Kahlil Gibran Memorial Garden


Located within a wooded ravine known as Woodland-Normanstone Park, this garden memorializes the arch-deity of soupy spiritual poetry. Its centerpieces are a bust of the Lebanese mystic and a star-shaped fountain surrounded by flowers, hedges and limestone benches engraved with various Gibranisms such as ‘We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.’ From a path just north of the garden, you can hop onto trails that link to Rock Creek and Glover Archbold parks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Islamic Center

0.38 MILES

Topped with a 160ft minaret, this pale limestone structure on Embassy Row is the national mosque for American Muslims and dates from 1957. Inside, the…

2. Dumbarton Oaks

0.51 MILES

The mansion's 27 acres of enchanting formal gardens are straight out of a storybook. The springtime blooms – including heaps of cherry blossoms – are…

3. Dumbarton Oaks Park

0.56 MILES

Next door to Dumbarton Oaks garden, Dumbarton Oaks Park was once part of the estate but is now a public woodland beloved by joggers and dog walkers…

4. Oak Hill Cemetery

0.6 MILES

This 24-acre, obelisk-studded cemetery contains winding walks and 19th-century gravestones set into the hillsides of Rock Creek. It’s a fantastic spot for…

5. Tudor Place

0.68 MILES

This 1816 neoclassical mansion was owned by Thomas Peter and Martha Custis Peter, the granddaughter of Martha Washington, and lived in by six generations…

6. Woodrow Wilson House

0.73 MILES

This Georgian-revival mansion offers guided hour-long tours focusing on the 28th president’s life and legacy. Genteel docents discuss highlights of Wilson…

7. Croatian Embassy

0.74 MILES

An impressive sculpture fronts the building: a life-size, cross-legged St Jerome dreaming over his book, by renowned Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović.

8. Dumbarton House

0.79 MILES

Often confused with Dumbarton Oaks (the mansion and gardens), Dumbarton House is a modest Federal-style historic home, constructed by a wealthy family in…