Dumbarton Oaks Park
Interactive Park Map
About the Location
Historic Design
Dumbarton Oaks Park is a 27-acre public park located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The park was originally part of the Dumbarton Oaks estate and was designed in the 1920s and 1930s by renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrand.
In 1940, the owners of Dumbarton Oaks donated the park to the National Park Service.
Natural Features
The park features a naturalistic landscape design intended to create the illusion of a countryside retreat within the city. It contains meadows, woodlands, and a stream valley with a series of small waterfalls and ponds.
Winding footpaths lead visitors through the varied terrain and vegetation.
Landscape Elements
Notable features of the park include a beech grove, forsythia dell, and stone bridge. The landscape incorporates both native plants and ornamental species.
Farrand designed carefully framed vistas and used stone to create architectural elements like retaining walls and steps throughout the park.
Restoration Efforts
Over the years, the park experienced deterioration due to limited resources for maintenance. In recent years, efforts have been undertaken by the National Park Service and the Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy to restore elements of Farrand's original design and improve the park's ecological health.
This has included removal of invasive plants, stabilization of eroded areas, and replanting of native species.
Urban Retreat
Dumbarton Oaks Park provides a quiet natural retreat for visitors in the midst of urban Washington, D.C. Its historic design and ecological restoration make it a unique public green space in the nation's capital.
