must-visit in WashingtonMuseum

Lincoln Memorial

📍 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA

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4.5/ 5.0

★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location: USA, Washington
Category: Museum
Duration: 30-60 minutes including reading the inscriptions
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours daily; rangers on site roughly 9:30-22:00; closed Dec 25. Restrooms and museum close in the evening
Ticket Price: Adult: Free · Chamber and exterior are free, no reservation. The undercroft, opened June 25 2026, needs a free timed-entry ticket via Recreation.gov, max 6 per booking with a $1 service fee
Address: 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA
Coordinates: 38.8893, -77.0502

Introduction

The Lincoln Memorial crowns the west end of the National Mall and was dedicated on May 30, 1922, honoring the 16th president. Henry Bacon modeled it on the Parthenon: 36 fluted Doric columns of Colorado Yule marble, each 13.4 metres tall, one for every state in the Union at Lincoln's death in 1865, with the 36 state names and admission dates carved on the frieze above and the 48 state names of 1922 higher still. Inside, two rows of Ionic columns divide the chamber into three halls. The central hall, 18 metres high and 23 metres deep, holds Daniel Chester French's seated Lincoln, carved by the Piccirilli brothers: originally designed at 3 metres, it was enlarged to 5.8 metres, weighs 175 short tons, shipped in 28 blocks of Georgia marble and assembled on site on a Tennessee marble pedestal, with Roman fasces beneath the arms. The Gettysburg Address and the Second Incurial Address fill the south and north halls beneath Jules Guerin murals. The main flight has 87 steps, which the National Park Service notes matches the "four score and seven" of the Gettysburg Address, though Bacon's plans show no such intent. On Easter Sunday 1939 Marian Anderson sang Shenandoah here to 75,000 people after being barred from Constitution Hall, and on August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the landing eighteen steps below the statue, marked by a stone carved in 2003. Admission to the chamber is free and always open to the public.

✨ Highlights

87 Steps and Four Score and Seven

The flight from the Reflecting Pool to the chamber has 87 steps. The National Park Service notes the number matches the "four score and seven" opening the Gettysburg Address, though Bacon's plans show the symbolism was never intended - a coincidence

A 175-Ton Marble Lincoln

French originally drew it at 3 metres and enlarged it to 5.8 for the vast hall. At 175 short tons it arrived in 28 Georgia marble blocks and was assembled on a Tennessee marble pedestal, arms resting on Roman fasces, with Cortissoz's epitaph above the head

Three Halls, Ionic Columns

Two rows of four 15-metre Ionic columns divide the interior into three halls. The centre is 18 by 23 by 18 metres and holds the statue; the Gettysburg Address fills the south hall and the Second Inaugural the north

Jules Guerin Ceiling Murals

Above each inscription hangs an 18.3 by 3.7 metre mural: Reunion and Progress with Freedom, Morality, Justice and the Law in the south, Emancipation of a Race with Unity, Fraternity and Charity in the north, cypress trees signifying eternity behind both

36 States and 48 States

The lower frieze carries the 36 state names and their Roman-numeral admission dates; the attic frieze above lists the 48 states of 1922. Alaska and Hawaii had not yet been states, so they are commemorated on a separate plaque on the front steps

Two Moments That Reshaped America

On Easter Sunday April 9, 1939, Marian Anderson sang Shenandoah here to 75,000 people after the Daughters of the American Revolution barred her from Constitution Hall; on August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech on these steps

🛈 Practical Info

→Time Needed：30-60 minutes; longer if you read both inscriptions and walk the perimeter

→Best Season：March-May and September-November are mild; the Mall's cherry blossoms peak in early April

→Transport：Metro to Foggy Bottom-GWU then a 12-15 minute walk, or from Smithsonian Station about 20 minutes along the Mall

→Accessibility：The regular elevator is closed during 2026 works; a switchback temporary ramp stands beside the main steps

→Opening Hours：Open 24 hours daily; rangers on site roughly 9:30-22:00; closed Dec 25. Restrooms and museum close in the evening

→Transportation：Metro to Foggy Bottom-GWU then a 12-15 minute walk on 23rd St, or from Smithsonian Station about 20 minutes along the Mall; parking on Ohio Drive SW

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Adult	Free

Chamber and exterior are free, no reservation. The undercroft, opened June 25 2026, needs a free timed-entry ticket via Recreation.gov, max 6 per booking with a $1 service fee

💡 Tips

• The construction is mostly underground and often audible from the chamber, but the chamber, steps and statue stay open throughout

• The undercroft broke ground in March 2023 and opened on June 25, 2026, revealing 15,000 square feet of the memorial's foundations. Tickets are scarce: book up to 30 days ahead on Recreation.gov with tickets released daily at 11 a.m., or queue from 8:45 a.m. at the Korean War Veterans Memorial kiosk just south of the memorial

• There are 87 steps from the Reflecting Pool, flanked by two 3.4-metre pink Tennessee marble tripods; the "I Have a Dream" stone at the foot of the steps marks where King stood in 1963

• Late afternoon gives the best backlit exterior, but the chamber itself is dim, so see Lincoln's expression in daylight

• No food or drink inside, and do not climb the columns or the statue; keep voices low, this is a civil rights memorial site

• Pair it with the Reflecting Pool, the World War II, Vietnam and Korean War memorials and Arlington Memorial Bridge - a one-way walk of about 2-3 hours

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Lincoln Memorial?

Open 24 hours daily; rangers on site roughly 9:30-22:00; closed Dec 25. Restrooms and museum close in the evening

How much is the admission for Lincoln Memorial?

Adult: Free; Chamber and exterior are free, no reservation. The undercroft, opened June 25 2026, needs a free timed-entry ticket via Recreation.gov, max 6 per booking with a $1 service fee

Any practical tips for visiting Lincoln Memorial?

The construction is mostly underground and often audible from the chamber, but the chamber, steps and statue stay open throughout The undercroft broke ground in March 2023 and opened on June 25, 2026, revealing 15,000 square feet of the memorial's foundations. Tickets are scarce: book up to 30 days ahead on Recreation.gov with tickets released daily at 11 a.m., or queue from 8:45 a.m. at the Korean War Veterans Memorial kiosk just south of the memorial

How long should I spend at Lincoln Memorial?

A typical visit takes 30-60 minutes including reading the inscriptions.

Hours and ticketing follow the National Park Service site nps.gov/linc as of October 2026. Undercroft access and ticket rules can change, so recheck before visiting.