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Conveniently located at the corner of 17th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW in the heart of Washington, DC’s central business district, the Equality Center is steps away from several major city avenues and three Metro lines, as well as various restaurants, shopping, and hotels.
The Equality Center is comprised of the Equality Forum and the Conference Center. Both of these adaptable event spaces can be transformed to fully serve your individual needs.
Whether you’re looking for a corporate event space or a party venue, DC has few better options than HRC’s Equality Forum. The modern, airy design makes it a unique venue for lectures, trainings, receptions, dinners, commitment ceremonies, weddings, and other events which require a large, creative space.
Equally versatile, the Conference Center is appropriate for both formal gatherings and party space rental. Adjacent to the Equality Forum, it serves as a perfect weekday, evening or weekend event space in DC. It is made up of three separate but adjoining rooms which may be opened to create one large room. All three rooms connect to an open hallway, complete with a long buffet suitable for catering or visual displays.
The event planning expertise of the Equality Center's seasoned staff will ensure the smooth execution of your event. A number of amenities are available, including equipment and audiovisual technology. The staff will gladly set up any conferencing equipment requirements, and a responsive IT support team will always be there to meet your needs.
For information about the Equality Center:
For information about hosting an event, please refer to Hosting an Event.
We offer competitive rates for events in the Equality Forum and Conference Center spaces. To obtain a rate quote, please email us directly at equality.center@hrc.org.
We offer an automatic discount of 20% to non-profit organizations.
The Equality Center does not have in-house catering, but we work closely with many local caterers who can meet your food and beverage needs. Please refer to the Hosting an Event page for a list of suggested caterers and their contact information.
While the Equality Center highly recommends choosing your caterer from our preferred vendors list, you are not required to do so. Full-service catering companies that are not on the preferred vendor list must provide the Equality Center staff with proof of their liability insurance, as well as a bartending license if alcohol will be served at the event. Additionally, we recommend that the caterer schedule a site visit prior to the event date.
Alcohol may be served, provided it is being served by a DC Alcohol and Beverage Regulation Association certified catering or bartending company. The caterer/bartender is required to provide a copy of their alcohol license to our events staff prior to the event. For events during which alcohol will be served, we require a security guard to be on site at customer expense (for a minimum of four hours; we will set this up for you).
All events must end by 12:00AM. Bartenders must stop serving alcohol a minimum of 60 minutes before the event's end time.
While we do not offer on-site overnight accommodations, we do have preferred rates with several area hotels who will meet your overnight stay needs. For more information, please consult your Equality Center event coordinator.
The HRC Building does not have on-site parking. However, there is a surface lot adjacent to the building operated by PMI Parking that is open Monday through Friday for a fee. For night and weekend events, our events staff will be happy to help you arrange valet parking for your guests at other garages within walking distance of the Equality Center.
Music may be played at your event; we simply ask that you keep the volume to a reasonable level. External sound systems — sound systems set up on the outside grounds of the HRC Building — are not permitted.
We do offer audiovisual amenities; please refer to the Hosting an Event page for available amenities.
The HRC Foundation is actively working towards becoming an Energy Star certified building and we encourage patrons of the Equality Center to utilize the provided recycling bins at every event held in the Equality Center. The Human Rights Campaign also employs a Green Committee and is one of the few buildings in the District with a green roof.
Via Metro
The Equality Center is easily accessible from the Metro's Red, Orange, and Blue Lines. Located just north of Farragut North and Farragut West, and just south of Dupont Circle, the Equality Center is within walking distance of major public transportation. For more information, including station maps, bus routes, and walking directions, please visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website.
From Virginia
Via I-95/I-395
Take I-95 North; it then becomes I-395 North. Cross over the 14th Street Bridge and remain in the left lane traveling towards Route 1 North. Route 1 North turns into 14th Street. Proceed up 14th Street to Thomas Circle and turn left onto Rhode Island Avenue. Continue down Rhode Island Avenue until it intersects with 17th Street. The Human Rights Campaign building is on the left.
Via I-66 East
Take I-66 East until it becomes the Roosevelt Memorial Bridge, then take the Constitution Avenue exit. From Constitution Avenue, turn left onto 17th Street. Once past the White House, 17th Street becomes Connecticut Avenue. From Connecticut Avenue, turn right onto Rhode Island Avenue and follow it until it intersects with 17th Street. The Human Rights Campaign building is on the right.
From Maryland
Via I-295
From I-295, take the ramp for Washington and Route 50 (New York Avenue). Continue on New York Avenue until it intersects with Massachusetts Avenue. Turn right on Massachusetts Avenue. Turn left onto Rhode Island Avenue and follow it until it intersects with 17th Street. The Human Rights Campaign building is on the right.
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