It used to be DC’s own amusement park, dating back to before the turn of the twentieth century. Now, it’s a National Park with a local non-profit helping to restore it. Glen Echo Park sits just up MacArthur Blvd from the Palisades. What an amazing place. Built in stages dating back to 1891, and featuring the amazing Spanish Ballroom, an Art Deco wonder built in 1933 and recently restored to its former glory. Looking for a place to go swing dancing? They have frequent swing dances with live orchestras. A working carousel? Got that too. It’s a restored Dentzel carousel, including an amazing Wurlitzer organ.
The park’s open everyday from 10am, and there are tours on the weekends at 2pm, and a special tour of the Carousel happens at 11am.
Take yourself back to a day in DC when trolley cars, not Metro cars, took people around town. When this cowboy inhabited the White House, not this one. Take the long drive up Canal to MacArthur and Glen Echo, you’ll not regret it. The Fall Colors make for a memorable trip.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
