News Release
NPS Photo / K. Graczyk
News Release Date: September 8, 2026
Contact:
NCR Communications
WASHINGTON — The National Park Service will temporarily close the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site beginning September 9, 2026, for rehabilitation of the historic home. The House is expected to reopen to visitors in early 2027, following improvements to the interior and exterior and cleaning of its historic artifacts.
Located at 1318 Vermont Avenue NW in Washington, DC, the house served as the first national headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Mary McLeod Bethune’s last home in the city. Mrs. Bethune established a school for African American girls, known today as Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and founded the NCNW, serving as its first president. She advised four United States presidents and was an internationally recognized leader in the struggle for civil, women’s and human rights.
The Bethune Council House is one of three historic homes managed by the National Park Service in Washington, DC, that preserve the legacies of African American figures who profoundly shaped American life and history. The other two are the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site. The Woodson Home is temporarily closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in November 2026. Guided tours of the Frederick Douglass Home are available Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit nps.gov/frdo.
NPS is proud to preserve and steward the Bethune House for current and future generations. During the closure, visitors can explore the site virtually on the park webpage.
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About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America’s most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.
Tags:
mary mcleod bethune,
civil rights
Last updated: September 8, 2026