Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Map of the park
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Location	Wolf Trap, Virginia
Nearest city	Vienna, Virginia
Area	130 acres (53 ha)
Established	October 15, 1966 (1966-10-15)
Visitors	424,364 (in 2017)
Governing body	National Park Service, Wolf Trap Foundation
Website	Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Filene Center

View of venue from lawn area (c. 2006)
Address	1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, Virginia 22182-1643
Location	D.C. Area
Owner	Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
Capacity	7,024
Construction
Broke ground	May 22, 1968 (1968-05-22)
Opened	July 1, 1971 (1971-07-01)
Construction cost	$3.6 million ($30.3 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	MacFadyen and Knowles
Project manager	Eastern Service Center
Structural engineer	Lev Zetlin & Associates
Services engineer	Flack + Kurtz Inc.
General contractor	Coe Construction
Main contractors	Norair Engineering
Building details
General information
Renovated	1982–84 (opened July 30, 1984)
Renovation cost	$18.8 million ($57.2 million in 2022 dollars )
Renovating team
Architect	Joseph Boggs John MacFadyen
Renovating firm	Dewberry & Davis
Other designers	JBG Associates Wyle Laboratories Sprung Instant Structures Fisher Dachs Associates
Main contractor	G&C Construction
Building details
General information
Renovated	2012–14
Renovating team
Architect	Martinez+Johnson Architecture
Engineer	Gauthier Alvarado & Associates
Structural engineer	K2N Crest
Other designers	Revere Copper Products Inc. James Myers Company
Main contractor	MarChuk Construction

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is a special place where nature and live shows come together. It's located in Fairfax County, Virginia, near Vienna. This park is unique because it's the first and only national park in the United States dedicated to the performing arts.

The park is a team effort between the National Park Service and a group called the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. They work together to offer both beautiful natural spaces and amazing cultural events.

Wolf Trap started thanks to a generous gift from Catherine Filene Shouse. She wanted to protect her farm from new roads and buildings. In 1966, the U.S. Congress accepted her gift. The park was first called "Wolf Trap Farm Park." On August 21, 2002, its name changed to "Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts" to better show what it's all about.

What is the Wolf Trap Foundation?

Foundation logo

The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts is a non-profit group. Catherine Filene Shouse created it when she gave her farm to the National Park Service.

The park runs as a partnership:

• The National Park Service takes care of the park grounds.
• The Foundation plans and puts on all the performances and education programs.

The Foundation hosts shows at the Filene Center from May to September. They also have performances year-round at The Barns at Wolf Trap. The Barns are right next to the park but not inside it.

The Foundation also runs the Wolf Trap Opera Company. This company helps young opera singers get started. Their education programs are also outside the main park. These include the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. The Children's Theatre in the Woods is another program, and its stage is inside the park.

What Performance Venues Does Wolf Trap Have?

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts has several different places where shows happen.

• Filene Center

The Filene Center is the main stage at Wolf Trap. It's named after Mrs. Shouse's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln Filene. This venue can hold about 7,000 people. Some seats are under a roof, and many more are on a grassy lawn.

Shows happen here almost every night from May to early September. You can see all kinds of music, from country to opera.

The first Filene Center was damaged by a fire on March 13, 1971. This happened before it even opened! The fire caused about $650,000 in damage. Even with this problem, the Filene Center opened on time on July 1. A special concert was held at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. to help raise money for repairs.

The first Filene Center was made of redcedar wood and was ten stories tall. It had advanced lighting and sound systems.

A second Filene Center was built between 1982 and 1984. It's made of douglas-fir wood with a yellow pine ceiling. This new building has special fire safety systems. It also has better access for people with disabilities. The new Filene Center can hold about 7,000 people, including 3,800 in seats and 3,200 on the lawn. The main stage is very large, measuring 116 feet wide, 64 feet deep, and 102 feet high.

• Children's Theatre in the Woods

This theater offers 70 family-friendly shows from late June to early August. Performances are at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. The stage is in a shady, wooded area within the park.

You can enjoy music, dance, storytelling, puppet shows, and plays here. These shows are great for children from kindergarten to 6th grade. In 2011, The Washingtonian magazine called it one of the "Best Summer Ever if You've Got Little Ones."

• Meadow Pavilion

From 1971 to 2010, the Meadow Pavilion hosted events for the International Children's Festival. This is a covered outdoor stage near the Children's Theatre in the Woods. The Meadow Pavilion is still there, but it hasn't been used for shows since 2010. It can be rented for private events.

How Did Wolf Trap Get Started?

Exit for Wolf Trap from Virginia State Route 267, the main road to the park

The Name "Wolf Trap"

Old records from Fairfax County, Virginia show that wolves used to roam freely in this area. People even got rewards for trapping them. In 1739, a map mentioned "Wolf Trap Creek." This shows the name has been around for over 270 years.

Wealthy families, like Bryan Fairfax (a friend of George Washington), owned the land in the 1700s and 1800s. In 1930, Catherine Filene Shouse bought about 53 acres here. She decided to keep the name "Wolf Trap." By 1956, she owned 168 acres.

