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Office of Research Services

Serving the NIH Community

Gateway Center Map

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Main Visitor Entrance: NIH Gateway Drive

  • NIH Gateway Drive Main Patient/ Patient Visitor Entrance January 16 – March 10
  • Weekdays 4am–10pm Weekends 6am–10pm​

​Gateway Center - Building 66 (for pedestrians entering campus)


  • 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)

Gateway Inspection Station - Building 66A (for vehicles entering campus)

  • Monday-Friday: 4am - 4pm

    Weekends and After Hours:
    Closed

    Before 4am and after 4pm on weekdays, all day weekends and holidays, visitors in vehicles should enter campus via the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF) - Building 67 (on Rockville Pike between North Drive and Wilson Drive). 

  • Patients and Patients visitors are also welcome to use the We​st Drive Patient Entrance, 6am-10pm, 7 days a week.

  • After inspection, vehicles enter campus at Center Drive
  • Roadway at Center Drive is for entering campus only; visitors exiting campus may exit from other open locations. To see a list of exits, please visit the employee map.
  • All vehicles and their contents will be inspected upon entering the campus.

Multi-Level Parking Garage 11 – MLP-11 (for parking outside of campus)

  • Monday - Friday:
    6am – 9pm (entrance)
    6am – 11pm (exit)
  • Weekends: Closed

  • When MLP-11 is closed, visitors can park in lots on the NIH Campus
  • Visitors parking in this garage should proceed to the Gateway Center (Bldg. 66) to get a visitor badge
  • All visitors traveling in a vehicle are highly encouraged to park in MLP-11 as there is limited visitor parking on the main campus
  • No vehicle inspection required to park in MLP-11
  • Vehicles left in the MLP-11 parking garage after 11pm on weekdays or during any weekends are subject to ticketing and towing
  • Cost: $2 per hour for the first three hours, $12 maximum for the entire day

Directions to NIH Gateway Drive from Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue:

Southbound:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  2. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Northbound – Option 1:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  2. Make a U-turn from the left turn lane at Wilson Drive
  3. Continue southbound on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  4. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Northbound – Option 2:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike
  2. Turn left at Battery Lane
  3. Turn right on Old Georgetown Road
  4. Turn right on Cedar Lane
  5. Turn right on Rockville Pike
  6. Continue southbound on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  7. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Northbound – Option 3:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike to South Drive
  2. Make a U-turn from the left turn lane at South Drive
  3. Continue southbound on Rockville Pike
  4. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Security Procedures for Entering the NIH Campus:

* All visitors and patients — please be aware: Federal law prohibits the following items on Federal property: firearms, explosives, archery equipment, dangerous weapons, knives with blades over 2 ½ inches, alcoholic beverages and open containers of alcohol.

* The NIH has implemented security measures to help ensure the safety of our patients, employees, guests and facilities. All visitors must enter through the NIH Gateway Center at Metro or the West Gateway Center. You will be asked to submit to a vehicle or personal inspection.

* Visitors over 15 years of age must provide a form of government-issued ID such as a driver's license or passport. Visitors under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Vehicle Inspections – All vehicles and their contents will be inspected upon entering the campus. Additionally, all vehicles entering certain parking areas will be inspected, regardless of any prior inspection. Drivers will be required to present their driver’s license and may be asked to open the trunk and hood. If you are physically unable to perform this function, please inform the inspector and they will assist you.

Vehicle inspection may consist of any combination of the following: Detection Dogs Teams (K-9), Electronic Detection Devices and Manual Inspection.

After inspection, you will be issued a vehicle inspection pass. It must be displayed on your vehicle’s dashboard while you are on campus. The inspection pass is not a "parking permit." It only grants your vehicle access to enter the campus. You can only park in designated parking areas.

Personal Inspections – All visitors should be prepared to submit to a personal inspection prior to entering the campus. These inspections may be conducted with a handheld monitoring device, a metal detector and by visible inspection. Additionally, your personal belongings may be inspected and passed through an x-ray machine.

Visitor passes must be prominently displayed at all times while on the NIH campus.

To learn more about visitor and security issues at the NIH, visit: http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm.

For questions about campus access, please contact the ORS Information Line at orsinfo@mail.nih.gov or 301-594-6677, TTY - 301-435-1908.​