Rock Creek Park Day

Join us for our annual Rock Creek Park Day on Saturday, September 28, 2024. This event celebrates the founding of our national park.

Established by Congress on September 27, 1890, Rock Creek Park turns 134 this year!

Schedule of Events

Below is a list of activities to enjoy and participate in throughout the day. The schedule is organized by location and then by time, and it is subject to change. Please check back often and especially closer to the event date for the most accurate schedule. If you have any questions about the event, please reach out via email or call us at 202-895-6070.

Jump to: Nature Center | Peirce Mill | Georgetown Waterfront Park

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Nature Center

Ongoing Activities

The following events are happening from 10 am to 3 pm outside of the Nature Center and in the parking lot, unless otherwise noted.

 

Go-Go Scene Unseen: Women in Washington, D.C. Go-Go exhibit logo

Courtesy of The Humanities Truck

Art Making: Go-Go Music Poster
Description: Create and take home your own Go-Go concert poster to celebrate Rock Creek Park Day! Feel free to snap a photo of your completed art and tag us @RockCreekNPS and use the hashtag #YourParkStory.

Pop-up Program: Go-Go Unseen
Description: Explore the exhibit Go-Go Scene Unseen: Women in Washington, D.C. Go-Go. Women have been involved in go-go since its genesis and have been the driving force behind many of the genre’s creative evolutions. This exhibit is the product of a semester-long research effort to unearth the seldom-discussed contributions of Black women to the legacy of go-go music in Washington, D.C. from the 1970s to the present. Visit the Humanities Truck website to find out more about this exhibit. (Note: While the Truck won't be onsite, the exhibit will be!)

 

Pop-up Program: Cosmic Clean-up
** Location: Inside Nature Center in exhibit area
Did you know that it’s becoming increasingly crowded in the orbits around Earth that are popular for space travel? Learn the causes, effects, and solutions to managing space trash in low Earth orbit.

Go-Go Band Performance: Positive Vybz Band
Time: 1 pm – 1:45 pm and 2:15 pm – 3 pm
Description: Enjoy live go-go band performances in front of the Nature Center!

 

Planetarium Films

Learn about outer space at the two films that we’ll show in our planetarium (the only planetarium in the National Park Service)!

 

A group of visitors watch a film in the planetarium.

NPS / R. Maher

Zula Patrol
Time: 11 am – 11:30 am
Description: While on a routine fossil-hunting expedition, The Zula Patrol turns up evidence that the villainous Deliria Delight has been traveling back in time to Earth’s prehistoric past to illegally dump her company’s toxic trash. Our heroes learn all about the formation and development of Earth, as they try to stop her. Recommended for families / children ages 4 to 8.

Oasis in Space
Time: 4 pm – 4:30 pm
Description: This film transports the audience on a voyage through our universe, galaxy, and solar system in search of liquid water, a key ingredient for life. Recommended for families / students in 5th–8th grade.

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The water wheel next to Peirce Mill.

Friends of Peirce Mill / Courtesy of Bill Mills

Peirce Mill

Guided Programs

The following are programs being presented at a specific time at Peirce Mill:

Books and Beyond with a Ranger
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Description: Join a park ranger for a story that about the importance of recycling and reuse.

Children's Tour at Peirce Mill
Time: 12 pm – 12:30 pm
Description: Learn about Peirce Mill on this tour that is geared toward kids.

 

A park ranger interacts with visitors during an event at Peirce Mill.

Friends of Peirce Mill / Courtesy of Bill Mills

Ongoing Activities

The following are happening from 10 am to 2 pm around Peirce Mill:

Craft: Foldable Landscape / Mill
Description: Create your very own mill! In this craft we’ll make 3D paper landscapes of Peirce Mill.

Kids Recycling Station
Description: Have you have heard the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?” Or “Rethink, Reduce, and Reuse?” Learn more about what it means at this activity.

Kids Scavenger Hunt
Description: Looking for a family adventure in Rock Creek Park? Do a self-guided scavenger hunt at Peirce Mill!

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A new B.A.R.K. Ranger at Rock Creek Park.

Friends of Peirce Mill / Courtesy of Bill Mills

Georgetown Waterfront Park

Ongoing Activities

The following are happening from 10 am to 3 pm near the Fountain at Georgetown Waterfront Park:

B.A.R.K Ranger
Description: Calling all dog owners! Enjoying Rock Creek Park is an exciting experience for pets visiting with their families. Stop by to participate in our B.A.R.K. Ranger program! This national initiative is designed to create a positive experience for you, your dog, and all visitors to the park. A park ranger will be on hand to swear in the new B.A.R.K. Ranger and to distribute some cool doggie giveaways. We will even help you snap the perfect photo to help commemorate your dog’s special achievement! 

So how does one become a B.A.R.K. Ranger? By pledging to:

Bag your pet’s waste
Always leash your pet
Respect wildlife
Know where you can go

 

Junior Ranger logo

Junior Ranger Activities
Description: Be the first to get a sneak peek at an upcoming Junior Ranger booklet! We are piloting a few pages from a new booklet we’re in the process of designing. Try out the activities about protecting the Potomac River watershed, learning about streamgages, and designing your own national park!

Pop-up Program: Water Cycle and Science
Description: Have you ever wondered what happens when rain falls at Rock Creek Park? Well, a park ranger has an answer for you! Explore the water cycle with a ranger. Learn how we use science to promote water stewardship at the park and discover ways we can work toward using water sustainably. Visitors at the Georgetown Waterfront can explore the rain gardens, learn about bio-engineering, and see how a streamgage measures water levels.

Rainfall Monitoring / Create a Rain Gauge
Description: How does rain impact the environment? How is rain monitored? Learn answers to these questions and create a rain gauge.

Public Lands Day Mural
Description: Share your ideas about Public Lands Day and tell us what you enjoy about national parks!