Smithsonian's National Zoo

Historical marker location:

95 Olmsted Walk, Smithsonian National Zoo, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Olmsted Walk.)

125 Years

The city was built on a swamp: The area that is now Washington, D.C. was originally a swampy, marshy region along the Potomac River. The construction of the city involved extensive drainage and landfill projects to make the land suitable for building.