Once A Year, Virginia's Underrated Park Has A One-Of-A-Kind Summertime Shadow Alignment With Wild Views

Just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., lies one of the East Coast's most under-the-radar gems that combines nature and art. Arlington, Virginia is less than 20 minutes from the high energy of the nation's capital and has tons of cultural landmarks (including Arlington National Cemetery and the largest natural history collection in the world) and there's no shortage of biking trails along the Potomac River. For bird watchers, you can even turn your head to the skies and watch for a range of species at Fort Ward Park. 

Also within Arlington is the Dark Star Park. The 0.4-acre space feels like an underrated gem that is full of wonder. This isn't just any park and simply calling it a park doesn't do the space justice. Designed in 1984 by Nancy Holt, an American artist who combined art and natural landscape, the space contains Arlington's first county-commissioned public artwork, which consists of large spheres that are meant to symbolize fallen stars, steel poles, and a large tunnel. However, that's not the only thing that is interesting about the installation. In fact, every August 1, the sculpture in Dark Star Park has a shadow alignment. This wonder happens around 9:32 a.m. when the shadows cast by the art installation perfectly line up with the permanent outlines carved into the ground.

Onlookers say the transformation starts gradually and then the shadows appear darker and are more visible, especially on a day when the weather is great. Small crowds gather around the structures on the day of the shadow alignment to watch the magic happen in the park, even though the space is not all that large. Past shadow alignment days have been streamed online for those who can't be there in person, but there's seriously no substitute for seeing it up close. 

If you're wondering what the significance of August 1 is and why the alignment occurs on that specific day, it's actually to commemorate the 1860 date that William Henry Ross purchased the land that became known as Rosslyn, the specific neighborhood in Arlington where Dark Star Park is located. The 9:32 a.m. time? The artist, Holt, liked the way the light hit during that time of the morning. She then worked with astrophysicists to ensure that the alignment of the spheres and poles would be perfectly correct. However, that perfect alignment became a bit out of whack, which resulted in a 2022 renovation of Dark Star Park. Elements of the park had to be repositioned and realigned to account for natural changes in the Earth's rotation.

August 1 is an absolutely amazing time to visit Dark Star Park for the wonder that combines art, nature, and physics. However, if you can't make it on that specific day, the park and the surrounding area is still worth a visit. The Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, is just a 12-minute walk away and is open year-round from 6 a.m. until midnight. In the summer, you can even find the Marine Corps band performing there. Also, the Memorial is a great place to get a view and snap photos of  the Lincoln Memorial across the river in D.C. 

While Arlington is less than 26 square miles, the city isn't lacking in hotel options if you and the family choose to stay in the area, versus venturing to D.C. You'll find several familiar hotel brands in Arlington including Hilton and Le Meridien. Also, the Rosslyn neighborhood has a ton of centrally located restaurants, from Italian and Asian eateries to casual pizza spots. If you do choose to venture to Washington D.C., the journey will be pretty painless. Rosslyn has its own metro station with trains that can get you into the Nation's capital in five minutes. You can also always use a rideshare app to get around, although depending on the time of day, the traffic might be a deterrent. After experiencing the amazement of Dark Star Park, an artsy neighborhood like D.C.'s Little Rome might appeal to you, or you can also check out the contemporary Hirshhorn Museum that's right off the National Mall.