This September 25 and 26 in Washington, D.C., The Cultural Landscape Foundation will hold What’s Out There Weekend—the prototype for an annual, nationwide series of interpretive tours that focus attention on our country’s rich and diverse heritage of designed landscapes. The public will be able to visit any or all of 25 sites around Washington, D.C., to get free tours from expert guides.
The goal of the weekend’s activities is to raise awareness about the importance of Washington, D.C.’s astonishing and diverse historic designed landscape heritage and to educate the public about the individuals who designed them and the unique narratives behind their creation, ongoing care, and management. The landscapes span over 200 years of design, from L’Enfant’s Plan for the city to Dan Kiley’s plaza at the National Gallery of Art. Throughout the weekend there will be public guided tours, including a unique event at the U.S. Capitol Grounds; an insider’s view of some of Northwest D.C.’s most prominent estate landscapes and an introduction to Congressional Cemetery, one of our nation’s oldest designed cemeteries. TCLF’s What’s Out There Weekend partners, the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, will support sites all over the city, from the National Mall to Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
The What’s Out There Weekend initiative dovetails with the web-based What’s Out There, the first searchable database of the nation’s designed landscapes. What’s Out There Weekend extends the focus of the What’s Out There database, by creating a rich series of inspiring and educational events.
TCLF is proud to have the support of the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, Dumbarton Oaks, and the Washington, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation in hosting this first What’s Out There Weekend. TCLF also wishes to thank our Media Partner, Room & Board, and PNC Bank for their support. For a complete list of sites, and registration information, log on to www.tclf.org.
