Meridian Hill Park Walk

Join us for a visit to Meridian Hill Park, one of Washington, D.C.’s most historic and unique green spaces. Located along 16th Street NW, this 11-acre park has a fascinating past that stretches back to 1819, when John Porter built a mansion here and named the site “Meridian Hill.” Former President John Quincy Adams even lived on the property after leaving the White House. During the Civil War, the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first all-African American regiment, encamped on these grounds under Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, namesake of D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood. In the early 20th century, the federal government transformed the land into a formal Italian-style garden, complete with sweeping terraces, elegant stonework, and grand fountains. Today, the park is home to the spectacular cascading fountain, one of the longest of its kind in North America, as well as several notable statues, including the only equestrian statue of a woman in D.C. -Joan of Arc. You’ll also see memorials honoring figures such as Dante, President James Buchanan, and the graceful Serenity statue. On this trip, we’ll stroll the beautifully designed grounds, admire the Renaissance-inspired landscape, and learn about the park’s role as both a democratic gathering place and an experimental site for innovative stonework. Relax, explore, and enjoy one of D.C.’s true hidden gems! A boxed sandwich lunch is included in the fee. Moderate walking on mostly flat surfaces with some steps for up to 1 mile with stops.