Suburban Gardens

The neighborhood of Deanwood is itself pretty historic. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in NE Washington, and evolved after the Civil War from former slave plantations. It is also one of D.C.’s earliest majority African-American communities, as well as the home of Washington’s first and only amusement park.

In 1921, architectural engineer Howard D. Woodson (among others) built the Suburban Gardens Amusement Park, which featured a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, pool, games, and a dance pavilion that hosted such artists as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington.  Aside from being the only amusement park in D.C., it stood out for opening its doors to African-Americans at a time when other amusement parks, namely Glen Echo, barred them.