Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts & Culture

Best place for dancing in the DC area. Swing dancing nights with the Tom Cunningham Orchestra are the best. The Annual Evening with Strauss waltz ball, held every April, is not to be missed. It’s best to dressed appropriately, vintage or dressy casual for the swing nights. It’s always sad to see someone show up dressed poorly for one of these events. Don’t be the guy wearing shorts with dress shoes.

Came here for contra dancing for the first time. It reminded me of square dancing, but a lot of fun. It was a friendly environment and even if you can’t dance, you would be able to contra dance. The actual venue is beautiful and probably the best dance floor I’ve danced on in a while.

I absolutely adore Glen Echo! I’ve been coming here ever since I was kid and have been to all sorts of events here. From puppet shows to adventure theater to the amazing carousel to art shows to glassblowers and pottery makers to dance classes and festivals, everything here is good, old fashioned fun. It’s such a unique park with so many amazing things to do with kids and family members that don’t involve technology or frills. Take your family here and spend a relaxing day at Glen Echo taking in some history (it was an amusment park back in the day) and enjoyment!

We found this place by searching google for «affordable wedding venues» in the DC Area. We had a wonderful ceremony and reception in the Bumper Car Pavilion. The pictures we took here were worth the cost of the venue alone. It’s run by the National Park service so you are limited on somethings namely putting up a lot of decorations and having a full bar. But the appeal of the place is enough where those things would take away from it. Definitely rent the carousal for your wedding it’s worth it!

When you arrive at Glen Echo Park, you’ll notice that the small parking lot in front is for permit parking only. They have a larger parking lot located just off MacArthur Boulevard on Oxford Road. After parking in this lot, you’ll want to follow the foot-​bridge across the Minnehaha Creek to enter the park.
Glen Echo Arts Park offers art classes (e.g., ceramic and pottery, dance, drawing and painting, glass, music, photography, theater, etc.) for all ages. They also offer kids camps during the summer time. In high school, I took a few oil painting classes with the talented Glen Kessler. It’s also a great place to exhibit your artwork, which is available to purchase. My mom checkout out the seconds pottery sale, which featured local artisans masterpieces made in seconds for under $ 30.
In addition to the Seconds Sale today, there was a Then & Wow! annual event filled with family friendly activities. It celebrated the Park’s revitalization as an arts center and recalling its history, when the site was an amusement park. There was no admission fee to get into the event but separate fees for special activities and rides. Some of the entertainment featured wandering magicians, carousel, bumper cars, moon bounces, inflatable obstacle courses, mini golf, high strikers, balloon art, face painting, etc). There was a National Park Services booth with information (e.g., trail maps, fact sheets, etc) and photo albums about local parks.

Adorable place! Came with a group of friends for Saturday night swing dancing which starts from 8PM to 12AM. It was $ 18 to get in. Plenty of parking, and lots of people. Though it was a lot of older people there was a sprinkle of young people like my friends and I. The live band was fantastic. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun dancing even though it was so hot. They don’t have AC but they do keep the windows/​doors opened. You can’t bring food or drinks (yes even water) on the dance floor because it is a historical wood and the want to preserve it. But they do have a café on the side where you can rest. They have a lesson that starts at eight for basic swing moves. If you sit alone in the benches, be forewarned, you may be asked to dance! Haha. Overall it was a fun experience.

One of the best aspects of living in the Washington D.C. area is the opportunity to attend cultural, theatrical, artistic, and dance events at Glen Echo National Park.
Glen Echo Park is a former private amusement park that was converted into being a U.S. National Park in 1971, after the local community of Bannockburn and others protested racial segregation at the private park. Today it is a center for music, theater, culture, recreation, and the arts. This Washington Post article discusses Glen Echo’s Civil Rights history:
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This place is a gem. They typically have some kind of social dancing every night of the week (salsa, waltz, contra, swing, etc.) They typically have a live swing or jazz band every Saturday night and a swing dance. Swing dance connoisseurs from all over the U.S. swear that Glen Echo has the best swing dancing scene of anywhere in the U.S. on a Saturday night. Dancers from New York to California who have travelled all over the world for dance have said this to me.
The dancing crowds are also extremely fun, low key, friendly, highly diverse, very international, and spanning the entire age and experience range. All are friendly and welcome. Beginner dancers to experts all have fun here; the environment makes dancers of all types feel welcome. I have met some of my favorite people here.
No alcohol is served on site which keeps the ambience tame.

