NIH Campus Access for Clinical Center Patients Arriving by Vehicle

The West Drive patient entrance, located directly north of the Clinical Center's main entrance and next to The Children's Inn, offers specially tailored campus access and services to the Clinical Center's patients, their family members and patient visitors. The facility is designed to ease and speed NIH access for patients by providing one-stop security screening.

Patients arriving by vehicle daily 6 am to 10 pm who hold an extended visitor pass are also encouraged to use the West Drive patient entrance.

Location: Intersection of West Cedar Lane and West Drive

For mapping or direction purposes use:
W Cedar Ln & West Dr
Bethesda, MD 20814

Hours: Daily 6 am to 10 pm.

What to bring: A government-issued photo ID (for example, driver's license, passport, green card) is required for those ages 16 and older.

What not to bring: Federal law prohibits the following items on Federal property, alcoholic beverages and open containers of alcohol, firearms, explosives, archery equipment, dangerous weapons, knives with blades over 2 ½ inches, medical or recreational marijuana.

How it works: After exiting your vehicle, you will need to bring any luggage and belongings into the screening facility with you to be scanned. Staff are available to provide assistance. After proceeding through a metal detector and showing a government-issued ID, you'll receive a "one-day security pass".

Exiting Campus: There is no exit from the West Drive patient entrance, but visitors may exit campus through any open exit, including those designated for employees.

After-Hours Access: Daily 10 pm to 6 am when the West Drive patient entrance is not open, patients and patient visitors can enter campus through the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF). After hours and weekends, patients who hold an extended visitor pass can enter at the South Drive entrance at NIH Gateway Center at Medical Center Metro.  Patients arriving via Metro are directed to use the NIH Patient Assistance Phone which is located immediately to the right of the NIH Gateway Center entrance. The phone directly calls campus security who will personally assist patients with campus entrance.

Location: Rockville Pike (Route 355) between North Drive and Wilson Drive.

For mapping or direction purposes use:
NIH Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility
Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814

photo collage of a man in and around the West Drive patient entrance at NIH Campus

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This page last updated on 08/09/2023

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