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Top Memorials

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Arlington National Cemetery.
More than 330,000 American war dead, as well as many notable Americans (among them Presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy, General John Pershing, and Admiral Robert E. Peary), are interred in these 624 acres across the Potomac River from Washington, established as the nation’s cemetery in 1864. While you’re here, there’s a good chance you might hear the clear, doleful sound of a trumpet playing taps or the sharp reports of a gun salute. There are an average of 27 funerals held every weekday (it’s projected that the cemetery will be filled in 2060). Another five to seven funerals are held on Saturdays for people who did not require or request military honors. Although not the largest cemetery in the country, Arlington is certainly the best known, a place where you can trace America’s history through the aftermath of its battles.

To get here, you can take the Metro, travel on a ANC Tours bus, or walk across Arlington Memorial Bridge (southwest of the Lincoln Memorial). If you’re driving, there’s a large paid-parking lot at the skylighted visitor center on Memorial Drive. Stop at the center for a free brochure with a detailed map of the cemetery. If you’re looking for a specific grave, the staff can consult microfilm records and give you directions to it. You should know the deceased’s full name and, if possible, his or her branch of service and year of death.

Martz Gray Line tour buses leave every 15–25 minutes from just outside the visitor center April through September, daily 8:30–6:30, and October through March, daily 8:30–4:30. You can buy tickets here for the 40-minute tour of the cemetery, which includes stops at the Kennedy gravesites, the Tomb of the Unknowns, and Arlington House. Touring the cemetery on foot means a fair bit of hiking, but it can give you a closer look at some of the thousands of graves spread over these rolling Virginia hills. If you decide to walk, head west from the visitor center on Roosevelt Drive and then turn right on Weeks Drive. | West end of Memorial Bridge, Arlington | 22211 | 877/907–8585 for general information and to locate a grave | www.arlingtoncemetery.mil | Free, parking $1.75 per hr for first three hours, $2.50 thereafter, Martz Gray Line bus $8.75 | Apr.–Sept., daily 8–7; Oct.–Mar., daily 8–5 | Station: Arlington Cemetery.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Unveiled in 1997, this 7.5-acre memorial to the 32nd president includes waterfalls and reflecting pools, four outdoor gallery rooms—one for each of Roosevelt’s presidential terms (1933 to 1945)—and 10 bronze sculptures. The granite megaliths connecting the galleries are engraved with some of Roosevelt’s famous statements, including, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Highlights

Congress established the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Commission in 1955, and invited prospective designers to look to “the character and work of Roosevelt to give us the theme of a memorial.” Several decades passed before Lawrence Halprin’s design for a “walking environmental experience” was selected. It incorporates work by artists Leonard Baskin, Neil Estern, Robert Graham, Thomas Hardy, and George Segal, and master stone carver John Benson.

The statue of a wheelchair-bound Roosevelt near the entrance of the memorial was added in 2001. Originally, the memorial showed little evidence of Roosevelt’s polio, which he contracted at age 39. He used a wheelchair for the last 24 years of his life, but kept his disability largely hidden from public view. The statue was added after years of debate about whether to portray Roosevelt realistically or to honor his desire not to display his disability.

You’re encouraged to touch the handprints and Braille along the columns in the second room, which represent the working hands of the American people.

A bronze statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stands in front of the United Nations symbol in the fourth room. She was a vocal spokesperson for human rights and one of the most influential women of her time.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Tips

If you come with a toddler, head straight to the third room. Though youngsters can’t sit on Roosevelt’s lap, they can pet Fala, Roosevelt’s Scottish terrier. The tips of Fala’s ears and his nose shine from all the attention.
Allow about 30 minutes at this memorial. Take your time walking through the most expansive presidential memorial in Washington and read the lines from FDR’s speeches.
This was the first memorial designed to be wheelchair accessible. Several pillars with Braille lettering and tactile images help the visually impaired.
This memorial presents great opportunities for family photographs. You can strike a pose while petting Fala, joining the men in the breadline, or listening to Roosevelt’s fireside chat.
At night the lighting over the waterfalls creates interesting shadows, and there’s not as much noise from airplanes overhead.

Korean War Veterans Memorial.
This memorial to the 1.5 million United States men and women who served in the Korean War (1950–53) highlights the high cost of freedom. Nearly 37,000 Americans were killed on the Korean peninsula, 8,000 were missing in action, and more than 103,000 were wounded. The privately funded memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995, on the 42nd anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. Compare this memorial to the more intimate Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the grandiose World War II Memorial.

