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DC Trip 2024➤

Our congressman came through with tickets to visit the White House in October of 2024. So my husband and I took a long weekend to visit Washington, DC. He hadn’t been to many of the sites, so we spent a few days visiting the various National Park Service units. We toured several memorials, monuments and other sites, including the Lockkeeper’s House.

The National Mall➤

The National Mall stretches from the Capitol to the Potomac River. It serves as “America’s Front Lawn” and its premiere civic and symbolic space. Originally in the L’Enfant plan for the city, the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit of the NPS protects iconic monuments and memorials and over 1,000 acres of greenspace. The Lockkeeper’s House resides in the National Mall’s area.

The Lockkeeper’s House➤

After finishing our White House tour, we set out to explore more of the National Mall. Our route took us from the White House toward the far side of the Tidal Basin. Along the way, we passed the Lockkeeper’s House and decided to step inside.

This small stone building, dating back to 1837, is the oldest structure on the National Mall. It originally stood at the junction of the C&O Canal and the Washington City Canal, where the lockkeeper managed traffic and collected tolls. In 2017, it was moved a short distance to preserve the structure and make it more accessible. Inside, we viewed exhibits that told the story of Washington’s canal era and the role waterways once played in the city’s growth. It was a quick stop, but an interesting glimpse into a lesser-known part of D.C.’s history. As we left the Lockkeeper’s House, I snapped a photo of the nearby wall marking the path of the old Washington City Canal.

2024 DC Trip Posts➤

• WWI Memorial
• The White House
• White House Tour Pt 1
• White House Tour Pt 2
• Lockkeeper’s House
• Martin Luther King Memorial
• FDR Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial
• Korean War Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Constitution Gardens
• Washington Monument
• Mary McLeod Bethune Council House
• Rock Creek Park
• Supreme Court
• Capitol
• Library of Congress
• Theodore Roosevelt Island
• George Washington Parkway
• LBJ Memorial Grove
• Ford Theater
• Belmont-Paul
• Frederick Douglas

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Location: 17th Street NW & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Designation: National Mall & Memorial Park
Date designated/established: November 30, 1973
Date of my visit: October 24, 2024