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Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA

Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Theatre & EventsDate NightOutdoor AdventureFree

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

1551 Trap Rd · Vienna, VA

Why you should go…

Established in 1966, Wolf Trap is the only national park dedicated to presenting the performing arts, run by the National Park Service with the nonprofit Wolf Trap Foundation. Summer shows fill the Filene Center, which seats up to about 7,000 between the house and the lawn, while Theatre-in-the-Woods hosts children's performances. You can bring your own picnic to the lawn, hike the Wolf Trap Trail, or join a ranger's backstage tour of the Filene Center in the off-season.

  • #outdoor concerts
  • #amphitheater
  • #national park
  • #children's theater
  • #picnic lawn

Good to know

General theatre & events guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Curtain time is firm

    Latecomers are commonly held at the back until a scene break, so build in a buffer.

  • Study the seating chart

    Price and sightline vary a lot within the same house. A few rows back can be the better seat.

  • Rush and lottery seats exist

    Many venues release same-day tickets at a discount if you are flexible about where you sit.

  • Arrive with time to spare

    Parking, bag check, and finding your row all take longer than you think on a full house.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Great Falls Park

    Under $25

    Watch the Potomac River crash over a series of cascades from three overlooks, then hike the cliffs above Mather Gorge.

    4.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Date Night

    Glenstone

    Free

    See postwar and contemporary art in quiet pavilions and outdoor sculptures set across meadows, woods and a water garden.

    8.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

    Free

    Walk two huge hangars at Dulles Airport holding Space Shuttle Discovery, an SR-71 Blackbird and a Concorde.

    10.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Theatre & Events
    History Buff

    Ford's Theatre

    Under $25

    Stand in the theatre where Lincoln was shot, then cross the street to the Petersen House where the story ended.

    13 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Date Night

    Arena Stage

    $50+

    See American plays and musicals on three stages, including a theater in the round, near the Southwest waterfront.

    14 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Date Night

    Toby's Dinner Theatre

    $50+

    An in-the-round dinner theatre in Columbia serving a full meal alongside professional musical productions.

    29 mi awayMore like this