dumbarton oaks gardens

Last weekend, Richard and I spent an afternoon wandering the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown. I've passed the grounds on many a walk to Dupont Circle, but have never been able to go on a proper visit until last Sunday. Let me tell you... it is lovely! The fifty-three-acre property was purchased in 1920 by Mildred and Robert Wood Bliss and in 1940, the couple donated the upper 16 acres to Harvard University to foster Byzantine, Pre-Colombian and landscape architecture studies. One of my favorite parts of our visit was seeing the Cloud Terrace installation by by Cao | Perrot studios (pictured below), it is the third in a series of contemporary art installations at Dumbarton Oaks. Although you are not able to picnic on the property, Montrose Park is adjacent to Dumbarton and is home to many excellent spots to lay out a blanket and munch on bread and cheese... which is exactly what we did. Despite the slightly overcast (and incredibly humid... thank you D.C. summer...) weather, it was a terrific day and I look forward to taking my family back to visit later on this summer.

Main Building, Dumbarton Oaks