National Mall hosts We Want More History on 27 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 09:30 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The National Mall hosts We Want More History at the Lockkeeper's House in Washington, D.C., on 27 September 2026. The event brings the Trust for the National Mall, the National Park Service and the National Mall Gateway team together at one of the capital's oldest surviving structures.
The programme is centred on public history rather than a large outdoor spectacle. It gives visitors a specific reason to include the Lockkeeper's House while exploring the wider park, including activities connected with the National Mall Gateway.
We Want More History brings Gateway activities to the Mall
The Trust for the National Mall lists We Want More History for Sunday, 27 September 2026, at the Lockkeeper's House, at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. The listed programme runs from 11am to 3pm, according to the Trust's event calendar.
The Trust says its National Mall Gateway team and the National Park Service will take part in a day of history activities. The programme also marks the first anniversary of the Gateway, a digital learning platform about history, civics and the National Mall. Visitors can explore the house, test the Gateway on site and take part in activities involving maps, stickers, trading cards and other Gateway materials. The event programme for 27 September identifies the venue, date and participating organisations.
The Lockkeeper's House links the event to canal history
The event's setting gives the programme a direct connection to Washington's early infrastructure. The Lockkeeper's House stands at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW and is described by the National Park Service as the capital's oldest extant structure.
Built around 1837, the two-storey brick building originally housed the keeper of locks linking the Washington City Canal with the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. Its simple Federal-style detailing reflects its practical purpose, while its surviving exhibits explain the canal system and the early development of Washington. The National Park Service records that the canal declined by the mid-nineteenth century as railways expanded and flooding continued. The National Park Service history of the house connects the building's present educational role with that earlier commercial landscape.
That history makes the 27 September programme more specific than a general tour of the park: the Gateway activities take place inside a building that preserves a physical link to the canals that helped shape the young capital.
Visiting National Mall: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- We Want More History takes place on 27 September 2026 at the Lockkeeper's House, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
- The event is organised by the Trust for the National Mall in partnership with the National Park Service and We Want More History, with Gateway activities at the house.
- The venue is a two-storey brick historic building with exhibits about Washington's early growth, the canal system and the work of the lockkeeper.
- The Lockkeeper's House is at the north-west intersection of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, within the National Mall area. The National Park Service lists public transit among the site's amenities.
- The event is in the United States, where English is the official language of the programme and the national currency is the US dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for National Mall on social platforms
These links open searches for National Mall on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about National Mall
When does We Want More History take place at National Mall?
We Want More History takes place on 27 September 2026 at the Lockkeeper's House, from 11am to 3pm according to the Trust for the National Mall.
What is the Lockkeeper's House at National Mall?
It is a two-storey brick building built around 1837 and one of the few surviving structures from the era of the Washington City Canal.
Where is National Mall and how do you get there?
The Lockkeeper's House is at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service lists public transit among the site's amenities.
