HomeCalendarClasses, Camps & Workshops Kids and the Park DanceAbout Glen Echo ParkGlen Echo has always been an enchanting place for children. Activities for kids include camps, making crafts, joining a play group, making a movie, puppet shows, children's theater, exploring nature, becoming a writer, becoming a dancer or musician, romping in the playground and of course, riding the famous Dentzel Carousel.
One of the greater Washington area’s true treasures, Glen Echo Park’s 1921 Dentzel carousel is now in its 90th year. The carousel opened for the 2010 season on Saturday, May 1, with our Family Day celebration. It will close on September 26 with our Then & Wow! festival. Cost is $1.25 per ride; all riders require a ticket.
Please join us for a ride on this local treasure!
May & June:
Wed/Thurs, 10 am - 2 pm
Sat/Sun, 12 - 6 pm
July & August:
Wed/Thurs/Fri, 10 am - 2 pm
Sat/Sun, 12 - 6 pm
September:
Sat/Sun, 12 to 6 pm
The Carousel will also be open Memorial Day (Monday), May 31, from 12 - 6 pm, and Labor Day (Monday), September 6, from 12 - 6 pm.
Spring, summer, and even winter camps for children and teens are offered by the resident groups listed on this page and by other resident groups at the Park. In addition, the Glen Echo Park Partnership partners with other organizations and individual instructors to bring more exciting camps to the Park, including: Mystery Academy magic camps, the “Ghanu the Good News Turtle” series, arts and crafts camps presented by VisArts Center and the Corcoran, Irish dance camps with the Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance, calligraphy and wearable art, clay animation, cartooning and more.
The Young Creative Spirit is the children's art residency at Glen Echo Park. Coordinated by artists/instructors Katherine T. Andrle and Cathie Nelsen, the center's goal is to serve the community by providing art instruction to children, and to broaden their appreciation of the world by giving them an outlet for creative expression. The program encourages children to trust their own interpretations and uses a wide variety of media to expand their experience. Serving ages 5 through 12.
The Corcoran's Continuing Education program provides students of all skill levels the opportunity to explore their interests in studio art ranging from drawing and painting to graphic and jewelry design. Each semester offers a new range of courses to entice novice and advanced students alike. Students at the College's new CE satellite location at Glen Echo Park will enjoy all the resources available to the other students at the Downtown and Georgetown Campuses including access to the College's library and opportunities to visit the Corcoran Gallery of Art's outstanding collection.
Play Group in the Park is a new Reggio Emilia arts inspired play group for parents and children ages 6 months to 2 and a half years at Glen Echo Park. Play Group in the Park is a place for parents and children to learn and play side by side. Visit www.playgroupinthepark.com for more information. Play Group in the Park will be listed in the upcoming fall/winter catalog and will be available for registration on August 1, 2009.
Clay Animation offers classes and camps for the future movie maker.
Living Classrooms is located in the former Stables building at Glen Echo Park. Environment, history, and the arts are brought to life in a variety of innovative educational programs and exhibitions designed for children up to age 12. Focusing on a mission to help all children experience, appreciate and become stewards of the natural environment, Living Classrooms offers exhibitions, student and teacher programs, weekend family programs, birthday parties, and seasonal camps.
the Puppet Co. Playhouse is one of the few puppet theaters in the United States built from the ground up specifically for puppetry. The new facility, finished in 2003, was designed for the greatest sensory experience for viewers of all ages, and seats up to 250 people. The Puppet Co. presents a selection of performances from their repertory of over twenty different productions and also hosts' shows by visiting production companies. They present a total of about 475 performances annually, and are one of the few year-round puppet theaters on the East Coast. They have been cited in both local and national media for the unique nature of their programs, and the artistic excellence of their presentations.
Adventure Theatre, founded in 1951, is the Washington area's longest running children's theater. We are committed to using theatrical arts to entertain, educate and enrich the lives of children and their families by providing fully staged live productions of fables, fairy tales, popular stories, musicals and children's classics. Performances are appropriate for children four and up. We also offer classes and workshops in all phases of the dramatic arts. The theater is located in the Arcade building.
The Writer's Center was founded in 1976 and has become one of the leading independent literary centers in the United States. It is an open membership organization of 2,500 writers, editors, students, small-press publishers and other artists. The goal is to promote the art of writing and to build a community of writers, workshop leaders, publishers and audiences for contemporary writing. They offer workshops year-round for writers of all ages and abilities in fiction, feature writing, essay, memoir, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting, and business writing. The Partnership is pleased to welcome the Writer's Center to the Park. To register for classes please visit their website directly.
Music Together classes build on your child's natural enthusiasm for music and movement. They help you provide your child with the basic musical skills needed to enjoy participating in school and mucical activities, and to formally study an instrument should he or she choose to do so. Moreover, the development of musical skills significantly benefits a child's physical, emotional and intellectual development.
Yoga for strength, relaxation and fun! Parent and child classes are now offered.
Family Dances are offered each month for children and families.
Learn to play Rock guitar and hone your skills.
