NIH Logistics

Owned by Laura Heermann
Jul 20, 2018
3 min read

NIH Campus Map

A map of the NIH campus can be found here.  The Lister Hill Center is about a 10 minute walk for the NIH Gateway Center.

NIH Gateway Center

Visitors will be required to show one (1) form of identification (a government-issued photo ID-driver's license, passport, green card, etc.) and to state the purpose of their visit.

The NIH Gateway Center is located adjacent to the Medical Center Metro Station at the South Drive entrance to campus from Rockville Pike / Wisconsin Avenue (Route 355). It combines visitor parking, non-commercial vehicle inspection and visitor ID processing, all in one location. The NIH will process all visitors in vehicles or as pedestrians.

Patients and patient visitors should continue to enter campus at the West Drive/Cedar Lane entrance during the hours of 6am–10pm, 7 days a week.

View a map detailing the Patient Visitor Entrance.

Pedestrians

Please note: visitor parking is limited at NIH. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation such as the Metrorail subway system which has a convenient stop (Medical Center) on the NIH campus. Visit the "Metro" site for information on fares and schedules (link is external).

Gateway Center (for Pedestrians) – Building 66

  • Open Monday–Friday, 6am–10pm
  • Closed on Weekends and Observed Holidays
  • After 10pm on weekdays, all day weekends and holidays, pedestrian visitors should enter campus via the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF) – Building 67 (on Rockville Pike between North Drive and Wilson Drive) 

For individuals arriving as pedestrians, the Gateway Center (Building 66) is capable of handling single individuals to large busloads of visitors, quickly and efficiently.

Vehicles

For visitors arriving in vehicles, on motorcycles or bicycles, the Gateway Vehicle Inspection Station (Building 66A), provides multiple inspection lanes and allows visitors to go through inspection and get a visitor badge in one centralized, efficient process. Vehicles enter the Gateway Center complex through "NIH Gateway Drive," just south of the intersection of South Drive and Rockville Pike. Vehicles that choose to bypass parking in MLP-11 will go through inspection and enter campus at Center Drive near the National Library of Medicine. (See Gateway Map)


Parking

Please note: visitor parking is limited at NIH. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation such as the Metrorail subway system which has a convenient stop (Medical Center) on the NIH campus. Visit the "Metro" site for information on fares and schedules (link is external).

The Gateway complex also includes MLP-11, a 342-space, multi-level underground parking garage. This visitor-only lot is the primary visitor parking for the NIH main campus. We strongly encourage all visitors to park in this garage as there will be limited visitor parking on campus, other than for patients and visitors to the Clinical Center. Vehicles parking in MLP-11 are outside of the perimeter security and will not go through vehicle inspection, reducing the amount of time it takes to get on campus.

The cost to park in MLP-11 is $2 per hour for the first three hours, $12 maximum for the entire day. This is the same rate currently charged for all visitor parking at the NIH.


Visitors parking in MLP-11 should proceed to the Gateway Center to get a visitor badge and either walk or take a shuttle bus to their destination.

MLP-11 Hours of Operation:

Monday–Friday:
6am–9pm (entrance)
6am–11pm (exit)

Saturday–Sunday:
Closed

When MLP-11 is closed, visitors can park in lots on the NIH main campus.

Vehicles left in the MLP-11 parking garage after 11pm on weekdays or during weekends are subject to ticketing and towing.