Great fun!
Glen Echo is a treasure. Every time we go, my husband reminisces about the Glen Echo of his youth — taking the street car and riding on the roller coaster. And, we always make new memories. From swing dancing in the Spanish Ballroom to watching a puppet show with our granddaughters, we love going to Glen Echo.

I’ve only been here once, for their Friday Night Contra Dance at the historic Spanish Ballroom. Contra Dance is a sort of folk dance with partners arranged in a line. My friend had gone a few times and recommended it.
When I first walked in, I thought it was dancing for the older crowd. There were no younger people in sight, but after a while, folks of all ages started trickling in. I had no experience or any idea of what contra dancing was, but it’s okay because they give a beginner’s lesson at 7:30pm before the actual dance. They also have Dance Buddies who are experienced volunteers to help you out.
You can come with a partner or solo. It does not matter because you switch partners after every dance. This is not for the germaphobe. There’s a lot of touching, a lot of swinging, and a lot of sweating! Be prepared for a bunch of 30 second intro conversations with strangers.
Most people here are super friendly and patient, but there are others who are way into it and might get a little pissy if you mess up.
For the most part, I did have fun and will try it out again. It’s $ 10 to get in, but you get a free pass for your next time. Wear comfortable shoes!
Glen Echo also teaches other classes like pottery, photography, and different types of dancing like Argentine Tango, Salsa, etc. They also have shows.
Side note: At night when Glen Echo Park is empty, this place reminds me of the video game Silent Hill, towards the end of the game when you have to kill/​save Cybil in the amusement park. Glen Echo has a merry-​go-​round, bumper car pavilion, and large old fashioned signs. At night, it looks like an abandoned theme park. I kept thinking the park was going to turn into the Otherworld and something was going to pop out and eat me.

I was here over Memorial Day weekend with my aunt, 12-​year-​old cousin, and elderly grandparents. The architecture of Glen Echo Park is interesting. It reminded me of something from Bioshock, especially with the overall crumbly feel of the place.
If you’re just at the park on a random day, there isn’t much to do. There’s an old bumper car area, but the bumper cars aren’t there anymore — it’s apparently used as a dance floor/​stage now, but nothing was going on at the time. There had been a puppet show earlier in the day, but not when we were there. My aunt enjoyed looking around the yurt with local pottery, while my grandparents rested on a bench outside, but I didn’t spend much time at the yurts since I was entrusted with keeping my cousin entertained and she wasn’t interested.
I walked around the park with my cousin and it seems like she’s an awkward age for this park. She was excited at first since she hadn’t been here in a while, but she didn’t want to go on the merry-​go-​round, and she said that the playground was more «kiddy» than she remembered. I am inclined to agree. The main park area is pretty small. The old roller coaster (?) area is now fenced and reserved for birthday parties or other events.
We ended up exploring the ravine and climbing on the boulders down there, which was fun for maybe 10 – 15 minutes.
The Clara Barton house was closed for a private event while we were there, so that wasn’t an option, but it’s apparently worth checking out. After we were there for maybe a half hour my grandparents decided to go home and take a nap. That’s enough time to explore the park if you aren’t attending a particular dance or class.

Can’t say I love this place. It always seems abandoned and ghostly. Today we went to the playground in the 100 degree heat and the water fountains are broken. Can’t say I would recommend people go here unless you have a specific event you are attending.

The carousel is well worth it. The ride was very long for $ 1.25. I love the colorful horses and animals.
There are many events and art shows scheduled including the puppet company. You can also take classes in dance and art.
There is a good ice cream shop. On Memorial Day weekend they had outdoor food.
There is one small park with little shade. I think a wonderful addition would be more park equipment.

Charming restored amusement park. I went to the Friday Night Contra Dance — live music, an hour of dance instruction before the dance for newbies, an enjoyable time of contra-​style dancing. Looking forward to trying out the Saturday Night Swing Dance next… Also, this looks like a nice place to explore in the day time, walking or by bicycle.

