The first teahouse in Hains Point, the southernmost tip of East Potomac Park, was a refreshment stand opened in 1920 and run by local Girl Scouts. It was very popular, and in 1922 construction began on a permanent structure with restrooms, which…

In October 1945, World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was honored with a parade in Washington, DC, before being presented with a Gold Star by President Truman for his service as the Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean…

The Enid Haupt Garden was created in the 1980s as part of a redesign of the area around the Smithsonian Castle. It sits to the south of the Castle and above the underground galleries and offices of the National Museum of African Art, Arthur M.…

The Tidal Basin serves several purposes on the National Mall. Primarily, it is a reservoir for the Potomac River and Washington Channel. In the past, it has also served as a recreational area for swimming, ice skating, or boating. Built by Alexander…

Plans for a National Sculpture Garden on the Mall began in the 1960s, but it was not until 1991 that jurisdiction for the site was transferred from the National Park Service to the National Gallery. Olin Partnership, headed by Laurie D. Olin,…

The Executive Stables, which held the horses, carriages, and later automobiles of the President, were built, rebuilt, and relocated several times. The first stables were built in 1800 by the Jefferson administration and sat just off the White House…

This festival celebrating American cultural diversity was held on the days leading up to the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton. It was organized by the Inaugural Committee, with support from the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of…

The Organization of American States (OAS) Building was completed in 1910. Its style is meant to be a fusion of some of the major architectural elements from its participating members, with Spanish, Native American, French, Portuguese, and English…

The ice skating rink at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden is one of the Mall’s most popular winter activity spots. Open from November through March, the ice skating rink in its current form first opened in 1999. The rink was included in…

James McGirk was the first person to be executed in the District of Columbia on October 28, 1802. He was found guilty of murdering his wife. At this time, the gallows were located on the Capitol Grounds, between where the Grant and Garfield statues…