The Lincoln Memorial is a historical wonder, a place of inspiration, a beautiful architectural work of art and a remarkable place to visit when in Washington DC; it is said that around 6 million people visit the memorial per year – making it one of the most visited sights in Washington DC.
About the memorial
The monument was built in 1914 to 1922 as a commemoration for the 16th President of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln, who served from 1861 to 1865. It was designed by an American architect called Henry Bacon. You can find plenty of information about the history of the memorial before you reach there – it’s always worth knowing this background history and detail to really appreciate the monument that bit more. The National Park Service (NPS) governs the monument and they also provide a very useful leaflet about it just as they do for all the other places of interest and National Parks that they govern. You should definitely try to get hold of one of these leaflets once you are there; you can find these at the information centres around the monument and are free of charge. A lot of the in-depth history of the memorial I learnt while I was there however.
The Greek influence to this building is apparent by the characteristics such as the large white columns and flat rooftop. There are 36 Doric columns altogether each 44 feet tall and each representative of a state of the Union - however more and more states began to added to the Union after the memorial was completed and expanded to 12 more states. So the names of the total of 48 states have been carved on the exterior of the memorial walls. When in Alaska and Hawaii were eventually admitted as two new states to join the 48 other states in 1959, a memorial plaque was placed within the plaza. However this monument is not just a stunning piece of architecture and a symbol representing the unity. In 1963, one of the most famous speech’s in history was held here: Martin Luther King’s speech famously titled “I have a Dream” took place right there on the steps of the monument where he spoke of racial equality and an end to all discrimination to a massive crowd of around 250,000 people – this became a significant event during the middle of the American Civil War and today continues to hold incredible importance in American History. But most of all, this attraction is a tribute to one of the greatest individual and the president that was most loved by Americans. Americans along with visitors from all over come to this spot to be inspired, to be moved and to celebrate the social unity in which this monument symbolises.
About the statue of Lincoln
In the central hall area within the building you will see the grand marble statue of Abraham Lincoln. It’s a famous image widely known, whether it’s in history books, photos, films and is an impressive statue 19 feet tall when sitting on the chair and its width is the same as its height. It is whilst your standing there in front of the statue that you realise the incredible scale of this statue.
When you initially walk up those many stairs heading towards the statue, the first and focal point of the memorial that appears most prominent is the Abraham Lincoln statue, however at the base of the stairs the statue of Lincoln is hidden.
Location
The Lincoln Memorial is located in National Mall which is a large green park area registered a national park of the city of Washington DC and also governed by the NPS. From the park you can see the United States Capitol building of Capitol Hill as well as the Washington Monument obelisk and the reflecting pool in front of Lincoln memorial. The memorial is located west of the Capitol Building and west of the Smithsonian museums as well as most other points of interest in the city including the White House. However it is a very walkable distance away from the museums and the White House.
Staying in Washington DC
Getting around Washington DC is not really a major problem even though people are always concerned about the crime issues affecting travelling within the city but I’ve been to Washington DC a few times before and have had no such problems; I think as long as you are careful and do not go out of the central areas and wander around the city at night then you should be just fine – just be sensible about where you are going and make sure you don’t go anywhere alone. Also it’s a really good idea when booking your hotel that you go for ones located in the city as opposed to areas on the outskirts of the state of either Maryland or District of Columbia – this makes it easier to get into the touristy places, saving you time and also ensures the hotels are better and safer. There are so many nice hotels you can find within the city but they are mostly the big named renowned ones that I would recommend for DC only because the thing I found with the hotels is that if you want to stay in a good area of Washington DC, as of course no one wants to spend nights in the rough parts of the city, it is always worth adding a bit more towards the cost of the hotel otherwise you will end up with a terrible hotel, in a terrible location and having a really bad experience at the end of your trip. When it comes to DC it may be advisable to just stick to hotels you actually know are good – and always do a bit of research into the more reasonably priced good hotels to ensure your money is not just thrown away.
