East of the Music Concourse, the de Laveaga Dell holds the National AIDS Memorial Grove. Beginning in 1991, volunteers from communities devastated by the epidemic rebuilt this neglected hollow by hand into a living memorial; in 1996, Congress designated it the country’s official AIDS memorial.
The Circle of Friends, a stone circle engraved with thousands of names, anchors the eastern entrance, and boulders and benches through the dell carry dedications. Volunteer workdays still maintain the grove monthly, and names are still added.
It is free and open during park hours, and quieter than anywhere else on this route. Walking through adds ten minutes between the Conservatory and the concourse, which is the right pace for it.
Part of a self-guided walking tour