Korean War Veterans Memorial Highlights

In the Field of Service, 19 oversize stainless-steel soldiers toil through a rugged triangular terrain toward an American flag; look beneath the helmets to see their weary faces. The reflection in the polished black granite wall to their right doubles their number to 38, symbolic of the 38th parallel, the latitude established as the border between North and South Korea in 1953, as well as the 38 months of the war.

Unlike many memorials, this one contains few words, but what’s here is poignant. The 164-foot-long granite wall etched with the faces of 2,400 unnamed servicemen and servicewomen says simply, “Freedom is not free.” The plaque at the base of the flagpole reads, “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” The only other words are the names of 22 countries that volunteered forces or medical support, including Great Britain, France, Greece, and Turkey.

The adjacent circular Pool of Remembrance honors all who were killed, captured, wounded, or missing in action; it’s a quiet spot for contemplation.

Korean War Veterans Memorial Tips

Allow about 10 or 15 minutes at this memorial.
A sign at the entrance to the memorial indicates the time of the next park ranger-led interpretive talk.
You can get service information on the soldiers who died in the Korean War from the touch-screen computer at the memorial information booth. Further information about veterans and casualties is available at www.koreanwar.org.
It may be tempting for kids to trek through the field with the statues, but it’s not allowed. They can strike a pose next to the wall and see their reflection added to those of the 19 soldiers.
Visit the shop in the nearby Lincoln Memorial for books and souvenirs relating to the Korean War.

Lincoln Memorial.
Many consider the Lincoln Memorial the most inspiring monument in Washington, but that hasn’t always been the case: early detractors thought it inappropriate that a president known for his humility should be honored with what some felt amounts to a grandiose Greek temple. The memorial was intended to be a symbol of national unity, but over time it has come to represent social justice and civil rights.

Lincoln Memorial Highlights

Daniel Chester French’s statue of the seated president gazes out over the Reflecting Pool. The 19-foot-high sculpture is made of 28 pieces of Georgia marble.

The surrounding white Colorado-marble memorial was designed by Henry Bacon and completed in 1922. The 36 Doric columns represent the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death; their names appear on the frieze above the columns. Over the frieze are the names of the 48 states in existence when the memorial was dedicated. Alaska and Hawaii are represented with an inscription on the terrace leading up to the memorial. At night the memorial is illuminated, creating a striking play of light and shadow across Lincoln’s face.

Two of Lincoln’s great speeches—the second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address—are carved on the north and south walls. Above each is a Jules Guerin mural: the south wall has an angel of truth freeing a slave; the unity of North and South is opposite.

The memorial’s powerful symbolism makes it a popular gathering place: In its shadow Americans marched for integrated schools in 1958, rallied for an end to the Vietnam War in 1967, and laid wreaths in a ceremony honoring the Iranian hostages in 1979. It may be best known, though, as the site of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Lincoln Memorial Tips

The power of pennies? On the lower level of the memorial is a small museum financed with pennies collected by schoolchildren.
Lincoln’s face and hands look especially lifelike because they’re based on castings done in his lifetime. Those who know sign language might recognize that the left hand is shaped like an A and the right like an L. It’s unlikely this was intentional, but the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, did have a deaf son.
Marchers flock to the Lincoln every year, drawing attention to various causes.
Lincoln’s famous Emancipation Proclamation, which set the stage for ending slavery, is on display several times per year at the National Archives (Constitution Ave., between 7th and 9th streets) See where Lincoln was shot (on April 14, 1865) at Ford’s Theatre (511 10th St. NW).

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.
A “King” now stands tall among the presidents on the National Mall. At the dedication on October 16, 2011, President Barack Obama said, “This is a day that would not be denied.” The memorial opened 15 years after Congress approved it in 1996 and 82 years after the famed civil rights leader was born in 1929.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Highlights

Located strategically between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials and adjacent to the FDR Memorial, the crescent-shape King Memorial sits on a 4-acre site on the curved bank of the Tidal Basin.

There are two main ways to enter the memorial. From West Basin Drive, walk through a center walkway cut out of a huge boulder, the Mountain of Despair. From the Tidal Basin entrance, a 28-foot tall granite boulder shows King looking out toward Jefferson. The symbolism of the mountain and stone are explained by King’s words: “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” The centerpiece stone was carved by Chinese sculptor Lei Yixin; his design was chosen from more than 900 entries in an international competition. Fittingly, Yixin first read about King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at age 10 while visiting the Lincoln Memorial.

