Surrounded by beautiful residential houses, Mitchell Park is a much-welcomed green space within the Kalorama neighborhood. When the weather is nice, it’s the perfect spot to bring a book and read for a few hours or to meet up with a friend for a picnic. Friday nights are often crowded and you might not be able to snag a table, but there is plenty of space to plop down on the grass.

Mitchell Park looks very much like your average neighborhood park, but it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has an extensive history. The park sits on land that was originally part of 600 acres deeded to George Calvert in 1663. During World War II, the German Republic purchased part of the plot for their embassy, but it was later confiscated by the US government. An archaeological dig in the 1980s discovered remnants of an 18th-century house that used to stand on the park. That is a lot of activity for a plot of grass!

Mitchell Park has a very active volunteer community that helps maintain the park’s almost 25,000 plantings. During the summer months, the park offers “Films in the Fields”: movie screenings in the evenings.