With America's 250th birthday celebrations little more than a month away, workers in Washington are rushing to spruce up the US capital before it draws the world's attention.
President Donald Trump last year issued an executive order to “beautify” the city and his decree has accelerated a makeover of many famous landmarks.
Two kilometres north of the White House, a stepped fountain is cascading again after years of repairs and crowds have returned to what is often referred to as Malcolm X Park.
Officially known as Meridian Hill, the park is steeped in history, but ultimately became synonymous with the assassinated African-American activist and prominent US Muslim.
Because the fountain had been closed for so long, many Washington residents had forgotten about Malcolm X Park. In recent weeks however, with the water cascading through the area once again, there has been a surge of visitors.
“I just saw it on the news and had no idea it was here,” said Sidney, who moved to Washington a little more than a year ago. She said she decided to bring her mother, who was visiting from out of town.
“It's absolutely gorgeous and relaxing, so much so that you can almost fall asleep just watching it,” she said. “I'm just in love with the architecture.”
Broader park strategy
The repairs to Malcolm X Park reflect a greater federal push to rehabilitate, renovate and put more resources into the federal parks in and around Washington.
In January, the National Park Service announced the renewed efforts to “address ageing park infrastructure” in preparation for the US semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary.
On Thursday, the Trump administration boasted about renovations and repairs to Columbus Fountain in front of Union Station, just a few blocks from the US Capitol.
Mr Trump's efforts to clean up Washington have, however, been undermined by his tear-down of the East Wing of the White House, which is now a construction site.
He also is erecting a sizeable fighting arena on the White House lawn for a UFC event in June.
Why is it known as Malcolm X Park?
Long before it became known as Malcolm X Park, the area first gained prominence in 1819 as the site of a mansion built by a man named John Porter.
It became the home of US President John Quincy Adams in 1829, according to the National Park Service,
In 1910, the property was bought by the government, which placed it under the jurisdiction of the parks service, which still oversees its maintenance.
The park became a focal point for concerts, speeches and protests that are now part of the fabric of Washington.
In 1965, shortly after Malcolm X was shot dead in New York, it became a gathering place for memorials and demonstrators supporting his ideas.
“A group of black Washingtonians also formed a drumming circle in the park to commemorate Malcolm X and to express their African heritage,” wrote historian Elise Elder in a document compiled by the US Department of the Interior.
“The drumming circle became a weekend fixture,” Ms Elder explained. The drummers continue to gather every Sunday.
A plaque in the park credits civil rights activist and author Angela Davis with popularising the idea of calling the location Malcolm X Park.
“Locals embraced the name change and a bill was introduced in Congress in 1970 to make it official,” the plaque reads, adding that because the park contains a memorial to former US President James Buchanan, "it cannot legally be named for anyone else."
In 1984, Malcolm X Park was also the site of several demonstrations organised by Muslim student associations in Washington seeking to “draw attention to the occupation of Jerusalem, imperialism and oppression”.
Former president Bill Clinton delivered a speech at the park to commemorate Earth Day in 1994.
However, because Washington is full of monuments and free museums and Malcolm X Park is not close to a Metro stop, it often goes under tourists' radar.