Mrs. Shouse bought Wolf Trap as a weekend getaway for her children. They lived in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.. On the farm, they grew crops like corn and wheat to feed their animals. They had chickens, ducks, turkeys, and cows. They also raised horses and even bred champion dogs like boxers and Weimaraners.

The Shouses often hosted large parties for friends and important people. Guests included Generals Omar Bradley and George Marshall from World War II.

Giving Wolf Trap to the U.S. Government (1966–1970)

In 1966, Mrs. Shouse decided to donate 60 acres of her Wolf Trap land to the U.S. Government. The American Symphony Orchestra League also donated 38 acres. Congress accepted this gift that same year.

Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall supported the idea. He told Congress that Wolf Trap would add to the parks in the Washington D.C. area. He also said it would not cost the government much money.

On May 28, 1966, Senator A. Willis Robertson from Virginia introduced a bill to create Wolf Trap. It passed easily. Mrs. Shouse also gave over $2 million to build the Filene Center.

At the same time, other concert venues like the Kennedy Center were being built. Some people in Congress worried there would be too many places for shows. However, Wolf Trap became the first and only U.S. National Park for the performing arts. Mrs. Shouse was the first person to partner with the U.S. government to bring performing arts to the country.

Construction on the Filene Center began in 1968. Wolf Trap held its first concert the next year. In May 1970, a ceremony was held for the Filene Center's completion. First Lady Pat Nixon attended this event.

Early Performances at Wolf Trap

The very first performances at Wolf Trap happened on June 1–2, 1971. They featured famous artists like Van Cliburn and the New York City Opera. The National Symphony Orchestra also performed.

The first big show at the Filene Center was called Musical Theatre Cavalcade. It was a history of musical theater. First Lady Pat Nixon came to the opening night. Afterward, she invited the whole cast to the White House.

Many important events happened in Wolf Trap's early years:

• In 1971, the National Folk Festival was the first event to use the park grounds for performances.
• Richard Nixon became the first U.S. President to see a show at Wolf Trap in 1971.
• In 1976, the Scottish Military Tattoo performed for huge crowds. Britain's Prince Philip was there.
• In 1978, China's performing arts group visited. This was one of the first cultural exchanges between China and the U.S.
• From 1971 to the early 1980s, the National Folk Festival was held every year at Wolf Trap.
• WETA-TV created a TV show called In Performance at Wolf Trap.

Other memorable shows included operas, ballets, and concerts by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The National Symphony Orchestra often played their 1812 Overture with live cannons.

The 1982 Filene Center Fire

On April 4, 1982, a fire destroyed the Filene Center. Strong winds made the fire worse.

During the rebuilding from 1982 to 1984, people from all over the world helped. Over 16,000 donors gave $29 million. Congress gave $9 million. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter also supported the effort. A TV show raised more than $390,000 for the rebuilding.

Even after the fire, Wolf Trap still had a 1982 season. They put up a huge tent called the Meadow Center. The government of Saudi Arabia helped by moving this tent from the United Arab Emirates to Wolf Trap. Volunteers helped build it.

The United States Postal Service even made a special stamp honoring Wolf Trap on September 1, 1982.

The new Filene Center opened on June 20, 1984. It had a new fireproof design and better sound. Famous opera singer Beverly Sills and Virginia Governor Charles Robb attended the opening. Mrs. Shouse was also there.

Wolf Trap Today

Wolf Trap usually hosts about 95 to 97 shows each year. The performance season runs from late May to early September.

On September 24, 2011, Wolf Trap held its first "Let's Move with Music at Wolf Trap!" event. This was part of National Public Lands Day and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign.

The famous dance show Riverdance had its last U.S. performance at Wolf Trap on July 17, 2012.

The summer season of 2020 was canceled because of the coronavirus.

How Wolf Trap Became a Park

Catherine Filene Shouse and I. Lee Potter, Head of Wolf Trap Foundation, looking at plans for the Filene Center, around 1970

Wolf Trap National Park was created by a special law from Congress.

An Act of Congress

Public Law 89-671

89th Congress, S. 3423

October 15, 1966

An Act

To provide for the establishment of the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that for the purpose of establishing in the National Capital area a park for the performing arts and related educational programs, and for recreation use in connection therewith, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to establish, develop, improve, operate, and maintain the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Fairfax County, Virginia. The park shall encompass the portions of the property formerly known as Wolf Trap Farm and Symphony in Fairfax County, Virginia, to be donated for park purposes to the United States, and such additional lands or interests therein as the Secretary may acquire for purposes of the park by donation or purchase with donated or appropriated funds, the aggregate of which shall not exceed one hundred and forty-five acres.

Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Interior shall administer the park in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of this Act and the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1–4), as amended and supplemented.

Sec. 3. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may appropriation be necessary, but not in excess of $600,000, per annum to carry out the purposes of this Act.

Approved October 15, 1966.