CityBuddy
Istražite Meridian Hill Park
Best time to visit
Sunday afternoons from 2-6 PM for the legendary drum circle, or spring weekdays when the 14 cascading terraces burst with cherry blossoms and magnolias.
Budget tips
Completely free to enter every day, no tickets required. Street parking is free on Sundays, or take the Green/Yellow metro lines to U Street station and walk 10 minutes uphill.
Recommended for
Music lovers, Photography enthusiasts, Picnickers and loungers, History walkers
Plan your visit
1.5-2 hours
About
Quick facts: Cascading down 14 terraces, this urban park hides a 13-foot waterfall that's taller than Niagara's American Falls when measured vertically. Sunday drum circles have drawn thousands of people here every week for over 50 years, creating one of DC's most infectious public celebrations.
Highlights: Look closely at the 40-foot marble cascade and you'll spot it's the longest single-piece waterfall in any North American park. The 94-foot tall memorial column was modeled after Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria, Egypt, and you can feel the cool spray from the fountain mist drifting across the upper plaza on summer afternoons.
Insider tips
- Bring a blanket or folding chair for the drum circle; you'll want to settle in for hours.
- The best photo spot is from the top terrace looking south through the cascade toward the column.
- Skip the steep Euclid Street entrance and enter from 16th Street NW for an easier walk downhill through the park.
- Come on a rainy weekday if you want the park nearly to yourself, the cascades flow heaviest after a storm.
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