Is there an entrance fee?

NPS lists the site as fee-free, with no entrance fee.

What are the opening hours?

NPS lists ranger-guided tours Wednesday to Saturday, opening at 9:00 AM and ending at 5:00 PM. Confirm on the official page before you go.

Where pets are allowed, they need to be crated, caged or on a leash of six feet at most, and they stay out of public buildings, except service animals. Individual parks may close further areas to pets.

All parks › Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Entrance fee: None^[1]
Busiest month (2025): July^[2]
Recreation visits, 2025: 3,123^[3]

The Bethune Council House is a National Historic Site and a unit of the National Park System in the District of Columbia^[4]. NPS lists it as a fee-free park with no entrance fee^[1].

Entrance fees and passes

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site^[1]. Some tours, campgrounds or permits inside a park can still have their own fees.

When to visit and hours

NPS lists ranger-guided tours Wednesday to Saturday, opening at 9:00 AM^[5] and ending at 5:00 PM^[5]. NPS also lists Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day as exceptions to those hours^[5]. In 2025 the busiest month was July with 803 recreation visits^[2]. October 2025 had 0 recorded visits^[2]. NPS describes summer temperatures of 70 to 90 F with high humidity, and says a water fountain is in the visitor center^[6]. Winter temperatures are described as 30 to 50 F with occasional snow^[6].

Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, July, is highlighted^[2].

Show visits by month

Month, 2025	Recreation visits
January	126
February	480
March	340
April	190
May	255
June	242
July	803
August	306
September	218
October	0
November	93
December	70

Show visits by year

Year	Recreation visits
2022^[3]	1,995
2023^[3]	3,537
2024^[3]	3,338
2025^[3]	3,123

Pets and dogs

Under the national NPS pet rule, a pet in an area where pets are allowed has to be in a crate or cage or on a leash of six feet at most, and pets stay out of public buildings (service animals excepted)^[7]. Individual parks may also close further areas to pets^[7]. NPS marks pets as permitted on 1 of the 6 listed things to do, the Junior Ranger Programs at National Capital Parks - East^[8].

Before you go

NPS lists no entrance fee here^[1].
Tours are listed Wednesday to Saturday, so check the days before you go^[5].
NPS notes a reservation is required for 1 of the 6 listed things to do^[8].
Fees and hours change, so confirm on the official park page before a trip.

Questions people ask

Is there an entrance fee?: NPS lists the site as fee-free, with no entrance fee^[1].
What are the opening hours?: NPS lists ranger-guided tours Wednesday to Saturday, opening at 9:00 AM^[5] and ending at 5:00 PM^[5]. Confirm on the official page before you go.
What is the busiest month?: In 2025 the busiest month was July with 803 recreation visits^[2].
Are dogs allowed?: Where pets are allowed, they need to be crated, caged or on a leash of six feet at most, and they stay out of public buildings, except service animals^[7]. Individual parks may close further areas to pets^[7].

Facts and sources

NPS lists Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site as a fee-free park: there is no entrance fee. National Park Service
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
NPS recreation visits per year: 2022: 1,995, 2023: 3,537, 2024: 3,338, 2025: 3,123. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Historic Site) in the District of Columbia. National Park Service
Operating hours, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site: The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS is open to the public for ranger-guided tours Wednesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Listed exceptions: Thanksgiving Day... National Park Service
NPS weather and seasons overview for Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. National Park Service
National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
NPS lists 6 things to do at Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site: Junior Ranger Programs at National Capital Parks - East, Collect all the National Capital Parks - East Passport Stamps, Become a Bethune Council House Junior Ranger,... National Park Service

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.