MGM National Harbor to end free self-parking for nonmembers

MGM National Harbor will start charging nonmembers $15 a day to self-park in its 5,000-space garage beginning Monday, July 13, while MGM Rewards members keep complimentary parking. MGM says the loyalty program is free to join, and all tiers still qualify for free self-parking after a license plate is added to the account.

The change hits one of Prince George’s County’s biggest visitor magnets, a resort-casino complex in Oxon Hill that sits inside National Harbor’s 350-acre mixed-use district. National Harbor’s leasing materials say the area drew 15.2 million visitors in 2022 and supports 12,500 employees, which means the new fee reaches far beyond casino regulars and into the daily routines of restaurant diners, theatergoers, hotel guests and workers moving through the waterfront district.

It also puts MGM’s price alongside a parking system around it that is already heavily paid. The Prince George’s County Revenue Authority oversees 69 single-space meters at National Harbor, where the rate is $3 an hour with a two-hour maximum. National Harbor’s garages charge $15 for 1.5 to 3 hours and $25 for 4.5 to 24 hours, while Gaylord National offers on-site valet or self-parking and free National Harbor Circulator Bus service for overnight guests between 11 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Nearby Tanger National Harbor offers complimentary bus parking and preferred spaces for TangerClub members, another example of the area leaning on loyalty perks and group access to shape visitor flow. Route 35 from the county transit system links Southern Avenue Metrorail Station, the Oxon Hill Park and Ride and MGM Casino, giving some visitors and workers a way around the garage entirely if the added charge changes how often they drive in for dinner, shows or gaming. For National Harbor businesses and surrounding employers, the real test will be whether the fee trims casual trips or simply shifts cars to other lots, shuttle buses and transit stops already in the mix.