A League of Their Own on the Lawn

Baseball Under the Stars on Capitol Hill

The Library of Congress movie series saves a perfect pairing for this week: A League of Their Own, the classic about the women's professional baseball league of the 1940s, with a warm-up act no other movie night in America gets. Matthew Van Hoose, the Washington Nationals' own organist, plays live starting at 7pm, ballpark organ on the most beautiful lawn in the city. The movie rolls at 8pm on the North Lawn of the Jefferson Building, with the lit-up dome behind the screen.

It's free with no tickets, but the lawn genuinely fills and staff close it at capacity, so aim to arrive by 7pm and let the organ hour do the entertaining. Blankets, low chairs, and picnic snacks are all welcome; there's no food sold on site. The film is PG and lands beautifully with kids 7 and up, especially any kid who plays ball. Fair warning: someone will yell 'there's no crying in baseball' and the whole lawn will cheer.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Be on the lawn by 7. Capacity is real, and the organ hour is half the fun anyway.
• ✓Bring the glove. Half the kids on the lawn play catch until the light goes. Yours will want in.
• ✓Pack a picnic dinner. Nothing is sold on site, and dinner during the organ set is the move.
• ✓Bug spray and layers. Capitol Hill grass at dusk comes with mosquitoes included.
• ✓Make it a Hill night. Eastern Market and Pennsylvania Ave SE handle pre-movie dinner or post-movie ice cream.