Use the links below to get more information on Washington, D.C.'s historic monuments and memorials.
Washington Monument
Jefferson Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Iwo Jima Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
World War II Memorial
Air Force Memorial
Pentagon Memorial
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
FDR Memorial
Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center
Arlington National Cemetery
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Theodore Roosevelt Island Memorial
National Mall Walking Tour
Washington Monument
Summary: The tallest masonry structure in the world, standing 555 feet tall. The monument is dedicated to the memory of our nation’s first president, George Washington.
Address: Located on Constitution Avenue, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines)
Availability: Open daily from 9 AM - 5 PM. Advanced tickets are available through the National Park Service Reservation System. Timed tickets are required to ensure an enjoyable experience for all visitors. All visitors 2 years of age or older must have a ticket to enter the Monument. The number to the Reservation System is (800) 967-2283. Reservations may be made between the hours of 10 AM and 10 PM.
Costs: While tickets to the Washington Monument are free of charge, callers to this number will incur a $1.50 service charge and a $.50 shipping and handling fee. Visitors may also obtain free, same-day, timed tickets to the Washington Monument at the 15th Street kiosk. Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8:30 AM until all tickets for that day are gone.
Notes: Facilities include exhibits, a book store, restrooms and concessions. For more information: Nps.gov/wamo
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Jefferson Memorial
Summary: Honors America’s third president. It features a 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson and inscriptions of passage of the Declaration of Independence and other famous Jefferson writings.
Address: 14th St, SW on the tidal basin.
Tour Length: Park rangers give 15-minute talks several times an hour.
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines)
Availability: Open 8 AM - 11:45 PM daily. The lower lobby is open daily from 8 AM - 11:30 PM. Closed on Christmas.
Notes: The lower lobby holds an elevator to provide access to the Memorial Chamber, Restrooms, Museum and Bookstore/Gift shop. For more information call (202) 426-6841 or visit Nps.gov/thje.
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Lincoln Memorial
Summary: Features a 19-foot marble statue of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. The memorial also exhibits inscriptions of Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address.
Address: West Potomac Park and 23rd ST, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Blue and Orange Lines)
Availability: Open 8 AM- 12 midnight. Closed on Christmas.
Notes: The Lincoln Memorial chamber is wheelchair accessible via an elevator in the lower lobby. Wheelchairs are available for loan on a first come first serve basis at the Korean War Veterans memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Kiosks. Restrooms are available at the Lincoln Memorial. For more information call (202) 426-6841 or visit Nps.gov/linc.
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Korean War Memorial
Summary: Features 19 soldiers arrayed for combat, with the American flag as their symbolic objective. A 164-foot wall is etched with 2,500 photographic images of the support personnel whose efforts sustained the military operation.
Address: Adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Blue and Orange Lines)
Availability: Open 8 AM - 12 midnight. Closed on Christmas.
Notes: Facilities include a book store, touch screen registry, restrooms and concessions. For more information call (202) 619-7222 or visit Nps.gov/kwvm.
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U.S.M.A. War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial)
Summary: The 78-foot memorial commemorates all marines who have died in battle since 1775. The statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II and symbolizes this nation’s esteem for the honored dead of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Address: Route 50 near Arlington National Cemetery.
Closest Metro Stop: Arlington Cemetery (Blue Line).
Availability: Open 8 AM - midnight. Closed on Christmas.
Notes: For more information call (703) 285-2601 or visit Nps.gov/usmc.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Summary: Honors the men and women of the armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The V-shaped memorial is made of black granite and is inscribed with the names of the 58,209 Americans missing or killed in the Vietnam War.
Address: North of the Lincoln Memorial.
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Blue and Orange Lines)
Availability: Open 8 AM - 12 midnight. Closed on Christmas.
Notes: For more information call (202) 634-1568 or visit Nps.gov/vive.
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World War II Memorial
Summary: The National Mall’s newest memorial was dedicated to the men and women of World War II – America’s Greatest Generation – on May 29, 2004. The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died.
Address: 17th St, between Constitution and Independence Avenues, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines).
Availability: Open 24 hours daily.
Notes: Includes a World War II Registry of the men and women who served. For more information call (202) 619-7222 or visit Nps.gov/nwwm.
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Air Force Memorial
Summary: The United States Air Force Memorial Honors the Service and sacrifices of the men and women of the United States Air Force and its predecessor organizations. Featuring three stainless steel spires that soar skyward, the tallest reaching a height of 270 feet, the Memorial’s design is truly representative of flight and the flying spirit of the Air Force. The three spires also represent the three core values of the Air Force - integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that is done - and the Air Force’s total force - active, guard and reserve.
Address: Located at One Air Force Memorial Drive, Arlington, VA, 22211.
