Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park in Maryland
Glen Echo Park Historical Buildings
The first bumper car ride in the world was installed at Glen Echo Park in 1923. Originally called The Scooter, the name changed to Dogem in the 1930s.
The Scooter (Glen Echo, Md. Between 1923 and 1935. Image. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/npc2008011590/.)
Dogem (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Theodor Horydczak Collection, LC-H824-T-1690-016)
Today the Bumper Car Pavilion is used for dances, festivals, concerts, and other performances. The original floor was steel, but it was replaced with a wooden floor that is better suited for dancing. The building was renovated in 2018, with much of the focus being on making the it energy efficient.
Glen Echo Park’s Bumper Car Pavilion at night (photo by ehpien)
Glen Echo Park’s Bumper Car pavilion set up for an Irish Dance festival
The Bumper Car Pavilion is also available as a rental facility for weddings, parties, reunions, and other group events. See the official Glen Echo Park Bumper Car Pavilion web page for more information.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on January 10, 2025
