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Directions to the Meeting

General maps and instructions for the visitor to NLM may be found here.  Below are more meeting-specific instructions, plus tips and hints about late-breaking changes. 

Which Building and Entrance Do I Use?

The meeting is in the main NLM library, Building 38, the low building with the odd roof.  Enter the lobby from the large stairs on the Wisconsin Avenue side of the building.

Alternatively, enter the lobby of NLM’s Lister Hill Research Center, Building 38A, the adjoining tall building, from the driveway circle.

In either case, you must present a photo ID to get a visitor’s sticker at the guard station, and look for the signs to guide you to the meeting.

Ways to get to NLM from Bethesda

The recommended Wisconsin Avenue hotels are a 3-6 block walk from NLM (about which more below).  In poor weather, visitors staying in hotels close to the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Wisconsin Avenue might prefer taking the Metro one stop, from the “Bethesda” station there to “Medical Center”.

There is also a campus Shuttle bus (the Gateway or blue route) that picks up off-campus at the intersection of Wisconsin and Willow St., across from Mongolian Grill restaurant.  Closest on-campus stop is at Natcher, across from NLM.  But check the schedule, the Gateway Shuttle runs less often than the Metro or other Shuttle routes.

To get to NLM from Bethesda by foot

 (Note: both routes given here will be disallowed for visitors come September.)

Main Foot Route

From any of the hotels on Wisconsin Avenue, walk north on Wisconsin to the first campus entrance at Center Drive, across from Jones Bridge Road.  Turn left, and walk pass the guard stations without stopping.  To your left, the low building is the main NLM library, and you’ll see the front entrance stairs facing Wisconsin. Take these.

Alternative Foot Route

(Those coming to dinner will be traversing this path in the opposite direction.)

This will be of more interest if you are in the north Bethesda restaurant district, to the west of Wisconsin, centered around Norfolk Avenue (zoom in the above map to reveal Norfolk).  If you walk northwest to end of Norfolk, the sidewalk becomes a paved footpath through a small park.  After crossing a street (Battery Lane), the footpath crosses a creek as you enter campus.  Continue through the gate portal.  Ahead is the NLM employee parking garage, the tall NLM Lister Hill Research Center, and beyond that the main library.

The recommended route is to continue straight to be left of the parking garage.  After clearing the garage, take the first driveway on your right to the traffic circle, and enter the Lister Hill lobby.

If coming by Metro

The “Medical Center” stop on the Red Line is what you want.  As you depart the station’s escalator, note that the traditional foot route to NLM is newly closed due to construction.  There are three alternatives:

1) The recommended foot route is to do a U-turn and walk out the campus entrance to Wisconsin Avenue.  Turn right and follow the sidewalk to the next vehicular entrance.  Go in there (picking up the Main Foot Route above).

2) Bear right, over to the NIH Shuttle bus kiosk, and take a Shuttle.  The Main Campus (red) Shuttle runs frequently and stops at NLM’s Lister Hill building.  But allow time:  it is a meandering ride from the Metro to NLM, much faster from NLM to Metro (see the map).

3) Bear right, pass the bus kiosks, through the turnstiles towards the temporary NLM Visitors Center trailer.  This will be closed, but to the right of it is a paved footpath with signage to NLM.  This route has nothing much to recommend it, but in September all visitors will be going this way.

If coming by cab

The Lister Hill entrance is an easier drop-off/pick-up location; the main library entrance is closer inside to the meeting location.  Either is fine.

If coming by car

When parking on-campus

Allow 5-10 minutes for having your vehicle checked at security.  From Wisconsin Avenue, use the South Drive visitor’s entrance at the “Medical Center” Metro stop.  Bear right through the security tunnel.  You’ll need to show drivers license and have the steering wheel swabbed and trunk opened.  After that, at the first main 4-way intersection, turn left onto Center Drive.  Continue, passing between Natcher (Building 45) on the left and NLM (Buildings 38 & 38A) on the right.

Visitor parking on campus is limited.  There are two reasonable paid choices:

1) Right after you pass the library, turn right to the parking lot in front of the main library.  There you will find 3-hour meters.  You will have to remember to feed these, and have coins. There is a change machine in the main library lobby.

2) Probably more convenient, there is an easy-to-miss visitors’ lot. Continuing pass the library, approach the vehicular guard gate leading off campus.  IMMEDIATELY before that gate there is a driveway off to the left, that leads to an attended parking lot.  The cost is fixed at $12 once over 3 hours.  TIP:  The attendant leaves at 7 pm, and the gate is left open, so your parking was then FREE.  This may be of interest to those joining us for dinner.  Also, after 7pm, the adjoining gate is closed to traffic; you will have to exit by the South Drive/Metro entrance.  (When the gate is closed, that probably shuts this to pedestrian traffic as well, so take the Alternate Foot Route to get on campus to retrieve your car after dinner.)

When parking off-campus

You can avoid security hassles if you park in a Bethesda garage (see map) and walk about 3 blocks to campus.  The two closest large garages (by Alternative Foot Path) are 8216 Woodmont Avenue (also with an entrance on Rugby), and a new one mid-block between Norfolk and Old Georgetown Road, with entrances on Del Ray and Auburn Streets.  Both garages are meters-only, predominately 15-hour meters, 50 cents/weekday hour.