The themes of democracy, justice, hope, and love are reflected through quotes on the south and north walls and on the Stone of Hope. The quotes reflect speeches, sermons, and writings penned by King from 1955 through 1968. Waterfalls in the memorial reflect King’s use of the biblical quote: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. Tips

Allow about 20 to 30 minutes at this memorial, which was designed as a place for reflection.
Cross West Basin Drive to visit the park ranger station and gift shop, which sells books on MLK for all ages and a variety of keepsakes.
Walk over to the Lincoln Memorial, where you can stand on the same step where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. A plaque marks the exact spot.
Contrary to popular belief, King wasn’t the first African American with a memorial in D.C. That honor goes to Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women and an informal adviser to FDR. Bethune is depicted in a 17-foot-tall bronze statue (Lincoln Park, East Capitol and 12th Sts. NE).

National World War II Memorial.
Dedicated just before Memorial Day in 2004, this symmetrically designed monument honors the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces, the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort at home.

National World War II Memorial Highlights

An imposing circle of 56 granite pillars, each bearing a bronze wreath, represents the U.S. states and territories of 1941–45. Four bronze eagles, a bronze garland, and two 43-foot-tall arches inscribed with “Atlantic” and “Pacific” surround the large circular plaza. The roar of the water comes from the Rainbow Pool, here since the 1920s but newly renovated as the centerpiece of the memorial. There are also two fountains and two waterfalls.

The Field of Stars, a wall of 4,000 gold stars, commemorates the more than 400,000 Americans who lost their lives in the war.

Although the parklike setting and the place of honor between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial may seem appropriate, some people were critical when the site for the memorial was announced, because they felt it would interrupt the landscape between the two landmarks and because it uses some of the open space that had been the site of demonstrations and protests.

Bas-relief panels tell the story of how World War II affected Americans by depicting women in the military, V-J Day, medics, the bond drive, and more activities of the time. The 24 panels are divided evenly between the Atlantic front and the Pacific front.

National World War II Memorial Tips

Look for veterans. Perhaps the best part of visiting this memorial might be the last opportunities to see men and women who fought in World War II and are part of what former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation.”
Computers at the National Park Service kiosk behind the Pacific side of the memorial contain information about soldiers who lost their lives in the war.
Kids might be bored here. You can engage their attention by asking them to look carefully at the bas-reliefs for a dog and a radio as large as today’s big-screen televisions. Then try to find Kilroy, the cartoonlike character who appears to be looking over a ledge (hint: He’s in two places). The image and the phrase “Kilroy was here” were popular graffiti left by U.S. soldiers during the war.

17th St. SW and Home Front Dr. SW, between Independence Ave. SW and Constitution Ave. NW, The Mall | 20024 | 202/426–6841 | www.wwiimemorial.com | Free | 24 hrs | Station: Smithsonian.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
In the 1930s Congress decided that Thomas Jefferson deserved a monument positioned as prominently as those honoring Washington and Lincoln. Workers scooped and moved tons of the river bottom to create dry land for the spot directly south of the White House where the monument was built. Jefferson had always admired the Pantheon in Rome, so the memorial’s architect, John Russell Pope, drew on it for inspiration. His finished work was dedicated on the bicentennial of Jefferson’s birth, April 13, 1943.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Highlights

Early critics weren’t kind to the memorial—rumor has it that it was nicknamed “Jefferson’s muffin” for its domed shape. The design was called outdated and too similar to that of the Lincoln Memorial. Indeed, both statues of Jefferson and Lincoln are 19 feet, just 6 inches shorter than the statue of Freedom atop the Capitol.

The bronze statue of Jefferson, standing on a 6-foot granite pedestal, looms larger than life. It wasn’t always made of bronze. The first version was made of plaster, because bronze was too expensive and was needed for the war. The statue you see today was erected in 1947.

You can get a taste of Jefferson’s keen intellect from his writings about freedom and government inscribed on the marble walls surrounding his statue.

Many people may be surprised to learn that Jefferson didn’t list being president as one of his greatest accomplishments. When he appraised his own life, Jefferson wanted to be remembered as the “Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.”

