Gaylord National launches superhero summer, aiming to boost National Harbor tourism

Gaylord National Resort has turned National Harbor into a superhero stage, betting that capes, scavenger hunts and a nightly light show can help turn Prince George’s County’s waterfront into a bigger summer draw.

The resort’s Super Hero Summer featuring DC is part of Gaylord Hotels’ 2026 push across six resorts nationwide, with programming also at properties in Maryland, California, Florida and Colorado. Marriott International said the concept is built on Gaylord Hotels’ partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences and was designed as an all-under-one-roof entertainment model rather than a single attraction.

At Gaylord National, the lineup stretches through Sept. 6 and includes DC Super Hero’s Mission Checklist, the Battle for Justice Light Show, the Revenge of the Riddler Scavenger Hunt, DC Super Hero Academy Live Show, DC Super Hero Sightings and DC Super Hero Splash Bash. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are scheduled to appear on weekends, while the pool area adds trivia, movie nights and family activities aimed at turning a hotel stay into a full vacation package.

The most concrete value for visitors is also the sharpest line for local families: the Splash Bash is complimentary only for overnight guests. It runs Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, plus May 24, June 19 and Sept. 6 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult registered overnight guest. DC Super Hero Sightings run Fridays and Saturdays from May 22 through Sept. 6, with exclusions on June 12, July 10 and 11, and Aug. 21.

David Bracamonte, who directs creative events and entertainment for the resort, said the goal is to make visitors feel like they are waking up their inner superhero and to make the whole property feel like a destination. Dan McKeon, Gaylord National’s area general manager, cast the rollout as part of the resort’s broader entertainment legacy and said it is meant to be the only place in the capital region offering that level of immersive summer fun.

That pitch lands in National Harbor, a 350-acre mixed-use waterfront development that Prince George’s County planning material says attracts more than eight million visitors a year. For county leaders who keep pointing to tourism as an economic engine, the question is how much of that traffic spills beyond the resort’s doors into nearby restaurants, retail and other attractions, and how much stays inside the hotel package itself. Northern Virginia Magazine reported that special hotel packages include superhero capes and activity booklets, underscoring how directly the promotion is aimed at overnight stays and captive spending.