The Glen Echo Park Yurts Marker

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Glen Echo in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Glen Echo Park Yurts

By Tom Fuchs, April 8, 2006

1. The Glen Echo Park Yurts Marker

Inscription. How they got here and what goes on inside them.

Yurts Around the World. These interesting and unusual buildings function as studios and classrooms in Glen Echo Park. Yurts have a long history. In Mongolia, yurts have been practical homes for thousands of years. In fact the word yurt means "homeland" or "domain." To nomadic herders of the steppes they were the ideal mobile home. They were portable, strong, and could be insulated from the high winds of the Asian Steppe. Consisting of a framework of saplings and a covering of animal hide, they are bound together with horse hair rope. They could be struck and packed up in thirty minutes and were light and compact enough to be carried by a horse.

Today yurts all share their distinctive but are built in different variations and used in different ways all over the world. Most Glen Echo yurts have a circular skylights at their roof peaks. Some are insulated with sod roofs. They were brought here in 1972 to be assembled for Humanisphere, an 18 month habitat exhibit on the National Mall that was cancelled before it began. At that time, Glen Echo Park was beginning a new life as a park for the arts. These buildings seemed to fit in perfectly and filled a need for studio/classroom space. Today, more than thirty art classes are held in our yurts. Artists and students

Marker and a Yurt Photo, Click for full size

By Tom Fuchs, April 21, 2006

2. Marker and a Yurt

design, learn, and produce art work.

Romantic Yurt Village. The yurt village of today is in space once occupied by many of the major amusement park rides, including the World Cruise, the Whip, and three versions of the amusement park's most thrilling ride, the roller coaster. The World Cruise (tunnel of love) was located near the point where the path to the parking lot meets the carousel. It was a slow boat ride through the dark that passed by scenic views of far-away places . . . and was a favorite stop for many dating couples in the 1920's–1940's.

The Whip was a popular ride in many amusement parks of the 1920's–60's. A bit tamer than the thrill rides, it let you smash against your partner every time the cars whipped around their track.

Location. 38° 58.003′ N, 77° 8.345′ W. Marker is in Glen Echo, Maryland, in Montgomery County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Goldsboro Road (Maryland Route 614). Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Glen Echo MD 20812, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Glen Echo From Past to Present (within shouting distance of this marker); 1921 (within shouting distance of this marker); Glen Echo Park’s Crystal Pool (within shouting distance of this marker); The Changing Face of Glen Echo (within shouting distance of this marker); The Roller Coasters of Glen Echo Amusement Park (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named 1921 (within shouting distance of this marker); Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest (within shouting distance of this marker); A Trolley Returns to Glen Echo (about 300 feet away, in a direct line). Click for a list of all markers in Glen Echo.

By Tom Fuchs, April 8, 2006

3. Sodded Yurt

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.

Also see . . . Glen Echo Park - The Yurts. (Submitted on April 27, 2006.)

Air Conditioned Yurt Photo, Click for full size

By Tom Fuchs, April 8, 2006

4. Air Conditioned Yurt

The Glen Echo carousel is in the background.

Credits. This page originally submitted on April 27, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,646 times since then. Last updated on November 5, 2010, by TRCP Alliance of Birmingham, Alabama. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 27, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.