About this Event
Mount Vernon Square, located at 7th and K Streets NW, was included by Peter (Pierre) L’Enfant in the original city design as a gathering place, now at the crossroads of the local and federal city. The square has served Washingtonians as a market, a public library, a convention center, and is now home to the DC History Center—the only community-based nonprofit focused on the District’s history.
On Saturday, October 15, get to know Mount Vernon Square and Downtown by spending the day with us! From 10 am to 4 pm, come play and learn the history of our city, meet your neighbors, and eat, drink, and shop local. During this special event, come see our mission in action!
OPEN DAY ACTIVITIES
- Browse the Kiplinger Research Library and its DC history collections
- Read together during Family Storytime (ages 3-8, but all are welcome!)
- Hear from exhibit collaborators, including the Bachelor Benedict Club
- Tour the Carnegie library building
- Learn about the Rainbow History Project's oral history work
- Play along with our Building Bingo
- Explore Mount Vernon Square on our Scavenger Hunt
- Join a walking tour of Chinatown with the 1882 Foundation
- Spotlight local authors during quick lightning talks
- Create a button inspired by activists and changemakers
- Shop our DC History Center store
- Dance on the lawn with EventsDC
- Meet the people who make this work possible!
Start your day at the DC History Center located at 801 K Street NW, on the second floor of the Carnegie Library. Once checked in, you will be provided with a schedule and reward card for the day.
REWARD CARD
Participate in activities to earn rewards at participating local businesses offering special Open Day discounts:
- A free 0.2L beer at Prost DC
- A free iced or drip coffee at A Baked Joint
- $5 off at Pearl’s Bagels
- Buy two tacos, get one free at Rebel Taco
- And more to come!
To offer a perk during Open Day, contact Development Manager Sajel Swartz at [email protected] about being a Reward Card partner.
REGISTRATION
Registration will be available onsite, but sign up by October 14 for a chance to win the Open Day raffle! A full schedule of events will be available soon.
This community event is free, but your donation makes programs, like this one, possible. We appreciate your generous contribution at any amount.
THE DC HISTORY CENTER is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization that deepens understanding of our city's past to connect, empower, and inspire. As the only community-based nonprofit focused on the District’s history, our vision is to reach into all eight wards to preserve and elevate the stories of Washington's diverse people, neighborhoods, and institutions. Visit us at www.dchistory.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @dchistory.
The DC History Center gratefully recognizes the support of the DC Historic Preservation Office and Office of Planning; the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; and Humanities DC, as part of the "SHARP Grant Program," an initiative funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
DC History Center, 801 K Street Northwest, Washington, United States
USD 0.00