These are the top ten memorials that you should not not miss in America’s capital city!
Washington D.C. is full of memorials. Memorials to every major war, to supreme court judges, and to presidents. FDR even has two memorials dedicated to him. There is a memorial around almost every corner near the National Mall, but which ones should you visit?
Here, in no particular order, are 10 must see memorials in Washington D.C.
1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
FDR and his dog Falla.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is dedicated to the 32nd President of the United States of America, as well as to the 1930s and 1940s over which he presided. The memorial is one of the newer ones in America’s capital city, having been dedicated in 1997 on the banks of the Tidal Basin.
The FDR Memorial traces back through 12 years of American history in which the nation and the world were not exactly humming along. A sequence of four outdoor rooms at the memorial represent each of FDR’s four terms as President (having broken the traditional two-terms-and-done pattern of his predecessors).
2. Jefferson Memorial
This happens to be my favorite memorial in DC.
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a park surrounding a neoclassical building in the heart of Washington, D.C. Dedicated to the third president of the United States, the Memorial brings in millions of visitors each year to marvel at the architecture, quotes and legacy of the man who somewhat ironically penned the Declaration of Independence while still owning slaves.
3. Marine Corps War Memorial
Took me years to finally make it to this memorial. It’s easily reached by car, but a long walk by foot.
The next memorial is not technically in Washington D.C., but it is right across the river in Arlington.
The Marine Corps War Memorial (a.k.a. “Iwo Jima Memorial”) is located right outside the walls of Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps who have died in the service of their country.
The memorial is based on the iconic photograph of the raising of the second flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima during World War II. The statues are immense. Each one is 32 ft (9.8m) tall, with a 60 (18m) flagpole. The location and date of every major U.S. Marine Corps engagement up to the present are inscribed around the base of the memorial. The memorial is one of the few places in the country where the flag has to be flown 24 hours a day.
4. United States Navy Memorial
The United States Navy Memorial, located just off the National Mall on Pennsylvania Avenue, honors those who have served or are currently serving in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine.
The memorial is famous for Stanley Bleifeld’s famous statue, The Lone Sailor. The statue is a tribute to personnel of the sea services and overlooks the Granite Sea. The Granite Sea is an exact replica of the world’s oceans and is surrounded by two fountain pools. The southern hemisphere of the Granite Sea is surrounded by 26 bronze bas-reliefs commemorating events, personnel and communities of the various sea services.
5. National World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial is located along the National Mall and is dedicated to the Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. The memorial was opened to the public in 2004.
The memorial consists of 56 pillars and a pair of small triumphal arches surrounding a plaza and fountain. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of one of the 48 U.S. states of 1945. The Northern Arch is inscribed with “Atlantic;” the Southern, “Pacific”.
The Freedom Wall is on the west side of the memorial, with the view of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial behind. The Wall has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 American that perished in the war. In front of the wall, a message is inscribed, “Here we mark the price of freedom.”
6. Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial in was built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated in office. The building was designated by Henry Bacon in the Greek temple style with Doric columns. Two inscriptions of famous speeches by Lincoln have been etched onto the walls, The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. The building was dedicated in 1922 and has been the location of many famous speeches including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech.
7. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
The memorial was brand new when I first saw it. It’s gotten a bit dirty since 2013.
Speaking of Martin Luther King Jr., the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is located in West Potomac Park along the Tidal Basin. This is the first memorial dedicated to an African American in Washington, D.C. on or near the National Mall and one of the newest.
The design of the centerpiece of the memorial is based on a line from King’s “I have a Dream” speech: “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope”. A 30 ft (9.1m) relief of king named the “Stone of Hope” stands past two another pieces of granite that symbolize the “Mountain of Despair”. Visitors pass though the “Mountain of Despair” on the way to the “Stone of Hope,” symbolically moving through the struggle as Dr. King did during his life.
8. Korean War Veterans Memorial
Nineteen iconic stainless-steel statues symbolize every branch of the service that served in the war.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial in West Potomac Park remembers all the Americans who fought in the 1950s Korean War (a conflict that barely moved the Bamboo Curtain, ended in a draw and technically still continues today). Southeast of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, this memorial works hard to remind people of “The Forgotten War” of the 20th century.
9. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors American service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in the services and those services members who were unaccounted for (Missing in Action).
The memorial consists of three parts, the Three Soldiers Statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial Wall (pictured above), the most well-known. The Memorial Wall was completed in 1982 and was designed by American architect Maya Lin. As of May 2011, there were 58,272 names inscribed on the wall.
10. Washington Monument
The Washington Monument looking extra shiny in the morning sunshine.
Well, this last one is not a technically a memorial. Eh, close enough.
Located in the center of National Mall, the Washington Monument was built to commemorate the life of George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the early Continental Army and the first American president.
Construction of this grand obelisk began in 1848 but was halted from 1854 to 1877 and was not completed until 1884. Lack of funding, opposing parties and the Civil War, slowed down and halted progress of the project all together for many years. When the structure was complete, it was the tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower topped it 5 years later in Paris, France.
The Washington Monument is made of marble, granite and bluestone gneiss (if you were wondering). Not only is it the tallest obelisks in the world, it is also the tallest stone structure in the world, standing 555 ft 5 1/8 in (169.294m) tall. Taller monumental columns exist, but they are neither all stone, nor true obelisks.
If you find yourself in Washington D.C., make sure you check these memorials out! Most are located along the National Mall (except for the Marine Corps War Memorial). All are open 24 hours a day (except for the Marine Corps War Memorial, it is very pesky). They are a must see!
Check out another Washington, D.C. gem, the Library of Congress!
or
Check out my Washington, D.C. travel guide!
