DC’s Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Lotus Flowers are in Full Bloom

When July rolls around, it’s time for a trip to see the colorful lotus flowers and water lilies at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Anacostia Park. 

The 37-acre park is managed by the National Park Service and was originally bought in the 1880s by Walter B. Shaw, a Civil War veteran and water lily gardener. He turned the marshy land into a thriving flower supply business by developing and raising over 60 varieties of commercial lilies and lotus flowers, and sullying then to customers across the country.

By the 1920s, the nearby Anacostia River had become difficult to navigate, due to excess amount of silt, almost blocking navigation on the river.  So the Army Corps of Engineers decided to dredge the river, which would have damaged or destroyed the garden.  But Shaw’s daughter asked congress to intervene and in 1938 the garden was saved when Congress authorized funding to purchase the land along with about 700 acres surrounding the gardens. 

Today the park hosts over 150 species of land plants, 75 species of birds and 18 species of fish,

This nature lovers paradise is a must-see site. 

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, free garden tours are offered at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
1550 Anacostia Ave. at Douglass St., NE
Washington, DC 20020 (map it)
202-426-6905

Dates and Times – Gardens are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Admission – Free.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Deanwood – Orange line, then a 1-mile walk.

Images – from personal collection   ©2007 – 2009, Jon Rochetti 

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