US Chess Center
U.S. Chess Center Visitor Information
Hours of normal operation:
  • Monday - Thursday evenings, starting about 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday: Usually closed, except on DC Chess League nights
  • Weekends: Noon - 6:00 p.m.
  • Later evening hours are common on nights with tournaments or special events.
  • The Gift Shop is open all of those hours.

The Center is in an office building at the corner of 15th Street and M Street in a very nice section of downtown Washington, D.C.
We are diagonally across the street from the Madison Hotel, close to The Washington Post Building, a block from the National Geographic Museum, five blocks from the White House. Massachusetts Avenue (Embassy Row) is a short block north of the Center.

Metro

The Center is three blocks due north of the McPherson Square (White House) Station on the Orange and Blue lines. It is one block north and three blocks east of the Farragut North Station on the Red Line. Various bus lines run down 16th Street towards the White House.

Driving

Driving to the Center on the weekends is easy from any direction. From the Virginia suburbs to the west, it usually is best to come into Washington on I-66, cross the T. Roosevelt Bridge, take the E Street Expressway, turning left on 18th Street, right on H Street and left on Vermont Avenue, which turns into 15th Street after one block.

From points convenient to I-395, it is usually best to cross the 14th Street bridge, and stay on 14th Street until turning left onto I Street or K Street. Go two blocks to the second 15th Street before turning right.

From Montgomery County, drivers may take Canal Road to the Whitehurst Freeway to K Street before truning left on 15th Street, or may find it easier to take Massachusetts Avenue to 15th Street before turning right or from Silver Spring will probably find it is best to come south along 16th Street.

From much of Prince George's County or Baltimore, come into Washington along Route 50 (New York Avenue) all the way to the Convention Center before veering slightly right onto Massachusetts Avenue. Go under Thomas Circle at 13th Street and turn left onto 15th Street when you come up from the short tunnel.

Parking

There are some commercial parking lots near by. On-street parking also can be found on streets in front of the U.S. Chess Center and on all of the streets within a few blocks. Parking meters are not enforced in the area of the U.S. Chess Center on the weekends. Parking sometimes is available on weekends in the parking garage under the U.S. Chess Center. The parking garage entrance is on 15th Street, not M Street.