The Carter Barron Amphitheater is a beloved part of D.C. history. On Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., visitors are invited to share memories and immerse themselves in the history of the historic venue within Rock Creek Park.
The event is being held to mark the 75th anniversary of the amphitheater, which opened in 1950, and hear from the National Park Service about plans to rehabilitate the facility.
The amphitheater was constructed as part of the commemoration of the sesquicentennial — 150th anniversary — of the establishment of the District of Columbia as the nation’s capital in 1800.
“The Carter Barron Amphitheater means a great deal to a large segment of Washington, D.C.,” said Rock Creek Park Superintendent Brian Joyner. “The amphitheater was opened in 1950 and, for all of its glory, it’s an older building.”
Joyner said even though the amphitheater has been closed since the end of the 2016 season because of structural issues, it is steeped in D.C. history.
Thursday’s event, he said, is an invitation to the community to come back to the facility, look around, talk with old friends and look to the future.
“The Summer in the Parks programs that we do with the Rock Creek Conservatory is just a great opportunity for people to come out, listen to music, play games,” Joyner emphasized.
Some of the greatest entertainers since 1950 have performed in the intimate 4,200-seat venue, allowing spectators to sit very close to the stage.
On a stormy night in 1975, Bruce Springsteen’s international musical career was launched when he performed his “Born to Run” album there, weeks before it was released.
Plus, Joiner said, the location is especially unique.
“It sits right in the middle of the city. It was planned as part of the 1918 Olmstead Brothers plan for Rock Creek Park,” he said. “It is easily accessible, (because of) public transportation. … They’ve had the Ice Capades there. The National Symphony Orchestra used to perform on a regular basis there. Shakespeare in the Park. It was a place that had something for everybody.”
Other acts that have performed there include Smokey Robinson, John Prine, Joan Armatrading, BB King with the Nighthawks, Chuck Brown and Richard Pryor.
Joyner said the NPS is working on a long-term plan to rehabilitate the venue and create a public-private partnership to eventually reopen it and save it for generations to come.
Structural problems were discovered in 2016, and it was closed after a 2017 inspection found that the stage’s substructure was not strong enough to handle the weight of performers and equipment onstage.
“We don’t have a timeline. We recognize that this is going to be a public-private partnership. We are working with our philanthropic partner,” Joyner said. “Every park in the National Park Service competes for funds for construction dollars. So, we are trying to finish up all the things we can finish on our end before we go and try to request money from the Park Service to move forward with the rehabilitation.”
Thursday’s event will begin with welcome remarks from Joyner and Rock Creek Conservancy Executive Director Dan Puskar, followed by two hours of family-friendly activities around the amphitheater.
Activities outside the gates, near the Box Office, will include music by DJ Lance Reynolds, kids’ games, commemorative button making and information about recreating responsibly in national parks.
Activities inside the gates will feature a ranger program about the history of the amphitheater at 6:30 p.m., a screening of the film “DC’s Heartbeat: A Carter Barron Amphitheater Story” at 7:15 p.m. and an interactive timeline and opportunities for everyone to share memories.
“In many ways, it represented, I think, the kind of ideal of what the city of Washington needed for its residents,” he said. “This is a place that specifically is for the city of Washington.”