Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens

Washington, D.C., United States

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Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C., is a 700-acre National Park Service site located along the Anacostia River, featuring over 45 ponds filled with a variety of tropical and hardy water lilies, lotus, and other aquatic plants.

The gardens originated as the commercial water-gardening venture of Walter B. Shaw, a Civil War veteran who began cultivating native water lilies in the late 1800s and turned the area into a popular attraction known as the Shaw Lily Ponds. After his death, his daughter Helen Shaw Fowler continued the business, but the gardens were threatened when the Army Corps of Engineers planned to dredge the river, leading Congress to purchase the site in 1938 to preserve it as parkland.

Today, the park includes the aquatic gardens, the largest remaining tidal marsh in D.C., recreational facilities, and walking trails, serving as a vital wildlife habitat and outdoor classroom. It offers visitors a peaceful natural oasis with scenic views, diverse plant and animal life, and opportunities for education and recreation throughout the year.