Frustrated because they couldn't find quality theater for children in the Washington area, a group of women founded the Adventure Theatre in 1951. The early productions were performed on a borrowed stage with costumes and scenery created in cast members' basements. In 1971, the troupe found a home at Glen Echo Park, a wooded niche in the banks high above the Potomac River and the old C&O Canal. The company performs year-round in the park's little theater; the audience sits on 193 rather hard, bleacher-like seats. Plays run about 45-minutes long and stay in production for about a month. Seating is general admission. If you believe that your child might be disappointed with seats that are far back, be sure to get in line early. After performances, the cast members wait in the lobby and sign the young one's programs.

The scripts are often adapted by company members from familiar fairy tales and classic stories, and are appropriate for children from elementary to junior high school. Fall, winter and spring drama classes and workshops are offered by the theater, as well as a summer theatre workshop. In-school performances are also organized by the troupe to bring theater into area schools.