By Congressional legislation, construction of the Walter Reed General Hospital was authorized, and the Hospital admitted its first patients on May 1, 1909. Named in Major Walter Reed's honor, the medical center was founded on principles that would integrate patient care, teaching and research. World War I saw the hospital's capacity grow from 80 patient beds to 2,500 in a matter of months. Through World War II, Korea and Vietnam Wars, hundreds of thousands of soldiers were treated here. On September 26, 1977, the new main hospital building was dedicated by Major General Robert Bernstein, then Walter Reed's commander. The new hospital itself stands 125 feet tall, equal in height to a ten story building.

Through the years, the Walter Reed Medical Center has added tenant institutions and facilities to its roster: Walter Reed Institute of Research, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Army Physical Disability Agency, along with several smaller units. While many organizational changes have been made in recent years, there has been no interruption of the close relationship among all of these functions. Today, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center continues to serve the military community from the Washington, D.C. area, and around the world, admitting 16,000 patients a year.

The Visitor's Center is located in the lobby of the old Walter Reed Hospital Building. For information on Dr. Walter Reed and the history of the Hospital, visit the Web site of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

See: #24 on Area Map.

No nearby Metro station.