In celebration of the 250
th anniversary of American independence, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will take place in Washington, D.C., including on the National Mall, Pennsylvania Avenue National Historical Site, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, on August 22 and 23, 2026.
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5, beginning on August 14, 2026, the National Park Service (NPS) will begin to impose temporary closures of, and public use limits in, certain designated parklands in and managed by the National Mall and Memorial Parks in conjunction with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix. Closures are delineated in the map below and will be delineated by fencing or other physical barriers on-site. Closures will be lifted as soon as they are no longer necessary, restoring access to the public as soon as practicable. Violation is prohibited.
The United States Park Police (USPP) has identified that following closures are necessary during the load-in and load-out of the event, as well as during the event on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Based on evaluation by the USPP, these closures and public use limits are necessary to provide for public and worker safety and less restrictive measures would not suffice. Additional closures related to security for persons under their protection will be requested by the United States Secret Service. This ROD will be updated once that request is received.
The following closures have been requested by the United State Park Police:
Park Areas
- From 6:00 a.m. Friday, August 14, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the following areas will be closed to pedestrian access:
- Reservation 553: The small median area located southeast of the George Gordon Meade Memorial between Constitution Avenue NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
- Reservation 201: The small median area located southeast of the National Museum of the American Indian between Maryland Avenue SW, 3rd Street SW, and Independence Avenue SW
- From 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21 until 10:59 p.m. on Saturday, August 22nd the following areas will be closed to pedestrian access: *
- Sidewalks along Pennsylvania Avenue National Historical Site: On the north side from 3rd Street NW to 10th Street NW, and on the south side between 6th Street NW and 10th Street NW.
- John Marshall Park
- National Mall: Panels 1-6 and associated areas between Jefferson Drive SW and Madison Dr NW
- George Gordon Meade Memorial
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
- Indiana Plaza
- The United States Navy Memorial
- August 2, 2026- September 15, 2026
- Beyond actual closures, additional temporary impediments to pedestrian access are expected to occur intermittently at these locations due to fencing installation and removal.
*These closures are expected to continue through Sunday, August 23, 2026, until approximately 9:00 p.m. once the USSS submits their closure requests for the event.
Roadways
- From approximately 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 14, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic:
- Madison Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- Jefferson Drive from 14th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- 12th street Ramp between Madison Drive NW to Constitution Avenue NW
- 12th Street Ramp between Jefferson Avenue to Independence Avenue NW
- From 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026, to 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the above closure will be reduced to the following:
- Madison Drive from 7th Street to 3rd Street, NW
- Jefferson Drive from 7th Street to 3rd Street, NW
These temporary and partial closures and public use limits are not of a nature, magnitude and duration that will result in a “significant alteration in the public use pattern.” Further, the public use limit and closure will not adversely affect the parks’ natural, aesthetic or cultural values, is not of a highly controversial nature, and does not require a long-term or significant modification in the resource-management objectives of any affected park. Rather, these closures are limited temporally and geographically as much as practicable while still providing for the safety and security of this event, which is similar in certain respects to other events, including having wide appeal to the general public both locally and from further away. This closure still allows for public access to a significant amount of park land after security screening and around the impacted areas. Closures and public use limits such as these are commonplace for these types of public events with large, expected attendance and significant load-in and load-out requirements, and are necessary to provide the public with as much access as possible to park land while also addressing the event security and public safety concerns that the United States Park Police has identified for this event.
Accordingly, the National Park Service determines publication as rulemaking in the Federal Register is unwarranted under 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(b). This is consistent with hundreds of earlier partial and temporary park closures or public use limitations, the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor, and judicial adjudications. Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02-1715 (D.D.C. August 29, 2002), plaintiff’s emergency motion for injunction pending appeal denied Mahoney v. Norton, No. 02- 5275 (D.C. Cir. September 9, 2002) (per curiam); Picciotto v. United States, No. 99-2113 (D.D.C. August 6, 1999); Picciotto v. United States, No. 94-1935 (D.D.C. September 9, 1994); Picciotto v. Lujan, No. 90-1261 (D.D.C. May 30, 1990); Picciotto v. Hodel, No. 87-3290 (D.D.C. January 26, 1988); Spiegel v. Babbitt, 855 F. Supp. 402 (D.D.C. 1994), aff'd in part w/o op. 56 F.3d 1531 (D.C. Cir. 1995), reported in full, 1995 US App. Lexis 15200 (D.C. Cir. May 31, 1995). Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.7, notice of this temporary and partial closure and public use limit will be made through media advisories, maps, fencing, and by posting at conspicuous locations in the affected park areas. Finally, pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 1.5(c), this determination is available to the public upon request.
The United States Park Police concur with the Record of Decision and these closures are necessary for public safety and security.
Kevin L. Griess /s/ 8/11/2026
Superintendent
