lincoln memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is located at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, DC. The memorial was dedicated in 1922 in honor of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln served as the US President from 1861 to his assassination in 1865. He led the country through a very difficult time, the American Civil War, and credited with preserving the Union and for ending slavery. Lincoln has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest US presidents in the history.

The Lincoln Memorial itself over the years had become a special place in the US history as its steps had been the venue for many Civil Right Movement events. It was the place where in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

I’ve visited the Lincoln Memorial many times whenever I come to the National Mall, especially when taking out-of-town visitors. It’s a great place to visit both during the day and at night. The Lincoln statue is illuminated at night, and it’s open for visitors 24 hours a day, so sometimes late night is a good time to visit as there wouldn’t be as many visitors. I’ve also been there for an Easter sunrise service — it was quite a sight seeing the sunrise over the National Mall area from the steps of Lincoln Memorial.

The photo below was taken during a day visit to the memorial. The whole Memorial building architecture was quite impressive, but even just looking at the Lincoln statue when thinking about what he had to go through to lead the country through such difficult times, gave me goose bumps.

The National Mall in Washington, DC, is an open-area park right at the heart of city. This area is among the most popular places to visit in Washington, DC, particularly because there are many monuments located here and its proximity to landmarks like the White House, the US Capitol, and the Smithsonian Institute Museums. During the weekends (and summer evenings) this area is also popular among locals who go there to play sports, or simply go for a jog or a walk. On the west end of the National Mall you find the Lincoln Memorial. On the east end you find the US Capitol, and roughly in the middle you find the Washington Monument. It’s about 1.9 miles to go from one end to the other.

I live in the suburb of Washington, DC, so I don’t go to the downtown area on daily basis. But often times I would go there during the weekends especially either to visit one of the museums or if there is a special event (festivals, charity walks). The National Mall is pretty nice (and safe) to visit at night as well. You can see the Washington Monument and some of the memorials lighted up. During special days like Memorial Day or Fourth of July (or presidential inauguration), the whole area could be packed with people coming to attend concerts, fireworks, etc.

The photo below was taken from the steps of Lincoln Memorial. You can see the Reflection Pool, the Washington Monument, and the US Capitol in the distance.