happyly approved

Kennedy Recreation Center and Playground

1401 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Mon - Fri: 10 am - 9 pm Sat: 10 am - 4 pm Closed Sun

$

playground, water-activities

Kennedy Recreation Center & Playground in NW Washington, D.C.

This downtown site offers two playgrounds, one geared for younger children and one more suitable to kids ages 5 and up. There is a large tower, plus slides in the middle of the big-kid playground, a climbing spider web, monkey bars, and seated merry-go-round. There is also a small splash park for cooling off in the summer.  

This playground can get really crowded but there’s so much to do that the kids don’t seem to mind!  Restroom facilities are available when the recreation center is open. There is street parking.

There are plenty of amenities here at this spot, indoors and outdoors. Inside the rec center is a fitness room, gym, and multi-purpose rooms. You can rent rooms for events or just check them out to see how busy they are. Outside, there are several playgrounds, a baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, a splash park perfect for hot days, walking trails, and grills for picnicking. There is even a horse shoe pit! 

The Kennedy Rec Center and Playgrounds are a great spot to get your kiddos outside and moving right in downtown D.C. You could definitely plan a day and pack accordingly to spend plenty of hours here if you need an activity any day of the week. 

The closest metro is the Mount Vernon sq/Convention Center (green/yellow lines). The rec center is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm, Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and it is closed on Sunday. 

Sweetgreen and Shake Shack in Logan Circle are both within 15 minutes walk of the playground and make for a great picnic.

Features

Restrooms Playground Grills Splashpad
Thoughtfully captured by:
Elizabeth Regard
Liz Regard was raised in Pottstown, PA and first came to DC for college. After a four-year stint in New York City in the buying office of Bloomingdales after graduating, she returned to the DC area for law school and never left. It’s been 19 years and counting! She lives in Dupont Circle with her husband, Dan, their girls, Amelia and Felicity, and dog, Rugby, and works part-time for an international trade law firm. While Liz always liked exploring the city before the girls came on the scene, having kids opened up a whole new world of adventure. Everyone was happier when they were outside, so Liz spent a lot of time online researching fun activities and destinations. She really needed Happy Active Family. Now, she’s just excited to be creating this amazing resource for families across the nation with her friend, Caitlin. In their free time, Liz and her family love to travel and are slowly trying to visit every playground in the DMV area.
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