DC Monuments Walking Tour

Time: 2-3 hours walking

Length: 3.5 miles

Trail Condition: Mostly flat, entirely on pavement or loose gravel

I am proud to call the Nation’s Capital my home for 8 months out of the year. There is so much to see and do in this fantastic city, from the 19 free Smithsonian Museums to the countless markets and parks to the iconic monuments remembering the forefathers of the United States. 

This walking tour provides an excellent historical overview to the many different monuments and memorials of the National Mall. We will travel through history, from the Washington Monument, which commemorates the first president, to the White House, which is the home of the current president, and examine noteworthy events in between.

Start: Smithsonian Metro Station, Blue/Orange/Silver Lines, 12th St and Jefferson Drive SW (National Mall) Exit

As you exit the Metro escalators (which may or may not be functioning), turn left onto the pressed gravel path into the clear. There should be a large open swath of grass stretching off into the distance to both your left and right. Welcome to the National Mall, the heart of DC and the center of history in this city. To the right, off in the distance, you’ll see the Capitol Building, with its distinctive white dome. This building is home to the two houses of the US Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. To the left, you’ll see the world-famous Washington Monument, a marble obelisk commemorating the first President of the United States, George Washington. We’ll talk more about that as we get closer.

Begin walking towards the Washington Monument along the gravel path. If you need a paved path, turn back towards the metro station and walk along the sidewalk towards the Monument. 

Stop 1: Washington Monument

Once you reach the base of the monument, take a seat on one of the benches circling it and look up. You’re looking at the tallest building in the world… from over 100 years ago. From when it was completed in 1884 until 1889, when the Eiffel tower overtook it, no building was taller than this obelisk. However, its 555 feet still make up the tallest structure in DC.

Can you also see the two different sections, divided around 30% up the structure? The lower 150 feet were completed between 1848 and 1854, but then funding ran out and the Civil War happened, so the construction lay unfinished until 1876, the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, when congress decided to finish this thing already and built the remaining part of the monument by 1884. When they finished the monument, the marble used for the upper half was taken from a different quarry, creating a noticeable difference in color. 

Now stand up and walk around the plaza at the base of the Washington Monument. If you booked tickets in advance, you can go up to the top and see a fantastic view of the entire DC skyline. The Washington Monument is at the center of the National Mall and is a good place to orient yourselves to where noteworthy sights are along America’s lawn. Wander to the East side of the plaza, or the side which you came from facing the Capitol Building. All along this side of the Mall are the Smithsonian museums, each presenting a different aspect of US history. Most of these are worth visiting if you have the time and all of them are free, which makes popping in and out of them really easy!

Now walk counterclockwise 90 degrees, stop and look out (you’re facing North now). Off in the distance, behind the trees and a little bit to the left, you’ll see a white building with a rounded front. This is the backside of the White House, the home of the President and the final stop on this tour. In front of the White House is The Ellipse, where the National Christmas Tree is placed and lit each winter. 

Finally, walk another 90 degrees counterclockwise (so you’re facing West) and you’ll see a box-looking building with columns out in front. That’s the Lincoln Memorial, also on this tour later on. In front of that is the long Reflecting Pool and closest to you is the World War II Memorial. That’s our next stop.

Meander down the paved paths (or grass, if its open) towards the World War II Memorial. Cross 17th Street NW and stand on the sidewalk facing the Lincoln Memorial in front of a plaque commemorating soldiers lost in WWII.

Stop 2: World War II Memorial

From the plaque right in front of you (1 on the WWII Memorial map), you should be able to see a nice overview of the monument. The symmetrical memorial has 56 granite pillars, 28 on each side. On both sides, there is an archway in the middle of the curved row of pillars; the one on your left (or to the South) reads “Pacific” and the other (to the North) reads “Atlantic.” 

Head to the path on your left (the Pacific side) and walk down to the fountain in the center plaza. Take notice of the bronze bas-reliefs (2 on the WWII Memorial map) on the wall during your stroll to the center of the center plaza. These depict the story of the war in the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor to Victory over Japan Day. Note the conspicuous omission of the Atom Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For more information of the bas-reliefs, click here.

On the path opposite you, heading down to the Atlantic side of the plaza, there are more bas-reliefs that tell the story of the war in Europe across the Atlantic. Turn right and head towards the Atlantic archway, then stop at the last bas-relief on the Atlantic side. It depicts American and Soviet soldiers shaking hands when the two fronts met in Germany (3 on the WWII Memorial map).

Then head up the ramp and stand under the Atlantic archway. On the ground, there is there is a “victory medal” that commemorates victory during the war (4 on the WWII Memorial map). Surrounding the medal, there are three phrases, “Victory on land,” “Victory at sea,” and “Victory in the air” because those were the three places where the war was fought. 

As you continue down towards the wall with the stars on it, keep an eye out for a couple things. First, see if you can determine what the six other pillars are for because, I said before, there are 56 pillars total, but as you probably know, there are only 50 states in the Union. Second, next to the Pennsylvania pillar (the last one on the Atlantic side as you’re walking towards the wall with stars), see if you can spot the “Kilroy was here” marker (5 on the WWII Memorial map). “Kilroy was here” was a very popular graffiti meme among American GI’s in the 1940’s and, due to its cultural significance, the architects decided to hide a Kilroy on this memorial. 

Now that you’re at the wall with the stars on them (6 on the WWII Memorial map), don’t bother counting them, I’ll tell you right now that there are 4,048 stars, with each one representing 100 American deaths during World War II. After taking a moment to honor those fallen during the war, head up the ramp to the Pacific archway and stand on the balcony-like alcove overlooking the plaza. By now you should have taken a good look at all the pillars and know that the six extra ones represent the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Philippines. Wait the Philippines? Yes, you read that right, the Philippines was a US territory until 1946, the year after the war ended, which is why they have a pillar of their own.