Closest Metro Stop: Pentagon City Station (Blue and Yellow Lines)
Availability: The Memorial is open every day of the year. Hours are 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. April 1 – September 30 and 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. October 1 – March 31.
Notes: While visiting the memorial, call - Dial 800-217-7740 Ext 11 for an Air Force Memorial Mobile Tour. Listen to a historical narration about the Air Force Memorial through your cell phone – Free of Charge.
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Pentagon Memorial
Summary: The Pentagon Memorial is designed so that the nation may remember and reflect on the events that occurred on September 11, 2001.
Address: Located southwest of the Pentagon.
Closest Metro Stop: Pentagon Station (Blue and Yellow Lines)
Availability: The memorial is free and open 24 hours daily. Support Staff is on hand Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Notes: Groups and individuals are welcome in the Memorial each day but guided tours are not offered; the Memorial is meant to be experienced on a more personal level.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Summary: The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial honors Dr. King’s national and international contributions and vision for all to enjoy a life of freedom, opportunity, and justice. The centerpiece of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial is the “Stone of Hope”, a 30-foot statue of Dr. King, gazing into the horizon and concentrating on the future and hope for humanity. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011.
Address: 1964 Independence Avenue, SW
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian
Availability: 9 am- 10 pm daily
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FDR Memorial
Summary: The memorial traces twelve years of American history through a series of four outdoor areas; each focusing on one of FDR’s terms in office.
Address: Cherry Tree Walk along Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial.
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines).
Availability: Open 24 hours daily.
Notes: Includes a World War II Registry of the men and women who served. For more information call (202) 376-6704 or visit Nps.gov/frde.
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Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center
Summary: Honors the men and women of the US Navy. Features a 100 foot granite map of the world surrounded by depictions of historic Navy events.
Address: Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between 7th and 9th streets.
Closest Metro Stop: Archives-Navy Memorial (Green and Yellow Lines).
Availability: Memorial Open Daily. Heritage Center Open: March-October 9:30 AM – 5 PM, Monday – Saturday; November-February 9:30 AM – 5 PM, Tuesday-Friday.
Costs: Free. Movie screenings at the Heritage Center cost $3.75.
Notes: Special events run throughout the year. Call (202) 737-2300 ext. 768 or visit Lonesailor.org.
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Arlington National Cemetery
Tour Summary: Highlights include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Amphitheater, the Curtis-Lee Mansion, and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft.
Address: Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA
Closest Metro Stop: Arlington Cemetery (Blue Line)
Availability: Opens at 8 AM every day of the year. From April 1-Sept 30 the cemetery closes at 7PM, the other six months it closes at 5 PM. Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier occurs each hour on the hour and every half hour in the summer months.
Costs: Free, but narrated bus tours start from the visitors’ center for a cost: Adults $6.00, Children $3.00, Seniors $5.00. The cost of parking is $1.25/hour for the first three hours, and $2.00/hour thereafter.
How to Request a Tour: Phone: (703) 607-8000. Arlingtoncemetery.org
Notes: The cemetery does not provide wheelchairs or strollers.
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National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Tour Summary: 30 exhibits with mementos left at the memorial, photos from ceremonies, and murals. Address: E Street NW, between 4th and 5th Streets. The visitor center is located 2 blocks away at 605 E St NW.
Closest Metro Stop: Judiciary Square (Red Line). Take the F Street exit.
Availability: Open 24 hours a day. Visitors Center Hours: Monday-Friday: 9 AM – 5 PM, Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM, Sunday: 12 Noon – 5 PM. Tours must be scheduled at least a week in advance.
Costs: Free.
How to request a tour: A tour request form can be obtained at nleomf.org.
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Theodore Roosevelt Island Memorial
Summary: An national park island dedicated to our 26th President, conservation activist Theodore Roosevelt, with a number of recreational and historical activities.
Address: Accessible via the George Washington Memorial Parkway (northbound).
Closest Metro Stop: Rosslyn (Blue and Orange lines)
Availability: The park is open everyday, from dawn until dusk. The park closes at dark.
Cost: Free
Notes: No reservations are required. Bicycles are not permitted. Dogs must remained on leashes. For more information, call: (703) 289-2500 or visit: Nps.gov/this.
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National Mall Walking Tour
Tour Summary: A tour of the country’s most hallowed memorials, monuments, and museums: the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Freer Gallery, the U.S. Botanical Gardens, the National Gallery of Art.
Tour Length: Not specified.
Address: Begins at the Lincoln Memorial: 23rd Street, NW.
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Blue and Orange lines)
Cost: Free
How to Request a Tour: For more information, visit: Nationalgeographic.com/walkingtours.
Notes: Individuals may be required to present photo ID at certain attractions.
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