Your Fee Dollars at Work

Your fees help us pay for a variety of projects that improve your experience at the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

NPS/ Claire Hassler

 

How your fees help

Great Falls Park is managed by the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Your fees enable us to continue to protect the natural resources, historic sites, and critical infrastructure you use along the parkway. Fee dollars fund a variety of projects, like deferred maintenance, repaving of parking lots and roads, improving visitor services, refurbishing monuments, and preserving historic structures and artifacts.

80% of fees collected here at Great Falls Park (George Washington Memorial Parkway) are re-invested into the park, while 20% of the funds are invested in national parks you enjoy across the country!

 

Fee-Funded Projects at Great Falls Park and Beyond

Entrance fees collected at Great Falls Park allow the entire George Washington Memorial Parkway to complete many projects that improve the overall visitor experience.
Check out some examples of fee-funded projects below!

 

Patowmack Canal Lock Damage

Repair Damaged Canal Locks and Stone Walls at Historic Patowmack Canal

The Patowmack Canal is one of the first canals in the United States, a project spearheaded by George Washington. The canal tells the story of early efforts to expand the country and connect the East coast to the Western frontier.
Unfortunately the canal had sustained damages from past storms that had severely eroded the structure and forced sections of the trail to close to preserve this important piece of history. In order to keep history alive, fee money has been used to fund this project and restore the canal to a condition that will allow visitors to enjoy it for many years to come.

 

George Washington Memorial Parkway Mobile Visitor Center

George Washington Memorial Parkway Mobile Visitor Center

The George Washington Memorial Parkway hosts tens of millions of visitors annually across its many varied sites, yet most visitors are unaware of just how far this park stretches. This awareness issue is due to a lack of visitor services and facilities available at all sites.
Fee money has been used to create a mobile visitor center to increase the reach of the park and its staff, and to provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about the park and its many sites. Visitors can now get information more easily than ever before!

 

Once opened, the Great Falls Visitor Center will have enhanced services for visitors, new and improved exhibits and a new HVAC system.

NPS/Claire Hassler

Improve the Great Falls Visitor Center

The visitor center is a great place to orient yourself to the park with a 10-minute video, trail maps, volunteers and rangers, restrooms and a wide array of exhibits.

Replace roof and HVAC system

The National Park Service is currently replacing the roof and HVAC system to make your experience at the visitor center more comfortable. The visitor center at Great Falls Park was constructed in 1965 as part of the National Parks Mission 66 effort and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Complete design to restore the visitor center courtyard

The NPS is taking the first steps toward making the Great Falls Visitor Center courtyard a more accessible, multi-use area. This work will include removing deteriorated surfaces, correcting drainage issues, and improving the grading on ramps. The NPS plans to facilitate a multi-use area which could serve functions like concessions, restrooms, staff offices, and maintenance access.

 

The NPS will renovate restrooms at Great Falls Park to have the most up-to-date accessibility standards.

NPS/Claire Hassler

Improve restrooms at Fort Hunt Park, Turkey Run Park, Theodore Roosevelt Island, and Great Falls Park

Through this project, the NPS will rehabilitate several restrooms along the parkway—two at Fort Hunt Park, three at Turkey Run Park, and one at Theodore Roosevelt Island. These restrooms are historic structures built under the Mission 66 program. The work will include removal and replacement of rusted exterior doors, broken concrete masonry, flooring, and fixtures. New features will meet the most up-to-date standards for accessibility. At Great Falls, the NPS will completely rebuild the interior space to meet the most up-to-date accessibility standards and improve the trail to the restroom with new gravel material.

 

Bells of the Netherlands Carillon

NPS

Rehabilitate the Netherlands Carillon

Summer carillon concerts are a fun and unique tradition along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the NPS is committed to maintaining this powerful symbol of freedom. Through this project, the NPS rehabilitated the Netherlands Carillon, located in the Arlington Ridge area of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Work included the removal and replacement of deteriorated sections of the exterior and interior support structure. Internal work included removal and replacement of deteriorated floor panels and removal of existing metal ceiling panels.

 

The new restroom makes visiting the parkway even more convenient!

NPS/Kelsey Graczyk

Build a new public restroom at the Marine Corps War Memorial

Whether you need to fill up on water on a hot day, or have easy access to a restroom, we know how useful these facilities are to visitors. This funding allowed for the construction of a new restroom at the Marine Corps War Memorial and near the Netherlands Carillon, in an area which previously did not have a permanent and convenient restroom option nearby. In addition to a restroom, the building also houses a ranger contact station where visitors can learn about the memorial and other sites along the parkway.

 

The new playground will be safe and accessible for all children to enjoy!

NPS/ Claire Hassler

Build a new playground at Fort Hunt Park

The NPS plans to construct a new, safe and accessible playground at Fort Hunt Park. This project will help ensure all children visiting Fort Hunt can enjoy all the park has to offer! Because Fort Hunt Park is an important archeological site in addition to being a recreational park, park staff first ensured that the archeological resources at Fort Hunt Park were not impacted by this construction. The NPS will add an accessible route from the pavilion to the playground as well as plant additional trees.

 

Repair portions of the Mount Vernon Trail near Bridge 12

The Mount Vernon trail hosts millions of visitors every year, biking, running, walking and more! Using fee dollars, the NPS reconstructed the trail on both sides of Bridge 12 between Fort Hunt Road and Waynewood Blvd. This construction included full removal of the trail structure, placement of a new base, placement of asphalt concrete pavement and new painted stripes, creating a straighter alignment and reduced grade leading to and from the bridge. These repairs will make the trail safer for visitors and make rides smoother for cyclists.

 

Check back for project updates and thank you for supporting your park!