How to get to DC Olmsted parks

September 30, 2011 7:13 PM

How to visit Olmsted parks in D.C.? Without my car please.

I'm visiting D.C. and I am interested in visiting parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. I'm considering visiting the Capitol just to see the grounds. I want to know if there are other parks designed by Olmsted in the area.

Bonus points: I have a car, but I want to take the subway to avoid having to find a place to park. Where should I park to get there by train?

posted by stinker to travel & transportation around Washington, DC (4 answers total)

Where are you coming from? Most of the suburban Metro stops have parking (more details here). Depending on where you are, street parking near(ish) a Metro may not be an issue.

Wikipedia says Olmsted designed American University, the grounds of Gallaudet University and Smithsonian National Zoological Park -- all of those are on the Red Line (the stops are pretty clearly marked -- although not all in the same direction. If you don't have the time, skip Gallaudet). From the Capitol, I'd just walk to Union Station (under a mile, although there are closer Metro stations if you want to transfer) and hit the zoo & then American University.

There will be quite a bit of walking involved regardless, so be prepared for that.
posted by darksong at 8:13 PM on September 30, 2011

Olmstead's son designed the grounds of the National Cathedral, if memory serves. It's a pretty campus with the bonus of getting to see the Cathedral. It's easily reached on a couple of bus lines from the Red and the Orange lines, but not close to a Metro Station.
posted by eulily at 4:49 AM on October 1, 2011

I believe the Olmsted Brothers also did all of Rock Creek Park, and not just the National Zoo grounds. They also had inputs to the White House, Jefferson Memorial...lots of DC. The records of the McMillan Commission might say more.

All of those are Metro accessible with a bit of walking.
posted by Fortran at 6:26 AM on October 1, 2011

It will probably be a challenge to access, but Olmsted also designed the park at the McMillan Sand Filtration site.
posted by exogenous at 9:00 AM on October 1, 2011