Pink lotus flower blooms in a pond.
Lotus flowers bloom in many ponds during the hot humid summer months. NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez

Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens

Federal Recreation Area · District of Columbia · National Park Service

Deep within Kenilworth lies an oasis, hidden behind trees and cattails. It's a place where beavers build their homes and turtles sleep on logs. Lotus blooms rise from the muck and lilies sit on the water. The wind dances with the dragonflies, rustling through the trees, carrying the song of the birds until it brushes across your face, fading to a whisper, saying "come join."

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
771-208-1571
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Arts · Photography · Native American Heritage · Schools and Education · Urban America · Wars and Conflicts · Civil War · Women's History · Animals · Birds · Tortoises and Turtles · Forests and Woodlands · Deciduous Forests · Grasslands · Meadows · River and Riparian · Trails · Water Trails · Watersheds · Wetlands · Marshes · Swamps

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Craft Demonstrations · Cultural Demonstrations · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Hiking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • Aquatic ponds during the fall with trees displaying orange and yellow colors.
    NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez.
  • Turtles basking in the sun.
    NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez.
  • A woman taking a photo of lotus flowers
    NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez
  • Great Blue Heron in flight over the ponds during the fall.
    NPS Photo/Miguel A. Marquez

Nearby parks

Parks of District of Columbia

African American Civil War MemorialWashington MonumentRock Creek ParkFranklin Delano Roosevelt MemorialCivil War Defenses of WashingtonWorld War I MemorialTheodore Roosevelt IslandGeorge Washington Memorial ParkwayPennsylvania AvenueCarter G. Woodson Home National Historic SiteKorean War Veterans MemorialThomas Jefferson MemorialThe White House and President's ParkCapitol Hill ParksMary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic SiteConstitution GardensFord's Theatre National Historic SiteFort Dupont ParkMartin Luther King, Jr. MemorialFrederick Douglass National Historic SiteBelmont-Paul Women's Equality National MonumentDwight D. Eisenhower MemorialLBJ Memorial Grove on the PotomacLincoln MemorialChesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical ParkVietnam Veterans MemorialPotomac Heritage National Scenic TrailWorld War II MemorialNational Mall and Memorial ParksAnacostia ParkNational Capital Parks-East

32 parks mapped in District of Columbia

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12