Washington DC is the heart of the nation and it is full of museums, memorials, monuments, and government buildings to visit - generally for free. One of the most iconic of all American national memorials is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

To see another great memorial to Abraham Lincoln (as well as other US Presidents) visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and see the impressive memorial that was never completed. Alternatively, visit the birthplace and childhood homes of the 16th president preserved in the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.

About the Lincoln Memorial in DC

The Lincoln Memorial is located across from the Washington Monument and is on the western end of the National Mall. It is one of the main attractions for anyone visiting the nation's capital - it is within walking distance after visiting the White House.

The Lincoln Memorial towers over the Reflecting Pool and is full of symbolic meaning. There are 36 columns in the temple with each representing one state in the US at the date of Lincoln's untimely death.

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The memorial is one of several memorials of the 16th president who governed the United States through the hardest period in its history. His tenure was dominated by a nation tearing itself apart in a struggle that saw more Americans lose their lives than all other American conflicts combined.

One of the few more lighthearted days for the president was when the king of Siam (today's Thailand) offered to donate him Asian elephants to populate America).

  • Style: Greek Doric Temple

The memorial itself is in the form of a neoclassical Greek Doric temple. Inside the structure is a large seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln as well as inscriptions of two well-known speeches by Lincoln. The inscriptions are from his Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address.

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While the memorial was approved decades earlier, construction of the memorial did not begin until 1914. it was opened to the public in 1922.

Related: Why Auschwitz Is Still Such An Important Part Of Our History

Symbolism Of The Lincoln Memorial

The statue was designed by Daniel Chester French. He sought to depict the president during the Civil War as stately and dignified.

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While most inscriptions on monuments around the world just depict a small part of a famous speech. Every single word of the Gettysburg Address is etched into the walls. On the right is also the entire Second Inaugural Address that he gave just months before he was assassinated.

  • 36 Columns: Representing The 36 States At The Time of Lincoln's Death

Above the colonnade are inscribed on the friezes the names of the 36 states of the Union at the time of his demise - along with the dates of which they entered the Union. On the attic, the frieze has inscribed the names of the 48 states that were part of the Union at the time of the memorial's dedication (sorry Alaska and Hawaii).

The interior of the memorial is divided into three chambers by two rows of four Ionic columns. The central chamber houses the giant statue of Lincoln, while the north and south chambers display his Gettysburg Address and second inaugural address.

Related: Why Everyone Should Visit The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park In Georgia

Visiting The Memorial

While the memorial is open all the time, Rangers are only on duty from 9.30 am to 10.00 pm daily.

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Below the memorial is an undercroft. While it was being built, construction workers scrawled graffiti on it - it is now considered historical by the National Park Service. Interestingly stalactites and stalagmites have formed in it by water seeping through the calcium carbonate in the marble.

The undercroft is closed to the public, but there are plans for it to be reopened to visitors following rehabilitation in time for the memorial's centennial in 2022.

  • Undercroft: Planned To Be Reopened In 2022

The monument is administered by the National Park Service and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is open 24/7. Other monuments in the area include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the World War II Memorial.

The Memorial On The US Currency

The memorial is also depicted in the US currency, these are the one-cent coin and the five-dollar bill.

  • One Cent Coin: From 1959 (150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth) to 2008 The Memorial Was Depicted On The Reverse Side
  • Five Dollar Bill: The Memorial Has Been On The Back Since 1929 (Lincoln Himself Is On the Front)

Next: The History Behind Mount Rushmore That You Probably Didn't Know, And Why It's Worth A Visit