5 Inspiring National Mall Monuments Every American Should See

Can you believe there are more than 100 monuments and memorials at the National Mall in Washington, DC? The National Mall, known as “America’s Front Yard”, is a park in the heart of downtown DC. It is home to several museums, memorials, monuments, sculptures, and statues. The monuments and memorials along the National Mall honor former Presidents, Veterans, and people important to our nation’s history.

The National Mall receives more than 25 million visitors annually and spans from the United States Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. It also includes the White House, Ford’s Theater, and the parks along the Tidal Basin and Washington Channel.

The National Mall was originally drawn up by Pierre L’Enfant in 1791. He envisioned a 1 mile long garden-lined “grand avenue”, much like you would find in prominent European cities. In his plan, it was flanked by the Congress House (now the United States Capitol) and an equestrian statue of George Washington.

Table of Contents

The Landmarks, Museums, Monuments, Memorials, and Features of the National Mall

National Museum of American History
National Museum of Natural History
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
West Building of the National Gallery of Art
East Building of the National Gallery of Art
National Museum of the American Indian
National Air and Space Museum
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Graden
Arts and Industries Building
Smithsonian Institution Building “The Castle”
Freer Gallery of Art
Arther M. Sackler Gallery
National Museum of African Art
Joseph Henry statue
Andrew Jackson Downing Urn
Smithsonian Carousel
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Library of Congress
United States Supreme Court
Jamie L. Whitten Building: U.S. Department of Agriculture Administration Building
United States Capitol
Union Square (Capitol Reflecting Pool & the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial)
Peace Monument
United States Botanic Garden
James A. Garfield Monument
Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
WWII Memorial
Washington Monument
American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
Lockkeeper’s House, C&O Canal Extension
Constitution Gardens
Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence
District of Columbia War Memorial
Sylvan Theater
George Mason Memorial
John Paul Jones Memorial
John Ericsson Memorial
The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace sculptures
Jefferson Pier
Tidal Basin paddle-boat dock
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
Vietnam Women’s Memorial
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site
Petersen House
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
National Park Service Stables
German-American Friendship Garden
A Prayer for the Nation Memorial

Our 5 Must-See National Monuments on the National Mall

I’ve spent countless hours walking up and down the National Mall, popping in and out of museums, visiting some of our nation’s most important buildings, and viewing the numerous monuments and memorials. Even after all of my visits to the capital city, these are the monuments that I never get enough of.

Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is located at the western end of the Mall. Each year, the monument sees more than 7 million visitors making it one of the most visited monuments in the United States. It honors one of America’s favorite presidents, Abraham Lincoln. The memorial features a massive sculptor of our tallest president and is inscribed with two of his most famous speeches: the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address.

The memorial was the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”. The step where King stood during the March on Washington is marked so visitors can stand in the spot where King gave this iconic speech.

World War II Memorial

The World War II Memorial is centered between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The 56 granite pillars, adorned with bronze laurel wreaths, represent the 48 states (that were in the union in 1945), Washington DC, and the US territories. The pillars line an oval-shaped plaza and reflecting pool flanked by two triumphal arches.

The Freedom Wall, located on the western side of the plaza, is dotted with 4,048 gold stars. Each star represents 100 Americans who died in the war.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

One of the most underrated memorials is the Korean War Memorial. Perhaps it’s because, for many, this has become a forgotten war. The memorial, located just south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, memorializes those who served in the Korean War (1950—1953). It’s a showstopper. It includes 19 statues that depict soldiers in battle. The sculptures are gorgeous.

In 2022, the Wall of Remembrance, a series of long black granite slabs, was added. The slabs list the names of 36,634 Americans and 7,174 South Koreans who died under US Command. Unfortunately, due to errors in the list submitted by the Defense Department, the wall includes more than 1,000 spelling errors and lists 245 servicemen who did not die in the war. An additional 500 names should have been added but were not. Corrections are slated to take place soon.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

A massive granite statue called Stone of Hope stands tall at the center of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. The memorial was inspired by a line from King’s famous “I Have a Dream Speech” where he said, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

The memorial lines up with the Lincoln Memorial, the location of King’s 1963 speech. King was the first African American to be honored with a memorial at the National Mall, and only the fourth non-President to receive such an honor.

The memorial includes an Inscription Wall which has 14 quotes from King’s speeches. Take time to read his words of wisdom and reflect on how far America has come, and how far we still need to go.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

While other memorials and monuments on the National Mall are more elaborate, it is the simplicity of this memorial that makes it so remarkable. The memorial features two massive black granite walls that are engraved with the names of service members who died or went missing during their service in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. In total, there are 58,320 names listed.

There are directories of the names and their locations on podiums near the memorial. It is not uncommon to see people using a pencil and paper to create a rubbing of their relative’s names.

...Wait....What About the General?

You might be wondering why the Washington Monument didn’t make our list. In all honesty, it’s because that sucker is 555 feet high and can be seen from pretty much everywhere in this area. While visitors are able to ride to the top of the monument to witness sweeping views of the Mall, it’s incredibly difficult to get tickets.

Planning Your DC Trip

No lie…DC is my FAVORITE city on the planet! Despite making several trips, I’ve barely scratched the surface. There are so many incredible things to see and do in DC. We’ve compiled some of our favorites in our 4-Day DC Itinerary.

If you need tips on how to schedule a tour of the White House, Visiting DC with Kids, or Riding the Metro, we’ve got you covered! Check out our Ultimate Guide to the National Mall or 15 Must-See Places in Washington DC for more great things to do on your trip!