Standing proud as America’s only national park for the performing arts, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts plays a valuable leadership role in both the local and national performing arts communities. Through a wide variety of artistic endeavors, performances, and initiatives, Wolf Trap offers year round entertainment for patrons of all ages ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to orchestra, dance, theater, and opera, as well as children’s programs and innovative multimedia presentations.

Easily accessible off the Dulles Toll Road, the Filene Center at Wolf Trap is set amidst 117 acres of parkland, donated to the U.S. Government by Wolf Trap’s founder Catherine Filene Shouse in the early 1960s with specific intent to construct an indoor/outdoor theater. The gift was accepted by an Act of Congress in 1966, and the Filene Center opened in 1971. The amphitheater, featuring 7,028 total seats, 3,868 in-house and 3,160 lawn, operates from the end of May to the beginning of September, averaging more than 90 performances each year. Wolf Trap offers free parking, a low-cost shuttle from the West Falls Church Metro stop for nearly all Filene Center performances, and a newly renovated, full-service box office and main gate.

Additionally, Wolf Trap encourages patrons to bring their own food and drink for enjoyment during their experience under the stars.

The Barns at Wolf Trap begins its season come each October, offering a wide variety of performances, including its chamber music “Discovery Series.”

During summer months, The Barns stage features full scale opera productions presented by the nationally renowned Wolf Trap Opera Company. Made up of two adjacent 18th century barns, The Barns structure is also a gift from Wolf Trap’s founder, Catherine Filene Shouse, given in The Iguanas - live in concert, at The Banes at Wolf Trap Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods 1981. The larger of the two barns serves as the acoustically perfect theater, seating 284 on the threshing floor and another 98 in the hayloft for a total capacity of 382.

Prior to show time and during intermission, patrons are invited to visit the adjacent barn to enjoy the concession area. Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, just a short walk from the Filene Center, presents approximately 70 performances from June through August, all designed to introduce children to the thrill of live performance. Shows are recommended for children in kindergarten through sixth grade, and include lively adventures in music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and theater. Through a wide range of artistic and education programs, Wolf Trap enhances our nation’s cultural life and ensures that the arts remain accessible and affordable to the broadest possible audience.