The closed Carter Barron Amphitheatre, located in the woods of Rock Creek Park, is being restored by the National Park Service.
The outdoor venue once held performances for generations of District residents but closed in 2017. For six years it sat unused while residents pressured for it to reopen. Now, the National Park Service has plans to bring it back by 2026.
“It was a desegregated venue, unlike many of the venues -- most of the venues -- in D.C. at the time,” Deputy Superintendent for Rock Creek Park Brian Joyner said.
The amphitheater was a gift from the federal government to the city of D.C. It was dedicated in 1950 by President Harry Truman.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
During its peak, big names like Ella Fitzgerald and Bruce Springsteen played at the venue. It was also home to the Shakespeare Theatre Free for All summer performances.
The venue closed in 2017 after the stage was determined to be unsafe. In the time since, residents and civic groups pressured NPS to reopen the amphitheater.
The plans to reopen the venue recently began. NPS said it is working to secure funding and plans to partner with nonprofits and possibly a private company to run the theater.
“What COVID said to us, and I think it's across the country, is that outdoor space is more valuable than ever,” Joyner said.
The preliminary design assessments and schematic designs are also in motion, Joyner said. NPS plans to keep the venue relatively unchanged, keeping the stone façade, but possibly adding a roof over the stage.
“Part of the charm and appeal of this place is being able to walk into the woods here and kind of drop into nature and this outdoor space,” he said.
The refurbished venue will keep the tradition of accessibility, according to Joyner.
“This is the sort of place that was always affordable and accessible to people, so it’s not like suddenly these would be $100-seat concerts,” he said.
The National Park Service plans to reopen Carter Barron Amphitheatre by 2026, in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
