The park
Open daily, dawn to dusk. Here's what you'll find when you visit.
Lafayette-Pointer Recreation Center
A new community building with after-school programming, classes, and gathering space.
Opened in 2021 by Mayor Muriel Bowser, the recreation center anchors the park and is home to programs run by DC Parks and Recreation, including after-school care, fitness classes, and seasonal events.
Learn more
Playgrounds
Two play areas designed for younger children and bigger kids.
Shaded play structures, swings, and climbing equipment serve neighborhood families year-round. Volunteer crews keep mulch fresh and benches in good repair.
Water Daisy
A summertime sprayground that blooms from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The Water Daisy turns on each summer and is one of the park's most-loved features for cooling off on hot DC afternoons.
Tennis Courts
Newly resurfaced courts open to the public, first-come first-served.
Recent court upgrades keep the courts smooth and well-lined for casual play and pickup matches.
Learn more
Basketball Court
An open court for pickup games and after-school play.
The basketball court is a regular gathering spot for neighborhood kids and weekend pickup games.
Athletic Field
A baseball diamond and open field for ball games and practice.
Half of the athletic field — the side with the baseball diamond — is DC Parks and Recreation land; the other half, which recently opened, is DC Public Schools land. Together they give the neighborhood room for baseball, soccer, and pickup games.
Green Spaces
Open lawns and shaded corners for picnics, frisbee, and quiet afternoons.
Wide stretches of grass and mature trees give the park room to breathe. These public spaces are widely used for after-school play, family picnics, and the occasional stroller meet-up.
Gardens & Gathering Spaces
Pollinator beds, a gazebo, and shaded picnic areas.
FOLP volunteers plant, weed, and mulch the perennial beds. The gazebo and surrounding picnic areas host parties, classes, and neighborhood meet-ups.
Nature in the Park
Butterflies, birds, fireflies and a wide range of pollinators seek them out for their nectar, seeds, and fruits. Learn more about the park’s flora and fauna, and what you can do to help them.
Explore flora and fauna
City Projects and the park
Lafayette-Pointer Park sits on rolling terrain that has long struggled with stormwater runoff and erosion. FOLP works with the DC Government on projects to stabilize the land, protect the field and gardens, and improve the park's ecological health.
Planned for 2026
A DC project to stabilize the park with passive and active stormwater systems — repairing erosion, firming up the playing field, adding vegetation, and improving paths, benches, and landscaping.
Learn moreWhat FOLP has contributed
In response to the City's plan, the Friends of Lafayette-Pointer Park submitted a written summary, an expert review, and on-site documentation of where the erosion really begins:
Our recommended approach to stabilizing the park.
An independent review of the City's concept and schematic designs by Sandy Wiggins — community member, construction professional, and former Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council.
A four-minute video filmed during a rainstorm showing the stormwater problems start at the top of the hill — making the case to focus the project on the upper field, not the lower NW corner. (Large file.)
Completed
Completed 2024
A DC DGS project, finished in 2024, that addressed water and drainage problems in the park, laying the groundwork for the erosion-control work to come.
Learn moreVisit
The park is open to the public daily, dawn to dusk. The Water Daisy operates Memorial Day through Labor Day. Tennis and basketball courts are first-come first-served. There's street parking on 33rd Street and along Broad Branch Road.
Lafayette-Pointer Park
5900 33rd St NW, Washington, DC 20015
