Lincoln Memorial

Across from the Washington Monument, you will find the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. Dedicated in 1922 this memorial houses the seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln inside a large Greek Temple made out of Yule marble from Colorado.

The exterior features 36 fluted columns representing the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s assassination. Visitors to the memorial will be able to enter the three chambers inside. The main chamber houses the seated marble statue of Abraham Lincoln. The statue was carved out of white marble (from Georgia) by the Piccirilli Brothers and stands 19 feet from the base to the top of the head. Lincoln’s hands rest on two fasces, bundles of rods, which are ancient Roman symbols of power or jurisdiction. In the North and South chambers are the inscriptions of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Above these are murals by Jules Guerin depicting the allegorical principles guiding Lincoln’s life; freedom, unity, justice, charity, and brotherhood.

The Lincoln Memorial is also important because of its symbolic significance in the Civil Rights movement. On the steps of the monument, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous speech in 1963 the words “I have a dream” are carved to commemorate the event. Visitors may stand in this particular spot of history. There is an exhibit below the memorial about Lincoln’s Legacy along with bathrooms and water fountains.