Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center is housed in the original 1913 sales office of W. B. Shaw Water Lilies of Kenilworth. Close to the building is a row of greenhouses, also built in 1913. The greenhouses are still in use today by the National Park Service. They are not open to the public on a regular basis.
OPERATING HOURS
The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center is open year-round, though hours vary depending on the season. During the summer (June through Labor Day) hours are typically from 9 AM to 7 PM on Wednesdays through Sundays and 9 AM to 3 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays. For the rest of the year, hours are 9 AM to 3 PM each day. Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
AMENITIES
- Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up a brochure on the Aquatic Gardens and Anacostia Park
- Posted schedule of daily Ranger-led activities and special events
- Exhibit area
- Small gift and souvenir store
- Restrooms
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center book and souvenir shop
EXHIBITS
There are two small exhibit rooms at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center. The first room has a handful of information panels about the plants you can expect to see and the history of the gardens.
Exhibits in the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center
A second room is dedicated to Helen Fowler, garden founder Walter Shaw’s daughter and eventual business partner. Fowler managed the gardens from 1912 until the property was purchased by the U. S. government in 1938. She was instrumental in making W. B. Shaw Water Lilies of Kenilworth one of the largest growers and sellers of water plants in the country. In addition to information about Fowler, there are some of her water lily pastel drawings on display.
Helen Fowler Room in the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
The 1913 sales office is a small building, so there is not that much to see inside. You can read through all of the information panels in about ten minutes. Add another five minutes to get a brochure and talk with a Ranger about what there is to see. You should be in and out of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Visitor Center in no more than fifteen minutes.
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Last updated on November 26, 2025
