Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park - Photo of Great Falls Tavern which dates to 1831. (U.S. National Park Service)

Photo of historic Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center with dogwood tree in bloom.

Photo courtesy of NPS employee Mike Vliet.

The Historic Great Falls Tavern has stood at Lock 20 on the C&O Canal since 1831. Today the building serves as the visitor center at the Great Falls section of the park. Mule drawn canal boat rides are scheduled to resume in April 2009.

The visitor center is located at 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, MD 20854 (301-767-3714). Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center is open year round, seven days per week from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Days). Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.

The Great Falls of the Potomac have drawn people to the river's shore for centuries. To Native Americans it was a gathering place, to George Washington it was an impediment to navigation, to thousands of visitors every year it is a awe-inspiring site. Tourists have been drawn to the Great Falls of the Potomac long before there was a canal. The Great Falls Tavern carries on a long tradition of hospitality for visitors to the C&O Canal. Soon after the canal's ground breaking in 1828 construction began on the original lockhouse. In response to travelers' requests for shelter and a meal, the locktender here at Great Falls, W.W. Fenlon, asked the Canal Company to build the three-story north wing for a hotel. Proposing himself as innkeeper but adding, "Mrs. Felon is better calculated for Land Ladie," he wrote. The hotel opened for business in 1831. The entrance door invited guests into a large, windowed room with fireplaces and a bar. As the inn's first proprietor Mr. Fenlon presided over lively entertainment like fishing parties, dances and social events in the "ballroom," in addition to good dinners and a place to sleep. A community of over 100 people grew nearby with shops and a post office. The National Park Service offers interpretive programs year round and boat rides in the spring, summer and early fall. (Due to structural damage, the Canal Clipper at Great Falls did not run from the spring of 2003 through summer of 2006. Please call the visitor center for alternative programs).

Photo of Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center musuem

NPS Photo

The Great Falls Tavern museum offers many exhibits available to the public.

Directions:

From Interstate 495:

Maryland: Take exit 41 (Carderock /Great Falls, MD), follow Clara Barton Parkway to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd. Follow MacArthur approximately 3.5 miles into the park. MacArthur Blvd. ends at the park.

Virginia: Cross into Maryland over the American Legion Bridge (beltway inner loop) and take exit 41 (Clara Barton Parkway) Westbound, left at fork. Follow Clara Barton to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd. Follow MacArthur Blvd approximately 3.5 miles into the park. MacArthur Blvd. ends at the park.

From Washington DC:

Take M Street to fork. You can follow either MacArthur Blvd, the right fork or take Canal Road, the fork to the left.

MacArthur Blvd.: Follow MacArthur until it ends at the entrance to the Great Falls section of the park, approximately 8 miles.

Canal Road: Follow to Chain Bridge. At stop light continue straight ahead. Canal Road changes into Clara Barton Parkway. Follow Clara Barton Parkway to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd., and follow it for approximately 3.5 miles until it ends at the park.

From Frederick, Maryland:

Follow Interstate 270 south toward Washington, DC. Take exit 5 (Falls Road). Exit right toward Potomac on Falls Road. Follow Falls Road 6 miles until it intersects with MacArthur Blvd.. At stop sign turn right into the park.

Visitor Centers