So I went to Glen Echo Park for the WWII Veteran’s Day Canteen Swing Dance at the Spanish Ballroom. I used to be big into the swing revival scene back in the late ‘90s and this was my first big swing experience since moving to DC.
The dance floor is MASSIVE! Easily big enough to handle 200 couples or more. Which is expected, given the Spanish Ballroom was built to be a dance hall. They maintain the floor itself well and there were no flaws or snags in the wood that could pose a danger or ruin your step. The ambiance is very nice, although I wish they would dim the lights just a touch more. With the lights almost all the way up you get a touch of high school gym feeling. Also, not a dig, but a practical reality, there is no climate control so super hot or super cold evenings could pose some challenges.
The band was great, the lessons were fun (provided by instructors from «Flying Feet»), the crowd was really into the experience, and the old school amusement park trappings give a great vintage vibe. I really missed my swing dancing days from when I was younger, but this will be a great venue to get back into it.

I’ve actually only been to Glen Echo after dark, but I’ve been here for their swing and contra dances many times. (Contra dancing is basically country line dancing with a partner, but is much more fun than it sounds.)
I enjoy both, but it’s really the contra dances that tug at me. The community is so close-​knit, and even though I attend infrequently, I always see the same folks. You will burn more calories than during an hour-​long run, you’ll dance with a few former hippees, and you might even find some romance. (True story, I met a boyfriend there.)
The one down side is that the Spanish Ballroom doesn’t have A/​C or heating, so you’re somewhat exposed to the elements. It’s not so bad though, since there’s glass covering the windows. Actually, when I was there last week, it was too warm inside even though it was in the 60s outdoors.
Sometimes dances end up in the Bumper Car Pavillion when the Spanish Ballroom is booked for a private event. I try to avoid those dances since they’re usually overcrowded for the amount of space.

Saturday, 7:30PM.
Swing dancing at the Spanish Ballroom.
Quickie:
+Spacious
+Clean
+Diverse crowd at the swing dancing session
+Nice staff (though they’re probably affiliated with Gottaswing than the actual park)
–Where’s all the parking?
And then???
Jammed to The Glen Miller Orchestra with other Lindy Hoppers and swing dancers. It’s worth the trip if you’re in the DMV area.

Oh why must you be so far out of the way Glen Echo???
I went for the Friday night contra dancing and it was a blast! Live band playing good music, friendly instructors, and a gorgeous ballroom to dance in during the night. If you sweat quite a bit (like me) I highly recommend bringing some extra shirts as no one wants to put their hands on a sweaty back.Gross. Other people do the same bringing gym bags with water and snacks as well but there are water fountains and a snack bar. This isn’t really drunk style dancing or a drinking atmosphere, you’ll probably puke everywhere to be honest if your drinking.
Attend the lessons before the dancing begins their a huge help.
If your a younger guy on a date with a girl be prepared for her to be asked to dance by older guys who really know how to dance. Believe me it’s going to happen and to be honest your date will probably have more fun with them.
The park is great at night when all the neon lights lit up but I only saw it briefly during the daylight. It’s a lovely place and worth some reading up on before you go as there is just a cool history behind the park and Clara Bartons home is here at the park!
Can’t wait to go back!!!

Five stars for Glen Echo’s classes, mission, aesthetic, yurts, and culture, minus one for a recent spate of over-​sanitizing.
Let me explain. I grew up in the town of Glen Echo in the 80’s and early 90’s. The last, elderly carnies from the former amusement park still lived there, bumping shoulders with yuppie families like mine. I spent my afternoons watching Sally Jesse Raphael with the widow of the tilt-​a-​whirl operator, chomping Big Red and drinking Pepsi as she reminisced about the old days of roller coasters and bumper cars. (I was little, so she left out the bit about how the park didn’t let in black people for most of its history. Awkward.)
Almost every day, my sister and I would go play in the park. Back then, it was like the Titanic: peeling paint on the Spanish Ballroom; weeds growing through the cracked tiles in the pit that was once the Crystal Pool; rusted anchors for the roller coasters hidden underneath hedges. You could go into the weeds behind Adventure Theater and trace the outlines of what was once the mini golf course. I once found a tuna can from the 1930’s in the woods. There was a giant, horribly unsafe seesaw in the playground. The park still offered the art and music classes it does today, but with a side of grungy magic. It was my Secret Garden.
Years later, in college, I couldn’t wait to bring out-​of-​town guests to Glen Echo. I can’t tell you how many drunk undergrads I bored with stories about this place I knew that had once been an amusement park but was sort of rotting now, only it had been taken over by the Park Service, and in the 1970’s the Smithsonian randomly built a bunch of yurts in it for a housing exhibit that never got off the ground, and now artists lived in the yurts teaching classes, and did I mention you could see rotting trolley bridges in the forest? and there was a carousel?, blah blah blah.
Then I finally took them there, only to discover a massive restoration effort underway. The peeling paint had been scrubbed and redone. Grass had been mowed. There were no mini golf traces in the weeds, no remnants of the roller coaster. The tilt-​a-​whirl widow died in 2009. I hadn’t talked to her in years.
Glen Echo is still a great place to visit, but it’s just a little more removed from the past than it used to be. I guess I am too. Sigh.

