Civil War Defenses of Washington

District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia

Closure See 1 current alert

A woman in a 19th-century dress stands along an earthwork fortification
Photo: NPS Photo / Buddy Secor

Current alerts (1)

  • Closure

    Part of Fort Totten Park remains closed for public safety

    Out of an abundance of caution, Fort Totten Park will remain closed east of Fort Totten Drive, south of Gallatin Street/Metropolitan Branch Trail and north of Brookland Ave NE/Farragut St. due to the investigation involving two WWI-era munitions found.

    More from the park

Hours

Rock Creek Park sites

Every daySunrise to Sunset

The park grounds at Battery Kemble, Battleground National Cemetery, Fort Bayard, Fort Bunker Hill, Fort DeRussy, Fort Reno, Fort Slocum, Fort Stevens, and Fort Totten are managed by Rock Creek Park

These sites are open daily from dawn to dusk.

National Capital Parks — East sites
Every day6:00AM - 10:00PM

The park grounds at Fort Carroll, Fort Chaplin, Fort Davis, Fort Dupont, Fort Foote, Fort Greble, Fort Mahan, Fort Ricketts, and Fort Stanton are managed by National Capital Parks — East. These sites are open daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.

George Washington Memorial Parkway site
Every day6:00AM - 10:00PM

The park grounds at Fort Marcy are managed by George Washington Memorial Parkway. This site is open daily from 6 am to 10 pm.

Events in the next few days

  • Heroes Remembered: Stories from Battleground National Cemetery

    · 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM · Battleground National Cemetery 6625 Georgia Avenue NW Washington, DC · Free

  • Junior Ranger Discovery Club: Explore, Learn, Protect 

    · 03:00 PM – 04:00 PM · Battleground National Cemetery 6625 Georgia Ave NW Washington DC · Free

About this park

On forested hills surrounding the nation's capital are the remnants of a complex system of Civil War fortifications. These strategic buttresses transformed the young capital into one of the world's most fortified cities. By 1865, 68 forts and 93 batteries armed with over 800 cannons encircled Washington, DC. Today, you can visit 18 of the original sites now managed by the National Park Service.