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Tips

Check out the view of the White House from the memorial’s steps—it’s one of the best.
Jefferson was the second president to live in the White House, but the first full-term occupant.
Park ranger programs are offered throughout the day, and you can ask questions of the ranger on duty.
Learn more about Jefferson by visiting the exhibit called Light and Liberty on the memorial’s lower level. It chronicles highlights of Jefferson’s life and has a timeline of world history during his lifetime.
Allow 15 minutes to walk here from the Metro. The memorial is the southernmost of Washington’s major monuments and memorials, and it’s a full four blocks and a trip around the Tidal Basin from the nearest Metro stop, Smithsonian.
Limited free parking is available under the 14th Street Bridge, off Ohio Drive near where it intersects with East Basin Drive.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
“The Wall,” as it’s commonly called, is one of the most visited sites in Washington. The names of more than 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War are etched in its black granite panels, creating a somber, dignified, and powerful memorial. It was conceived by Jan Scruggs, a former infantry corporal who served in Vietnam, and designed by Maya Lin, then a 21-year-old architecture student at Yale.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highlights

Thousands of offerings are left at the wall each year: many people leave flowers, others leave personal objects such as the clothing of soldiers or letters of thanks from schoolchildren. The National Park Service collects and stores the items. In 2007 Congress approved the establishment of a memorial center to display many of the items left near the wall, but as of this writing, architectural plans still haven’t been approved.

The statues near the wall came about in response to controversies surrounding the memorial. In 1984 Frederick Hart’s statue of three soldiers and a flagpole was erected to the south of the wall, with the goal of winning over veterans who considered the memorial a “black gash of shame.” A memorial plaque was added in 2004 at the statue of three servicemen to honor veterans who died after the war as a direct result of injuries suffered in Vietnam, but who fall outside Department of Defense guidelines for remembrance at the wall.

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial was dedicated on Veterans Day 1993. Glenna Goodacre’s bronze sculpture depicts two women caring for a wounded soldier while a third woman kneels nearby; eight trees around the plaza commemorate the eight women in the military who died in Vietnam.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Tips

Names on the wall are ordered by date of death. To find a name, consult the alphabetical lists found at either end of the wall. You can get assistance locating a name at the white kiosk with the brown roof near the entrance.
At the wall, rangers and volunteers wearing yellow caps can look up the names and supply you with paper and pencils for making rubbings. Every name on the memorial is preceded (on the west wall) or followed (on the east wall) by a symbol designating status. A diamond indicates “killed, body recovered.” A plus sign (found by a small percentage of names) indicates “killed, body not recovered.”
If you’re visiting with older children or teens, be prepared for questions about war and death. Sometimes children think all 58,272 soldiers are buried at the monument. They aren’t, of course, but the wall is as evocative as any cemetery.

Washington Monument.
This beloved landmark closed on Tuesday August 23, 2011, after a rare but powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 320 miles away in Bristol, Virginia. The quake sent tremors that rattled the mighty monument, leaving visible cracks and structural damage. Repair work is expected to last at least until the end of 2013.

The 555-foot, 5-inch Washington Monument punctuates the capital like a huge exclamation point and was part of Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington (his intended location proved to be marshy, so it was moved 100 yards southeast to firmer ground; a stone marker indicates L’Enfant’s original site). Construction began in 1848 and continued, with interruptions, until 1884. The design called for an obelisk rising from a circular colonnaded building, but the idea was eventually abandoned. Upon its completion, the monument was the world’s tallest structure.

Washington Monument Highlights

Six years into construction, members of the anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Party stole and smashed a block of marble donated by Pope Pius IX. This action, combined with funding shortages and the onset of the Civil War, brought construction to a halt. After the war, building finally resumed, and though the new marble came from the same Maryland quarry as the old, it was taken from a different stratum with a slightly different shade.

When the monument reopens, an elevator will once again whiz to the top of the monument in 70 seconds—a trip that in 1888 took 12 minutes via steam-powered elevator. From the viewing stations at the top you can take in most of the District of Columbia, as well as parts of Maryland and Virginia.

Washington Monument Tips

You can still look down on D.C. at the Old Post Office Pavilion (100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW at 12th St.) or the Washington National Cathedral’s Pilgrim Observation Gallery (Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves. NW).
When the monument reopens, it will use a free timed-ticket system for the elevator ride. A limited number of tickets will be available each day at the marble lodge on 15th Street. In spring and summer, lines are likely to start hours before the monument opens.
Maps below viewing-station windows point out some of Washington’s major buildings, but you might want to bring a more detailed map (available at the monument’s bookstore).

15th St. NW, between Constitution Ave. NW and Independence Ave. SW, The Mall | 20024 | 202/426–6841, 877/444–6777 for advance tickets | www.nps.gov/wamo; www.recreation.gov for advance tickets | Free; $1.50 service fee per advance ticket | Closed until late 2013 or 2014. On reopening, hours will be daily 9–5 | Station: Smithsonian.

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