Army 250th birthday military parade: How to take Metro to get to the National Mall

WASHINGTON - Metro has announced that the Smithsonian Metro station National Mall entrance will be closed on June 14 for the Army's 250th Anniversary celebration. Here's how to take the Metro to the military parade this Saturday.

Metro will operate on its normal Saturday schedule, but the Smithsonian Station’s National Mall entrance will be closed. Riders can still access the station through the Independence Avenue entrance at 12th Street SW.

What we know:

Festivalgoers are encouraged to use L’Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, or Archives–Navy Memorial stations.

Parade viewers should consider Farragut West, Farragut North, Federal Triangle, or Archives–Navy Memorial for better access.

Here's how often you can expect trains on Saturday: 

• Red Line trains arrive every 6 minutes during the day and every 10 minutes after 9:30 p.m.
• Green and Yellow line trains arrive every 8 minutes all day.
• Blue, Orange, and Silver line trains run every 12 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m.

"We’ve kicked off a busy summer of large events, and we want everyone to know Metro is the best way to get to the parade and Army birthday celebration," said Randy Clarke, Metro General Manager and CEO.

Riders can download the MetroPulse App for real-time bus and rail updates.

What's next:

The all-day celebration will include a festival on the National Mall from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., followed by a parade that begins at 6:30 p.m. along Constitution Avenue—from 23rd Street NW to 15th Street NW—ending around 7:30 p.m. A fireworks show is scheduled to cap the night at 9:45 p.m.