Anacostia Skating Pavilion: 50 Years of Community on Wheels

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Anacostia Skating Pavilion, one of the region’s only free, open-air public skating venues and a cornerstone of Washington, D.C. community life. Presented by curator and historian Tasha Klusmann, this 120-minute program explores the Pavilion’s evolution from neighborhood recreation site to culturally significant civic space.
Through archival photographs, oral histories, and visual storytelling, the program highlights grassroots stewardship, intergenerational traditions, and the power of community activation in preserving public space. The presentation includes excerpts from an upcoming documentary with the working title Love Letter to the Anacostia Skating Pavilion – DC Skate Story. The video presentation brings the Pavilion’s energy and atmosphere to life and is followed by a facilitated conversation and meet-and-greet with longtime skaters.
Participants are invited to share memories and contribute photographs or memorabilia to an ongoing community archive documenting the Pavilion’s first 50 years.
Join us as we honor not just a place—but the people who made it thrive.

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Host or Publisher Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum