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Clara Barton
National Historic Site
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Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The house in Glen Echo served as her home, headquarters for the American Red Cross and a warehouse for disaster relief supplies. From this house, she organized and directed American Red Cross relief efforts for victims of natural disasters and war. Clara Barton National Historic Site was established in the National Park Service in 1975 and is administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

For additional information on Miss Barton's life and accomplishments, follow this link to the Clara Barton Chronology pages.

ADDRESS:

5801 Oxford Road
Glen Echo, Maryland 20812

TELEPHONE:

301-492-6245

OPERATING HOURS/SEASONS:

Daily 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. House shown by guided tour only.
Tours start hourly on the hour. First tour at 10:00 AM, Last tour at 4:00 PM.
Groups of ten or more need reservations.
Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Allow 30 - 45 minutes for the house tour.

FEES/COSTS/RATES:

Admission is free. Parking is free.

SPECIAL EVENTS/PROGRAMS:

Lamplight Open House programs are held twice per year, one in the spring and one in the fall.

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS:

Located off MacArthur Blvd., adjacent to Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Maryland, several miles North West of Washington, D.C. Accessible from the Capital Beltway (I-495). Local park directional sign postings located on the Clara Barton Parkway and MacArthur Blvd. Commercial vehicle and bus restrictions on approaching roadways.

TRANSPORTATION:

Local transportation to site by car or commercial carrier bus with ample free parking. Public transportation to site available through Montgomery County Transit Authority Ride-on-Bus # 29 from Bethesda and Friendship Heights Metro stations (red line) or by taxi.

VISITATION:

Daily, year round. Parks as Classrooms school programs usually conducted
September - June on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

CLIMATE/RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:

Summers are generally hot and humid. Winters are generally cold with variable precipitation. Recommended dress appropriately for outdoor conditions. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:

National Park Service Passport Cancellation Station.

Parks and History Association Book Shop.

PROGRAMS/ACTIVITIES: Parks as Classrooms education programs are available for elementary school groups. Group tour reservations are required for groups of ten or more and are restricted to 40 people total. Audio/visual programs available by reservation only. Contact site for further information or to schedule a program.

ACCESSIBILITY: The first floor of the house is wheelchair accessible. Visitors with special needs should contact the site for further arrangements.

LODGING, CAMPING, AND FOOD SUPPLIES: None at the site. Restaurants and lodging located nearby in Montgomery County, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. National Park Service camping facilities located at Greenbelt Park, Maryland and Prince William Forest Park, Virginia.

TRAILS/ROADS: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park nearby. Parking areas and access to towpath located on Clara Barton Parkway. Entrance to Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center on MacArthur Blvd. approximately eight miles west. George Washington Memorial Parkway and Mt. Vernon Trail located nearby in Virginia.

ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

C & O Canal National Historical Park

TheGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway is a 7,200-acre national park which preserves a tremendous variety of natural and cultural areas. For additional information, click on the following photographs and learn more about the sites administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Arlington House-The Robert E. Lee Memorial Women In Military Service To America Memorial Netherlands Carillion Arlington Memorial Bridge U.S. Marine Corps Memorial
Turkey Run Park < WIDTH="100" HEIGHT="67" ALT="Fort Marcy">
Glen Echo Park Great Falls Park Dyke Marsh Fort Hunt Park Theodore Roosevelt Island

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

You may contact Clara Barton National Historic Site by email.

The following National Park Service Sites are associated with significant events from Clara Barton's life:
Andersonville National Historic Site
Antietam National Battlefield
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
Johnstown Flood National Memorial

You may access photographs and the NPS press release concerning the discovery of historic materials in a Washington, D.C. building once occupied by Miss Barton at theNational Capital Region web site.

You may leave this National Park Service ParkNet site and visit the web site for the American Red Cross.

School House This park is featured in a lesson plan created by Teaching with Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service that helps teachers and students understand how parks and other historic places embody America's historical experiences and cultural expressions.

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Last Modified: 1/25/99
Web page authored by Volunteer Jade Curtis.
URL: www.nps.gov/clba/index.htm