Getting around DC / How to reach memorial
Since Lincoln Memorial is a government run public place, there are no costs to visit or go into the memorial and neither are there fees to enter National Mall.
Getting to the monument will depend on where you are starting your journey off from, but we spent most of our time in the city sightseeing so we started out at our hotel and took a cab into National Mall were we then enjoyed a really long walk up to the moment. It is can be a bit of a lengthy walk depending on where you start of from and getting from one sight to another in Washington DC mostly always talks longer than you expect – it’s because everything is so large-scale even crossing the road is a task in itself!
If you hope to use the Metro to get to the memorial, there is actually not a station very close by so you might have to walk a bit from station to reach the memorial. Getting around Washington DC by metro is not really as straightforward as New York for example, as you will find in New York a station near most places you want to visit, but once you get into the flow of using the metro it becomes one of the most handiest ways to get around the city – there are a number of stops you could use to get to there, the nearest is Foggy Bottom which is the orange or blue line and is about a mile away; alternatively you could use The Smithsonian stop or the Arlington Cemetery stop both roughly just over a mile away.
At the memorial
Here are a few things you can see and do when you get to the Lincoln Memorial:
* Approaching the memorial: The first thing you expect to see is the actual building, the statue of Lincoln and I don’t really expect to visit the memorial and not see a crowd of people within all areas of it – we were one of them too. So the best thing to do is just try to visit at times when crowds are likely to be slightly less than the usual; for example it’s always best avoiding weekends and holidays and also try to arrive early in the morning when the area is generally a lot calmer. Also this is a historical site and therefore a very important topic of American history lessons, so don’t forget there will be lots of school children on school trips coming to learn about the memorial as well.
* Take a look inside the monument: You are able to enter into the actual building of the memorial, and the first thing people want to observe of course is the statue of Abraham Lincoln himself. Notice the writing above Lincoln’s head – take a picture! Obviously since there, there wasn’t an area of the memorial I didn’t actually get a photo of! The inscription says:
"IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION
THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IS ENSHRINED FOREVER."
You should also look out for two other murals of writing engraved into the stone on the north and south chambers of Lincoln’s second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address.
* Lincoln memorial reflecting pool: This is the large rectangular shaped pool or pond located at the foot of the memorial and is always associated with images of either the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument and these important memorials are subsequently reflected in the pool. The pool is an enormous length of around 2000 feet. It is a stunning scene which really emphases the tranquil quality you are expected to receive when there, especially at night where the views are just phenomenal. The first time I went to the site of these memorials, we went able to see the reflecting pond. But since 2010 and currently the pool has been dug up and all the water removed in order for it to be renovated and restored. And this very last time we visited, it was at its dug-up phase– all that is there is a big open ground, not really complimenting the memorials but we tried not to let that affect our experience too much.
Overall as far as we gathered when there, there is not going to be any noticeable change once its completed – it is just maintenance work to keep it in order, and apparently the work is to be completed in a few months time – Spring 2012! So best to leave the visits until then as the reflecting pool really is stunning.
* Observe the Washington Monument: Take a seat on one of the many steps of the memorial, preferably on one of the higher up steps and look out at the view of Washington Monument – it is just as significant as the Lincoln Memorial. This monument can be identified as the tall obelisk directly in front of the Lincoln memorial when you stand at the bottom of the steps you can see it at the end of the reflecting pool. This tribute to the first president of the United States George Washington stands at the west of the National Mall. It is also made of marble and though it may not be as grand as the Lincoln memorial it is just as spectacular to see and very impressive being the tallest stone obelisk in the world standing at around 555 feet. The structure was fully completed in 1884 though the construction began in 1848. You should still take the time to get pictures of the Washington Monument from the higher steps of the Lincoln Memorial as opposed to the lower as you will have a muddy building site in your photo and once up on the top of the stairs you will have a great view of the obelisk .
