Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

This walk through far northeast D.C. explores where, in 1879, Civil War veteran Walter B. Shaw bought the 32 acres of land that evenutally came to include Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the only U.S. National Park devoted to aquatic plants.  Join this early-morning excursion and discover:

- How Walter Shaw's hobby of cultivating water lily and lotus plants morphed into a full-time enterprise

- When the Kenilworth neighborhood was first developed and why it transformed from an all-White to an all-Black community

- Mayfair Mansions, garden apartments developed in the 1940s by a popular radio evangelist and designed by prominent Black architect Albert I. Cassell

- Eastland Gardens, a quiet enclave of Mid-Century homes all designed by Black architects

The highlight of the walk is a visit to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, one of the most beautiful and least-known attractions in Washington, D.C.  Besides viewing its famous water lilies, participants can stroll a boardwalk over river wetlands, looking out for herons, egrets, and dragonflies.  July is peak bloom time for water lilies!.  

Explore more Washington, D.C. walks: Theodore Roosevelt Island and Rock Creek Cemetery