Druid Lake – Project Context

The planning and construction work around Druid Lake brings together three major efforts by Baltimore City Recreation & Parks and two other City agencies:

• Druid Lake Park Landscapes – led by Baltimore City Recreation & Parks
• The Druid Lake Tanks Project – implemented by the Department of Public Works (DPW)
• The Druid Park Lake Drive Complete Streets Study – led by the Department of Transportation (DOT)

Each of these projects plays a unique role in shaping the future of Druid Hill Park. Together, they represent a major investment in Baltimore’s public spaces, infrastructure, and environmental health.

Recreation & Parks, DPW, and DOT have worked closely to coordinate designs, schedules, and goals. This collaboration ensures that improvements to the park, lake, and surrounding streets complement each other — creating a safer, more connected, and more welcoming Druid Lake for everyone.

Since 1860, the Druid Hill Reservoir has been a key part of Baltimore’s drinking water system. In 2006, new federal regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required all open-air reservoirs to be covered to protect water quality.

To meet this requirement while preserving the park’s historic landscape, the City chose a creative solution: building two massive underground storage tanks beneath the western side of Druid Lake. Completed in December 2023, these tanks measure 550 feet and 400 feet across and hold a combined 46 million gallons of water — making the larger tank the biggest of its kind in the world.

The project greatly improves the safety and reliability of the region’s water supply. The final stages, including interim landscaping and the lakefront Promenade, are expected to open by late 2025. Once complete, the above-ground lake will serve purely as a public and recreational feature, while the new underground system continues to provide clean drinking water for Baltimore.

For more information, visit the DPW Druid Lake Tanks Project page.

In 2020, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) began a Complete Streets Study for Druid Park Lake Drive, the major road that runs along the northern and western edges of Druid Hill Park.

Although this corridor borders historic neighborhoods and one of America’s oldest parks, it currently acts as a high-speed roadway that limits safe access for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. Many residents have long viewed the road as a barrier between their neighborhoods and the park.

The DOT study developed three concept designs that focus on safety, walkability, and multimodal connections — helping people move easily between surrounding neighborhoods, the park, and the lake. The project supports the broader goal of making Druid Hill Park safer, more equitable, and more accessible for everyone.

For the latest updates, visit the DOT Druid Park Lake Drive Complete Streets project page.