The Washington Hilton, which was officially known as the Hilton Washington for a period in the early 21st century and is sometimes referred to colloquially as the Hinckley Hilton</b> by locals, is a hotel in Washington, D.C. It is located at 1919 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., roughly at the boundaries of the Kalorama, Dupont Circle, and Adams Morgan neighborhoods.
Designed by architect William B. Tabler and developed by Uris Buildings Corporation and built in 1965 in a double-arched design, the hotel long sported the largest pillar-less hotel ballroom in the city. Numerous large events have been regularly hosted at the Hilton Washington, including the annual dinners of the White House Correspondents Association and the Radio and Television Correspondents Association, as well as the National Prayer Breakfast.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the hotel hosted a number of big musical acts for concerts in their large ballroom, including The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. In 1972 it was home to the first International Conference on Computer Communications which demonstrated new ARPANET technology.
The hotel was the site of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr. on March 30, 1981. The attempt occurred at the hotel's T Street NW exit.
The hotel was purchased in June 2007 by an investment firm jointly owned by former professional basketball star Magic Johnson.
References
Washington Hilton Video Tour -
External links
- Official site
- Ladies and Gentlement, From Los Angeles, California ... The Doors! - 1967 Doors concert at Washington Hilton
- Hendrix Plays the Washington Hilton (1968) - 1968 Jimi Hendrix concert at the Washington Hilton and review from the Washington Post
