Rock Creek Park is where D.C. comes together.

The Carter Barron Amphitheater exemplifies this, having opened in 1950 as one of very few racially-integrated performing arts venues in the city. Its legacy of diverse performances— from jazz and Shakespeare to Springsteen and Chuck Brown— and its accessible ticket prices have offered entry to Rock Creek Park (and the National Park Service) to thousands of people. Many, who would not self-identify as park or nature enthusiasts, have found their way to the Carter Barron for a favorite show and been captivated by the thousands of acres of green space just beyond. As the saying goes: come for the music, stay for the bats. 

The Carter Barron was purpose-built for the 150th anniversary of Washington, D.C., being named as the nation’s capital in 1800. It embodies the ideals of democracy by providing a forum for community members and all Americans to gather. Integrated at its opening, the Carter Barron represents the values of inclusion, access, and affordability so important to the community and to democracy.  

Unfortunately, the amphitheater has been closed since 2017 due to structural issues with the stage. A revitalization of the more than 4,000-seat amphitheater will preserve the key elements and values of the original structure and use while bringing the amphitheater’s operations into the 21st century. Renovation will serve the broad community that loves the amphitheater, attract new audiences, and introduce more people to Rock Creek Park.      

Amphitheater Revitalization: Structure  

“In 1918, the Olmsted Brothers developed early plans for Rock Creek Park. They followed the McMillan Plan, which provides the broad contours of the District of Columbia’s design. The 1918 plan set aside the Brightwood Plateau (B in the map below) as an area for active recreation and included an outdoor theater. National Park Service architect Bill Hausman designed the amphitheater to create “an outdoor theater with a lot of the amenities of an indoor theater,” with a seating bowl giving each attendee “an equal opportunity of seeing and hearing all stage presentations,” (HSR pp 20 – 21). The plans reflect the key priorities and values of the amphitheater, reflecting the spirit of equality that shaped the venue itself. The design combines the aesthetic known as “National Park Service rustic,” blending into the vast forests of Rock Creek Park with the monumentality for which D.C. is known, tied together with a modern simplicity. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. visited Rock Creek Park in the 1940s after the site was selected to ensure it was consistent with the Olmsted Brothers’ plan.”In 1918, the Olmsted Brothers developed early plans for Rock Creek Park. They followed the McMillan Plan, which provides the broad contours of the District of Columbia’s design. The 1918 plan set aside the Brightwood Plateau (B in the map below) as an area for active recreation and included an outdoor theater. National Park Service architect Bill Hausman designed the amphitheater to create “an outdoor theater with a lot of the amenities of an indoor theater,” with a seating bowl giving each attendee “an equal opportunity of seeing and hearing all stage presentations,” (HSR pp 20 – 21). The plans reflect the key priorities and values of the amphitheater, reflecting the spirit of equality that shaped the venue itself. The design combines the aesthetic known as ‘National Park Service rustic,’ blending into the vast forests of Rock Creek Park with the monumentality for which D.C. is known, tied together with a modern simplicity. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. visited Rock Creek Park in the 1940s after the site was selected to ensure it was consistent with the Olmsted Brothers’ plan.

The planned physical restoration of the amphitheater will preserve its historic elements, while bringing the systems and structure up to 21st century standards and improving the visitor experience. Improvements include:  

  • Wi-Fi for audio/visual systems;  
  • ways to mitigate disturbance of endangered wildlife species by reflecting sound and light back into the amphitheater; 
  • ABAAS (Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standard) compliance such as structures like ramps as well as programmatic access such as subtitles or audio description;  
  • and modern-day expectations such as sufficient bandwidth, restrooms, and other amenities. 

A roof over the house will be contemplated; a roof over the stage will be included. Also under consideration is a new structure to contain the restrooms and some administrative or technical offices and functions; the trees alongside the amphitheater’s bowl would hide the structure from audiences.  

Amphitheater Revitalization: Programming and Values 

At the Carter Barron Amphitheater groundbreaking ceremony, then Secretary of the Interior Oscar Chapman noted: “Let its continued use serve as an example that the principles of freedom and equality, handed down to us by the founding fathers, are not merely ideas but are working principles in our democracy,” (HSR p 23). Opened in 1950 to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the District of Columbia as the Nation’s Capital, the facility has hosted plays, operas, and performance acts such as Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, the National Symphony Orchestra, Harry Belafonte, Louis Armstrong, Chuck Brown, Rahsaan Patterson, George Duke, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Maysa, and Boney James, among others. 

From the beginning, audiences were diverse— in part because, unlike many other venues in the city, this was one of the first facilities to be fully integrated during a time when racial segregation was still common. This inclusive, welcoming approach to attendance has led many who remember those early days to refer to the amphitheater as a “sacred space.” Many of those mid-century attendees note that, though the thousands at each show came from a variety of walks of life, they would leave the amphitheater in unity, having shared a powerful experience that they knew was unique. The ephemeral nature of the interaction of weather and performance at the amphitheater makes performances there even more special than a typical live performance. Attendees remember cats skittering across the stage in the middle of a Shakespeare soliloquy, bats above the stage during a symphony, or rain causing umbrellas to pop up throughout the audience. 

Revitalization Plans 

While the National Park Service works on the design process, Rock Creek Conservancy has launched the Carter Barron Alliance. This network of arts, parks, historic preservation, philanthropic, and community groups works together to support the timely, complete revitalization of the Carter Barron Amphitheater. Throughout June, Summer in the Parks events brought music, lawn games, and fun to the box office area in front of the amphitheater’s gates and reminded community members of the joy of shared experiences at the Carter Barron.