As I keep exploring Washington DC, the city where I’ll be living in for the next year, a visit to the National Mall was mandatory. Let me show you around the various historic Memorials and monuments in this area!

Whenever I want to go out exploring the city, I use my trusted Washington DC guidebook by Lonely Planet to make the most out of the experience. I hope you’ll find it helpful too!

What is the National Mall?

The National Mall is a landscaped park in Northwest Washington DC featuring free-to-visit national landmarks. You will find majestic monuments and Memorials representing American history. This huge outdoor space of 59 hectares envisioned by Pierre Charles L’Enfant is currently administered by the rangers of the National Park Service. To give you an idea of how vast the National Mall is, the distance between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol is 3 kms!

What can I visit in the National Mall?

Walking from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, these are the main sites I stopped at.

Lincoln Memorial

Walking from my apartment in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, the Lincoln Memorial was the first monument I stumbled upon. Located in an iconic site overlooking the Reflecting Pool, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, sits immortalized in marble as an enduring symbol of unity, strength, and wisdom. 

World War II Memorial

Through stone architecture and bronze sculptures, the World War II Memorial recognizes the ways Americans served, honors those who fell, and recognizes the victory they achieved to restore freedom and end tyranny around the globe. This memorial is a living tribute to History.

Washington Monument

Unfortunately, the Washington Monument was under renovation when I passed by, so I couldn’t go in (but I did in August 2014 and here’s the post). It was such a pity because I would have really loved to admire the views from up there! This obelisk was built to honor George Washington, the United States’ first president. The 555-foot marble monument towers over Washington, D.C and is considered a focal point. Actually, buildings in the city aren’t allowed to be higher than this obelisk!

For further details on the Washington Monument, you can read my dedicated post here.

Plenty of museums

You’ll be happy to hear that there are a lot of free museums in the National Mall: from the National History Museum to the Air and Space Museum, the possibilities are endless! These museums are run by the Smithsonian Institution located in the Smithsonian Castle.

I visited the National Museum of American History to get started. It covers a wide range in the history of this country, from the wars in which the US has participated to the dresses worn by the First Ladies. However, what I liked the most was the fact that Americans stand for their values and are proud of them. Coming from Spain, this is completely different!

The US Capitol

Finally, after a long walk, I arrived to the Capitol, or to its surroundings rather. Since Obama will be addressing the pubic from there on the occasion of his second inauguration on January 21st, preparations are already underway and the area was restricted. All I could see were chairs and stands around the Capitol grounds but hey, you don’t live a historic moment like this every day, right?

More news on my DC adventures coming up soon!

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✈️ Curious to know where I’ll be traveling next? ✈️

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In the meantime, safe travels around the world!

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