Amazing time going contra dancing!
I had no idea what it was before I got there, but my friend made us go. I was nervous at first because I don’t consider myself the fastest learner of new dances, but this was great! Everyone was super helpful and friendly and happy to coach you as you learned on the spot. Plus, the dances are very repetitive and you pretty much go through an entire set of moves around 2 dozen times at least in a single dance, so by the time the dance is over you know your stuff.
Kind of like French or English country line dancing, minus the annoying American Country music sound. Almost bluegrassy or folksy.
Way fun. Would definitely go again if I’m in town again.

Glen Echo park is a time capsule for all to see.
In springtime, it comes back to life and fears of asbestos begin to subside as fresh coats of colorful paint spruce up the park.
Relics are plentiful among this tree-​friendly part of Maryland. They serve as reminders of a more simplistic place in our nation’s history. On the other hand, prior to Brown v. Board of Education, photographic evidence suggests that «Glen» was not free from criticism.
I’m not a family man, but it’s nice to see younger and older share each other’s company without too much electronic distraction in the periphery.
This is a walk in a park, a bit of a living museum and bit of a nature hike. Walk through the little bohemian art shops and take peek at the historical museum part of the park.
Unplug, hit pause and slide it to «off.» This is the land of the living. You need to smell the flowers at some point. This is the real HD.

Seriously, how can you not 5-​star this? Where else in the country can you dance in an original ballroom, in the middle of a closed amusement park? It’s like Scooby Doo meets swing. Or zydeco. or blues.
The carousel is lovely as well-it’s been restored over the years and is a treasure.
Parking’s ample, the yurts are charming, and all in all, this is a great space. Thanks to the park service and the partnership for keeping this alive for all of us.

This review is for the Spanish Ballroom and the Carousel.
My senior prom (May 2010) was held here, and I absolutely loved it. Even though it was pouring rain outside, which was disastrous for us girls in high heels and long gowns, the park looked absolutely beautiful. The lit-​up carousel was the perfect backdrop for the evening and definitely added some fun and romantic ambiance to the rest of the park. The Spanish Ballroom was the perfect size to have our dance, but it wasn’t as clean as I would have liked — particularly the bathrooms. Definitely more on the old and «in need of refurbishing» side. The ventilation was also pretty poor; granted, all those sweaty bodies dancing for hours will make any place humid — but this was worse than most venues I have experienced, even the school gym for homecoming dances.
There was square-​dancing going on that night also, and looked like a lot of fun. I heard rave reviews from my friends who were brave enough to join in.
Carousel was awesome. I’ll always be a little kid at heart, and hence will always be fascinated by activities like this. Plus, it was just a great unique experience to have during prom with all your closest friends.
I’d love to come here again for a special event, or maybe to try out that square-​dancing for myself if I’m feeling particularly adventurous.

For some people, Glen Echo is all about the art or the classes or the waltz and swing dances that go on in the Spanish Ballroom on the weekends.
For me… for me, it’s all about the glimmer of enchantment. The touch of whimsy that calls out to me. Beckoning me to go. go…go…come…come…come. Back to the past. If I could just hold myself still, for a moment — just a single moment — and *believe*…I will be transported back to the era of the flapper and the speakeasy and the jazz age. Where Zelda may be on the carousel horse next to my ostrich as we go around and around and around to the sounds of the majestic organ, as fairy lights dance around us.
Yes, I believe in magic. Not the kind that you see in Vegas or on TV. But of the magic of youth, of the odd, of innocence. The magic of history, of the past, of times not-​yet-​gone-​by — but merely suspended in time, waiting for… something or someone… to come and visit and bring it all back to life.
Glen Echo, is many things to many people… and to me, it’s my gateway. My gateway into a world that may not have been richer or more beautiful then it is now, but infinitely more alluring and compelling. A gateway into the past through the present.
P. S. And barring my ability to travel back in time… when I grow up, I’m going to live in a yurt.