As mentioned in the previous post, the National Park Service (NPS) maintains the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC. Admission is free except for the elevator ride to the top of the Washington Monument. Because the pandemic forced the closure of many indoor museums, we spent most of our time in DC outdoors at the memorials.

The previous post covered our first day exploring the National Mall. We spent our second day touring Harpers Ferry National Historical Park first, followed by an afternoon back at the National Mall seeing several memorials we missed.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Just 7 years after the fall of Saigon, Congress authorized, built and dedicated the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Located near the Lincoln Memorial, one could walk right past it. Unlike other memorials that stand big and tall, Maya Lin designed a black V-shaped wall that blends with the landscape.

However, the simplistic design works. Walking alongside the 490 feet of black granite walls, visitors see the inscribed names of every US person killed during the conflict. 

The Lincoln Memorial

Throngs of people frequent the Lincoln Memorial making it the most visited memorial in DC. Built to resemble the Parthenon in Greece, the 36 columns represent the number of states when constructed completed in 1922. The 87 steps from the reflecting pool to the plaza level represent “Four score and seven years” from the Gettysburg address. The next 58 steps represent Lincoln’s age at his death (56) and the number of presidential terms (2) he served.

At the top, we turned around for jaw-dropping views of the reflecting pool, Washington Monument and the US Capitol behind it. It was easy to picture MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech” and Marion Anderson’s concerts in 1939 and 1963.

Inside the memorial, a 19-foot high statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting stoically watches over DC. On both sides of the statue, columns bisect this space into the north and south chambers where Lincoln’s quotes are on the wall.

Korean War Memorial

Amidst juniper scrubs, 19 poncho-clad statues seemingly trudge forward in a pie-shaped formation that ends in a circular pool. While 14 statues represent US Army members, the other 5 exemplify the Marines, Navy and recently formed Air Force. On one side, a wall etched with photographs of veterans provides more symbolism. By reflecting the 19 stainless steel statues on the wall, you see 38 total soldiers. This stands for their fighting location near the 38th parallel, as well as the 38 months of the conflict.

A walkway on the other side lists the 22 members of the United Nations. At the Pool of Rememberance, the inscription “Freedom is not Free” gives visitors a chance to pause while seeing the numbers for dead, wounded, missing and prisoners listed.

To get to the FDR Memorial, we passed by MLK Jr. Memorial discussed in the previous post.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Memorial

The FDR Memorial consist of four outdoor rooms symbolizing his four presidential terms. Each room features quotes and a water feature that becomes a full waterfall by fourth room. In the third room, a large statue of FDR sitting with a cape next to his dog, Fala, caused much controversy. Although the president didn’t highlight that he used a wheelchair, some people wanted to bring it front and center. As a compromise, a smaller statue of FDR in a wheelchair, built 6 years later, sits near the front entrance.

My favorite sculpture is found in the second room depicting the bread lines during the Depression. On the far side, a rural couple listens to FDR’s fireside chats. A timeline of FDR’s life, as well as statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reside in the last room.

In Conclusion

Can you see all the memorials in the NPS National Mall & Memorial Parks in a day? Sure you can. But I don’t recommend it.

Each of these memorials took years (some even decades) of design and thought. Steeped with symbolism, they are meant for contemplation and reflection. To really appreciate them more fully, take each memorial one at a time and let them inspire you. For more information, visit the NPS website here.