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Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The only aquatic gardens managed by the National Park Service in the country is a marvelous off-the-beaten-path destination in D.C. The Kenilworth marsh is all that remains of the vast marshlands that once covered the riverbanks of the Anacostia (before being dredged for development), and is the only place where you can really imagine the District before it became America's capital. The prime attraction are the cultivated ponds, full of waterlilies, but it's also a worthy destination for the riverfront trail, greenhouses, and birdwatching. The best time to visit is without a doubt on an early summer morning, when the waterlilies are in full bloom. Free summer garden tours are available Sa-Su 9AM & 11AM (Memorial Day-Labor Day).
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens is a National Park Service site located in the north eastern corner of Washington, D.C., near the Maryland state border. Nestled near the banks of the Anacostia River and directly west of the Baltimore–Washington Parkway, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens preserves a plethora of rare waterlilies and lotuses in the cultivated ponds near the river. The park also contains the Kenilworth Marsh, the largest remaining tidal marsh in Washington, D.C., and an adjacent recreational area.
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A very nice non-profit-run public ice rink (the only indoor public ice rink in the city, actually) in Fort Dupont Park. While it's probably not worth the effort to get way out here just for ice skating, if you're in the area, it's fun.
through Bladensburg Waterfront Park
Bladensburg Waterfront Park is just outside the city boundaries to the east, you may be able to take a river tour with a park naturalist. They also rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and rowboats.
The National Park Service puts on well-attended weekly summer jazz concerts at the Fort Dupont Park Theatre. To get to the stage, turn right on Fort Dupont Dr off of Randle Circle (at the intersection of Massachusetts & Minnesota Aves). Check the events calendar on the website for specifics.
The Honfleur Gallery has one foot in the world of international contemporary art, and one foot in Anacostia. The world inside, with its large, beautiful space stocked with a surround sound system and flat screen TVs, looks like it would be more at home in Manhattan than, well, Anacostia. But it is run by a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts in the world just outside, and in bringing them together with its annual East of the River showcase of local artists' work.
The heart of historic Uniontown is bounded by MLK Jr Ave, Good Hope Dr, 14th St, and W St SE. In this community of well preserved, wooden, Gothic houses, look especially for the colorful Rosie's Row of townhouses on the north side of U St just west of 13th, and for the 1879 St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church at 1244 V St SE. The neighborhood is small enough where you could easily cover it on foot from the Frederick Douglass House and downtown Anacostia, and you would race through all there is to see in a car.
Fort Stanton was the first of dozens in the "Fort Circle" designed to protect the capital from Confederate attacks during the Civil War. All that remains is a historic marker, but the real attraction is the superb view of the capital from this high, grassy hill behind the church parking lot.