Yards Park canal and fountains

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Yards Park canal and fountains

Photo: Elvert Barnes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🛝 Playground · Washington

2 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 4.0
1–3 yrs
★ 5.0
3–5 yrs
★ 5.0
5–10 yrs
★ 4.0
  • 🚗
    About 40 min drive
    From Rockville · Parking: Navy Yard garages about $10–15 on weekends; easier to take the Metro Green Line to Navy Yard-Ballpark and walk 5 minutes
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Little shade
    Handles heat · Great on sunny days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 2 hours
    Best seasons: Summer · Spring · Fall

A modern park on the Anacostia with a shallow man-made canal and a fountain field at its center, full of kids in swimsuits splashing in summer; the big lawn, boardwalk, and bridge alongside look out on the ballpark and the river, and the whole area is ringed with kid-friendly restaurants and ice cream shops.

💡 Tips
The canal is knee-deep for a toddler, so bring swimsuits, water shoes, and a change of clothes. Almost no shade, so go in the morning or evening. When the Nationals are playing, parking nearby is expensive and traffic is bad, so check the schedule. The Wharf is an easy add-on.

What this place offers

✓wading
✓fountains
✓riverside
✓big lawn
✓restrooms
✓free
✓lots of restaurants

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Washington

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌦️
Sat 10/17
Showers · 49–61°F · 56% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 45–63°F · 4% rain

Location

Washington, Washington, DC

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