* Take time looking out a National Mall: If you return once the reflecting pool is back, you can take in some amazing views of the park from the bottom of the steps on the Lincoln memorial. From the reflecting pool you will notice all the trees along the edges of the pool reflecting the greenery. You will also be able to appreciate the incredibly vast amount of green land that the city actually has and it is pretty incredible. And even if the pool is still open and dug up, if you get to the top of the stairs, even though you won’t see the water reflections you will still be able to take in the some long range views of the park. We really got some amazing wide panoramic photo shots of National Mall from this point.
* Ranger-led tours: Park Ranger tours are available on site to answer questions about anything to do with the Lincoln Memorial or any of the nearby memorials. They even offer tours free of charge, so make the most of these. They revolve around the history of the Lincoln memorial and run for about 20 to 30 minutes. The park rangers are available from 9.30am to 11.30pm so even if you go during night fall you can ensure that there will be some level of security there at the site. In fact, you will also see many security staff in uniform around the memorial and mostly in National Mall, so it is generally pretty safe to be around that area during the night.
* Take a distance view of Arlington cemetery: Remember to walk all the way around the Lincoln Memorial – I know it sound a silly thing to say but it’s so easy to just concentrate on the main front entrance of the memorial building and forget walking all the way around.
When you do walk over near the back of the memorial and towards the west side of it, you will be able to look into the distance and see Arlington Cemetery. In front of your view of Arlington Cemetery, you will see the Potomac River - a large river which roughly forms a border between Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland. Looking out at Arlington Cemetery is really a rewarding experience, one that I would really recommend you view from the Lincoln Memorial as you do get quite an incredible view. The military cemetery is made up of 200 acres of land, though you will not be able to see it all from the memorial so make sure you do get a chance to actually visit Arlington cemetery on a separate trip. To get there from Lincoln Memorial you will need to cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge that goes over the Potomac River and is a ground that is open to the public – maps are also provided as a helpful guide.
* Visit the small museum: There is a museum on the lower level of the Lincoln Memorial – not many people really visit this – there is not much to see. It is more a little collection of items rather than a museum but we did think it was interesting to go have a look since we were there anyway. You will also find a small range of books and a small exhibit here. It is said that the money made to run this little museum is financed with pennies donated by schoolchildren – which is a pretty inspirational way to go.
My experience
Visiting Lincoln Memorial is an experience that I would be happy to repeat many more times to come – there is so much to see and do in Washington DC and visiting these memorials is always on the top of my list. We saw the Memorial at night as well. We were not there too late, from around 8.30pm but were surprised to see so many other tourists there as well just taking in this whole new sight. I have to stress especially during the night experience that the fact the pool is not filled with water does take away a LOT of the impact of lights being reflected and the whole stunning magical feel - but either way the actually Memorial is lit up which looked beautiful in itself.
On the whole, just seeing the statue of Abraham Lincoln is an incredibly breathtaking experience – as you are standing in front of it and looking up at the president, the likeliness of the statue carving is fantastic. Apparently it is said more particularly that Lincoln’s face and hands look very real because they were made based upon some casting which were taken during the days Lincoln were alive – and I think it is certainly evident just by observing this statue that the detail involved in this carving work is something you don’t really get to see very often. Being there, most of all, in the capital of the United States at the Lincoln Memorial really does feel like being in the centre of the United States of America – we just made sure that the busy atmosphere of the site still offered us that peaceful and calm tone that you should really get for being there and I think 45 minutes to an hour is probably a sufficient amount of time to spend at the monument, though you can spend as much time as you like there – your time could even extent into National Mall of course.
Overall
Overall I think it’s brilliant that a site like this is extensively exposed and open for all to visit and most of all I really appreciate that we can actually enter the building to see the scripture and art within it – with security in Washington DC at the highest I think this is an important thing. I would really recommend all to visit the Lincoln Memorial if at least once. The impressive and remarkable historical work, together with the structure that holds a roof above Lincoln’s head definitely honours this prominent and influential figure of importance and I really think this memorial is moving enough to bring me back to visit America time and time again.
A historic experience 
