is truly a gem in our nation's capital. This 1,754-acre city park was officially authorized in 1890, making it the 3rd national park to be designated by the federal government. It offers visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge, recreation, fresh air, majestic trees, wild animals, and thousands of years of human history.
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National Historic Trail
Star-Spangled Banner
DC, MD, VA
For three years the young United States was embroiled in the War of 1812 and the Chesapeake Bay region felt the brunt of it, choked by shipping blockades and ravaged by enemy raids. Through sites and landscapes in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and throughout Maryland, the Trail tells the stories of the events, people, and places that led to the birth of our National Anthem.
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Theodore Roosevelt Island
Washington, DC
In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest” designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist.
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Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Washington, DC
Author of the Declaration of Independence, Statesman and Visionary for the founding of a Nation.
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Memorial
Vietnam Veterans
Washington, DC
Honoring the men and women who served in the controversial Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial chronologically lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in service to their country.
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Washington Monument
Washington, DC
Built to honor George Washington, the United States' first president, the 555-foot marble obelisk towers over Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument is currently closed to visitors to allow for modernization of the elevator.
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National Historic Trail
Washington-Rochambeau
MA,RI,CT,NY,NJ,PA,DE,MD,VA,DC
In 1781, General Rochambeau’s French Army joined forces with General Washington’s Continental Army to fight the British Army in Yorktown, Virginia. With the French Navy in support, the allied armies moved hundreds of miles to become the largest troop movement of the American Revolution. The effort and cooperation between the two sides led to a victory at Yorktown and secured American independence.
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World War II Memorial
Washington, DC
Through stone architecture and bronze sculptures, the World War II Memorial recognizes the ways Americans served, honors those who fell, and recognizes the victory they achieved to restore freedom and end tyranny around the globe.
By The Numbers
- 25 National Parks
- 41,801,278 Visitors to National Parks
- $776,300,000 Economic Benefit from National Park Tourism »
- $662,731,473 of Rehabilitation Projects Stimulated by Tax Incentives (since 1995) »
- $83,226,866 of Land & Water Conservation Fund Appropriated for Projects (since 1965) »
- $27,546,676 in Historic Preservation Grants (since 1969) »
- 17 Community Conservation & Recreation Projects (since 1987) »
- 322,519 Hours Donated by Volunteers »
- 4 National Trails Managed by NPS »
- 565 National Register of Historic Places Listings »
- 74 National Historic Landmarks »
- 1,071 Places Recorded by Heritage Documentation Programs »
- 3,253,972 Objects in National Park Museum Collections »
- 139 Archeological Sites in National Parks »
- 7 Threatened & Endangered Species in National Parks »
- 12 Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans »
- 8 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries »
- Download the summary »
These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2015.