WASHINGTON — It's a unique house for any neighborhood, but especially head-turning in D.C.'s Logan Circle neighborhood: a swing set in the front yard, a fully functioning waterslide, disco balls hanging from the tree branches, and a bubblegum-pink paintjob.
It's also just about two feet tall.
"It's so beautiful," muses a child wheeling past on her way to summer camp, with her caretaker's promise to stop for a better look on the way home.
The miniature dream house sits at 1454 1/2 Q Street NW, the newest installation in the front yard landscaping water feature known as the "Barbie Pond on Avenue Q." It's a tribute to the forthcoming Barbie movie, with a poster on the wall and doll clothes resembling Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's costumes.
“They have the car and everything,” notes a woman stopping at the display to her friend over the phone.
Known for its quirky, topical, and often irreverent displays, the Barbie Pond is a neighborhood landmark with an international following, thanks to their popular Instagram page.
"My son had seen over the weekend that they had posted the new look on Instagram," said Kathleen Barber, who lives nearby. "He was super excited to run ahead and get the first glimpse out of it."
This has been called a “summer of Barbie,” ahead of the Greta Gerwig film coming to theaters July 21, with a press tour and marketing campaign for the ages. But for people in this neighborhood, the Barbie Pond has been making a splash for more than 13 years.
"I think it's very nostalgic for people," neighbor Anna Aulisio said. "We have a lot of tourists come by, they're very confused about this. They're like, this is something that a child might have built?” she laughs. “But I think most of the locals know that this is just a place to visit.”
So what's the real story behind the scenes?
“The owner of the house put out some cake topper dolls in the front of the pond, it got some laughs,” said one of the keepers of the pond via email — the trio of three lifelong friends prefers to remain anonymous. “So he put out some more, and one thing leads to another and all the sudden we’re marking every major holiday, launching an Instagram account and watching it take off. We still can’t believe it.”
Though the friends have purchased many dolls over the years to support their elaborate displays, they tell WUSA9 many arrived at the Pond via donations from the neighborhood.
“I think they like the idea of their Barbies and Kens having new lives. There are several FULL storage containers under the house,” we’re told in the email. “Please note - while we appreciate the generosity of the Pond’s fans, we have more than enough dolls and have run out of storage!”
The keepers list the 'Game of Thrones' finale, moon landing anniversary, and annual Pride displays as among their favorite setups over the years.
“We aim for open minded people with a good sense of humor, and who don't mind a little camp,” they wrote.
A popular 2017 Valentine’s Day display gave visitors a chance to write messages of love on paper hearts, which were then tied to the tree alongside the pond.
“It was one of those moments we realized that the pond had become part of the fabric of the community.”
Passersby are quick to name some of their favorites, including last month’s tableau of an all-female Supreme Court and Barbie dolls riding a giant COVID-19 vaccine during the height of the pandemic.
"It's just so fun to get to have this little slice of, like, bright joy in your life as you're walking past it," said Barber.
Though they’re looking forward to the Barbie movie — advanced screening tickets were provided by the film’s marketing team — they expect this hot-pink summer to begin fading eventually.
“We have for sure reached [peak] Barbie. While she will forever hold a special place in American culture, after this summer, she’s going to need a break!” they write.
But even when she’s out of the Hollywood spotlight, the Q Street dolls will be ready with a smile and a wave.
“We can’t do this forever. But we’re not ready to hang it up just yet. And hopefully it will inspire others to do something similar, or really create any form of community art.”