Even with the annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival still a week away, visitors packed Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Northeast D.C. on Saturday to get an early look at the blooms in a unique and natural space.
The gardens trace their roots to the early 1900s, when Walter Shaw planted the lotus flowers that continue to draw visitors more than a century later. The National Park Service acquired the site along the Anacostia River in 1938, preserving the ponds and wetlands that now serve as a rare natural oasis in the nation’s capital.
Among the visitors was George Shaw, of Rockville, Maryland, who told WTOP it was his first trip to the gardens.聽鈥淚t’s pretty spectacular,鈥� Shaw said. 鈥淵ou wouldn’t really think this was technically in D.C. It’s fabulous.鈥�
Many visitors strolling the grounds, snapping photos and admiring the scenery shared similar reactions.
“It’s a completely different kind of environmental zone than what most of us are used to in the Washington area,鈥� Barby Halstead-Worrell said. “This is such a magnificent place. It鈥檚 magical.”
Halstead-Worrell, who has lived in D.C. her entire adult life, pointed to an eaglet perched close to a nearby pond and told WTOP she visits the gardens often.
鈥淚t stretches on as far as the eye can see,鈥� Halstead-Worrel said. 鈥淭he birds are singing, dragonflies are out. It’s wonderful.鈥�
Despite being surrounded by the city, the gardens felt far removed from urban life. The only frequent reminder of nearby development was the sound of airplanes passing overhead.
Couples walked hand in hand along the paths, friends stopped to chat on the boardwalk that crosses one of the ponds and groups gathered to special occasions.聽One visitor wore a birthday sash and crown, while another group near the parking lot held a gender reveal celebration.
Also on the boardwalk was Lauren Wustenberg, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and carrying binoculars. A D.C. resident for the past four and a half years, she said the nearby trail network makes visiting the gardens easy, adding that her favorite part of living in D.C. is the Anacostia River Bike Trail and the Anacostia River Trail.
鈥淚t’s an easy six-mile bike ride to come out here to Kenilworth, and it’s something I do a couple times a week,鈥� Wustenberg said. 鈥淭here are different types of lotuses that they grow and so they are blooming at different parts throughout the summer.鈥�
The gardens were also a popular destination for families.
Zadie Harris, 10, said her favorite part of the visit was seeing the different varieties of lotus flowers.聽“It was really pretty,” Zadie said. “Like they were pink or white and the inside was yellow.”
Zadie was joined by her sibling and parents, including her father, Anthony Harris. “It was a great opportunity to see things that you don’t think you’d see in the middle of a city,” Harris said. “A great way to spend the day with your wife and your kids.”
The is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year鈥檚 event features an America 250th theme, with art, wellness, music and cultural programs throughout the weekend.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
