Every day, families, campers, and artists arrive at Glen Echo Park, whether for a fun day outside or to pursue their artistic endeavors, in the heart of a park rich in history. Visitors walk through the grounds that once held an amusement park, where desegregation protests once took place during the civil rights movement. The complete history is unknown to Washingtonians, inspiring the question: though the area isn’t as exciting and important as it was decades ago, how essential is its history, and is Glen Echo Park still considered worth visiting?
The 516 acres of land that we now know as Glen Echo Park were originally purchased by Edwin and Edward Baltzley in 1888, who made it into a National Chautauqua assembly National Chautauqua assemblies were a social and educational movement that originated in New York, known for hosting programs, music, drama, and more for rural Americans.
When an alleged malaria outbreak halted the large number of visitors the park once had, the Baltzley brothers developed financial issues, resulting in the Washington Railway and Electric Company purchasing the land from them in 1911. The park was then renovated for the future amusement park that would be established, and the iconic carousel was later installed in 1921…