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Ranger talking to visitor in front of carousel (NPS)
Ranger-led programs and tours are free of charge and open to the public. All programs can be modified for a special need or specific age group. In addition to the regular offerings, some tours are available by advanced reservation. Please contact us here to make a reservation or ask questions.
* Rangers are not always onsite. The best way to contact us for questions is by email or by calling Great Falls Park Visitor Center at 703-757-3101.
Regularly Scheduled Programs 10:00am on first Saturday of each month- Glen Echo Park Civil Rights and History Tour (details below) 11:00am on first Saturday of each month- Junior Ranger Swearing In Event (details below) 9:30am on second Saturday of each month- National Parks Along the Potomac (details below)
Reservation Programs Glen Echo Park Civil Rights and History Tour (details below) Carousel Tours (details below) Virtual History Presentations (details below)
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Glen Echo Park Civil Rights and History Tour
Join a ranger on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at the carousel for a guided park tour that will highlight a remarkable and important history. What is the civil rights story of Glen Echo Park? Which amusement park ride was a focal point of the protests? How did Glen Echo Park become part of the national park system? Explore Glen Echo Park’s history on this tour and find out the answers to these questions and more! This tour is also available by advanced reservation.
Junior Ranger Swearing In Event
Meet the ranger at the Candy Corner on the first Saturday of the month at 11:00 a.m. to be sworn in as a junior ranger or to be issued any of the various junior ranger books from the north district of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
National Parks Along the Potomac
What: Four-mile Ranger Guided History Hike from the Carousel in Glen Echo Park to the C&O Canal National Historical Park, Union Arch Bridge and the Clara Barton NHS
When: The Second Saturday of the Month with Registration at 9:30 a.m.
Starting Point: The Dentzel Carousel at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD 20812
This two and half hour, four-mile guided hike starts at the Carousel in Glen Echo Park. We will walk through the park and uncover the story of what was once Washington’s premiere amusement park. Next, we will walk a downhill trail and cross over the C&O Canal where we will learn about African American canal worker, George Pointer. We will then walk up-stream before crossing the canal again and ascending the steep hill to learn about the Union Arch Bridge, part of the Washington Aqueduct. Finally, we will stroll through the town of Glen Echo to Clara Barton National Historic Site (NHS) where we will discover the history of the house and the story of its famous resident, the founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton. Clara Barton NHS is adjacent to Glen Echo Park where the hike started. This four mile circuit hike is for the physically fit walker. There is elevation change between MacArthur Blvd. and the C&O Canal. Some sections of unpaved trail are uneven with rocks and tree roots. No dogs or strollers please. Ample parking is available in the main Glen Echo Park parking lot off Oxford Road. Please e-mail kevin_patti@nps.gov to register for this free hike.
Carousel Tours
Join a park ranger and take a close look at the beautiful Dentzel Carousel which was installed in 1921, fresh from the factory in Pennsylvania. Find out how it was made, how it works, and about the rest of the amusement park attractions that were built around it. Hear about the civil rights protests that marched right into the carousel in 1960. Follow the inspiring story of the community’s efforts after the amusement park closed to raise money to save the carousel for future generations. And, finally, learn how the National Park Service, with donated funds, has restored the carousel to its original glory. Available by reservation only.
Virtual History Presentations
From the Dentzel Carousel at Glen Echo Park, National Park Rangers are now offering free virtual programs to groups of 10 or more. Join us as we focus on Glen Echo Park’s crown jewel, the Dentzel Carousel, with this talk about its history. As we uncover the last one hundred and one years, we will learn of the civil rights protests to integrate the segregated Glen Echo Amusement Park that began with a sit-in on the carousel in 1960. We will learn of the heyday of the amusement park during the streetcar era, the closing of the amusement park in the sixties and the efforts to save the carousel and bring the park into the National Park System in the 1970s. We will also see pictures of the beautiful carousel animals carved by William Dentzel’s carousel company that have now all been carefully restored. Available by reservation only.
