Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens551

Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens constitutes some 700 acres and is part of Anacostia Park. The Park includes the Gardens, Kenilworth Marsh, ballfields, and recreational facilities.

The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is the only National Park Service site devoted to the propagation and display of aquatic plants. The Gardens were begun as the hobby of Civil War veteran and operated for 56 years as a commercial water garden. In 1938, the Gardens were purchased by the Federal Government, and the facility became part of the National Park system.

Kenilworth Park abuts the Kenilworth-Parkside Recreation Area, which offers a wide variety of activities and has a track and play equipment for children.

Bird watching is one of the park's true pleasures - take the River Trail, which runs along the northern rim of the marsh, and you're bound to spot herons, red-wing blackbirds, and more. Wildlife lovers may also catch a glimpse of the resident beavers, frogs, and other creatures who love the wetlands.

On the fourth Saturday of July, the park hosts the Water Lily-Founders Day Festival, and several pond and wetland ecology tours are scheduled throughout the year.

The Visitors' Center opens at 8am daily, and sports gardening books and field guides for children, along with a permanent display of photos and text about the gardens. The park also sponsors a summer volunteer program for children ages 10 to 14.