The perfect backdrop for your dream photoshoot! Glen Echo Park offers timeless charm and vibrant settings for everything from engagement photos to family portraits to graduation shots and styled sessions. We have even had a few movies filmed here! 

Photo shoots on the Carousel or in the Spanish Ballroom or Bumper Car Pavilion require scheduling with the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. A location fee of $150/hour is charged. More information below under "Permits & Location Fees."

Permits & Location Fees

Thank you for your interest in photography and/or filming at Glen Echo Park. Because Glen Echo Park is both an arts center and part of the National Park Service (NPS), NPS guidelines for photography and filming apply to the Park.

From the National Park Service website:

Pictures or videos taken by the visiting public documenting their visit do not require a permit. National Mall and Memorial Parks and the other DC area National Park Service parks require a permit for all photography and filming that is not categorized as general visitor use. When in doubt if a permit is needed, contact the Division of Permits Management prior to going to the park to shoot photos or video.

National Mall and Memorial Parks feature some of the nation’s most iconic sites attracting amateur and professional photographers and videographers from around the world. Only still photography requires a permit, the visiting public photographing or recording their visit do not require a permit.

When a permit is required, the National Park Service issues the permit; the Glen Echo Park Partnership does not issue permits. NPS permit applications have a non-refundable application fee of $90. Click here to visit the webpage with information and a link to the PDF form. (You will need Adobe Reader to access the form.)

Directions for submitting the application to the NPS permit office are on the form. (DO NOT submit forms to the Glen Echo Park Partnership. We do not process permit applications.) If you have general questions or would like more information, please contact Franice Sewell at 703-289-2513. Allow at least 5 business days for a permit application to be processed and the permit issued. In addition, the NPS may charge a location fee. You may find more information about NPS photography and filming fees here. 

If you would like to film or take photographs inside the carousel building, the Bumper Car Pavilion, or the Spanish Ballroom, a location fee will also be charged by the Glen Echo Park Partnership. This fee is entirely separate from the NPS permit application fee and any location fees that the NPS might charge. The fee is $150/hour for either location, with a one hour minimum. The Partnership provides staff to open the spaces and monitor the shoot.*  Keep in mind that during carousel season (May – September) the carousel is open to the public from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekends; therefore, photo shoots must take place outside these public hours.

If you do not wish to have access to the carousel, Bumper Car Pavilion, or Spanish Ballroom, but would like to film or take photographs outside on park grounds only, the Glen Echo Park Partnership will not charge a location fee, and you may work directly with the NPS permit office referred to above to apply for a permit.

For more information, or to schedule a photo or film shoot, please contact Jenni Cloud at jcloud@glenechopark.org.

* Commercial photography/filming is generally not allowed — with the exception of media coverage — when the ballroom or carousel is open to the public. Therefore, non-media photography/filming requests require opening the carousel building or ballroom for a one-time use.

More information can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/filming-and-photography-permits.htm