Under the Pacific archway (7 on the WWII Memorial map), there is another “victory medal,”  identical to the one under the Atlantic archway.

Walk out of the World War II Memorial and proceed straight onto the sidewalk. After about 200 feet, you’ll hit the road. Turn right and take the sidewalk that parallels the side of the road. After another 200 feet, you’ll pass a restroom (feel free to go) and the path will diverge from the road (veering to the right). After passing the another restroom, there is a trail to your left that leads to a domed circular rotunda. Follow it because that rotunda is…

Stop 3: The DC War Memorial

This oft-overlooked memorial commemorates the citizens of the District of Columbia who lost their lives during World War I. Even though many more people visit the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial, this one predates all three of those by over 50 years. This memorial was completed in 1931, while the Vietnam War Memorial was completed in 1982, the Korean War Memorial finished in 1995, and the WWII Memorial was only finished in 2004. Today, the DC War Memorial is a popular spot for weddings and photoshoots, so if it looks crowded, feel free to keep your distance. 

Whenever you’re ready, continue on the path past the DC War Memorial until you hit a busy street. Turn right and walk along the path until the stoplight and crosswalk. Cross the street (but hurry! It’s a very short light) and walk into the open area between the stone benches/planters. Take a seat on one of those benches/planters.

Stop 4: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial 

This memorial is one of my favorites and is a great place to come and think for a little bit. From the place you’re sitting now, the memorial does not look like much, but believe me, it opens up into something much grander and more meaningful. But first, some context! Opened on the 48th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech –which was given close by at the Lincoln Memorial btw– in 2011, its official address is 1964 Independence Ave SW, something that is significant because 1964 is the year that the first civil rights act came out. 

Now walk through the two stones and pull over to the side once you get inside. The design of this memorial is based on the line, “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope,” said in the “I Have a Dream” speech. The two rocks you just walked between represent the “mountain of despair,” while the one set apart in front of you is the “stone of hope.” This phrase is also carved on the side of the stone of hope.

Head over to the waterfront now and the giant statue of Martin Luther King reveals itself. Dr. King is looking out across the body of water, signifying his hope for the future, but he is also glancing downward, as if in deep thought about all that has happened before. Dr. King’s facial expressions are intense, yet calming, like someone who knows what they have to do but is slightly afraid, which is what I think what was going through his head as he was leading the civil rights movement in the 1950’s and 60’s. 

This body of water is called the Tidal Basin. Across the way, the white dome is the Jefferson Memorial, which commemorates the Third President and writer of the Declaration of Independence. To the left is the Washington Monument and to the right behind the trees is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, honoring the man who led the US through the Great Depression and World War II. All of these trees along the waterfront are cherry trees, which bloom into bright pink and white colors in late March/early April and is probably the prettiest time to visit DC. 

Back to the MLK Memorial, to the left and right of the mountain of despair are various famous quotes from Dr. King that you can wander through and read if you have the time. 

If you don’t have the time or are ready to move on, go back the way you came through the mountain of despair and cross the street again, back towards the DC War Memorial. Turn left and walk along the sidewalk for about a quarter of a mile. Just before a T-intersection from a parking lot for the Lincoln Memorial, turn right and follow signs for the Korean War Memorial. After turning right, you’ll make the first right onto another path and follow that past the statues and stone wall until you reach a flag pole next to a shallow pool with a triangle inlaid in it.

Stop 5: Korean War Veterans Memorial

This memorial honors the lives lost during the Korean War, fought in the early 1950’s between North Korea (with support from Russia and China) and South Korea (with support from the United States and United Nations). A little history about the Korean War before we delve deeper into this specific memorial. In 1950, the North crossed the armistice line at the 38th parallel and pushed the underprepared South out of 90% of their territory. Then, the South fought back and pushed the North back to the border with China until China staged a surprise offensive and pushed the South back to the 38th parallel. In 1953, another armistice was signed separating the two countries again at the 38th parallel (which is now the DMZ), but no peace agreement was ever signed, meaning North and South Korea are technically at war even today. 

Back to the memorial, the pond in front of you next to the flagpole is the Pool of Remembrance, which lists the number of US and UN troops injured, captured, missing, and killed during the three years of fighting. The wall next to the pool has the powerful inscription “Freedom is not free.”

Walk around the circle close to the pool. Heading counter-clockwise (to the South), you’ll find three Rose of Sharon hibiscus plants, which is the national flower of South Korea, a subtle nod to the country these soldiers died defending. Finish circling the Pool of Remembrance and head to the left, next to the black marble wall. This wall pictures soldiers and equipment from the Korean war. The 19 stainless steel statues represent a full platoon of soldiers in Korea; there are 14 from the US army, three from the Marine Corps, one from the Navy, and one from the Air Force. The juniper bushes interspersed between the statues represent the rugged terrain these soldiers experienced in Korea. 

Now head to the other side of the statues. On your right, there is a low wall with the 22 members of the United Nations who contributed soldiers to the war effort. Before leaving the memorial, be sure to see the reflection of the 19 statues in the black marble wall, making it look like there are 38 soldiers, representing the armistice line on the 38th parallel.

Walk straight out of the memorial along a paved path for about 300 feet. The trail will veer right and eventually open up into a large open plaza, with the Lincoln Memorial (the columned building) to your left and reflecting pool, WWII Memorial, and the Washington Monument to your right. 

Stop 6: Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial

Welcome to probably the most dramatic view of the tour! If the time of day and/or year is correct, you should have an absolutely fantastic view of the Washington Monument reflected in the pool to your right. Take as long as you need to enjoy this iconic view. Before you head off to the Lincoln Memorial, pull out a five dollar bill (if you have one) and look at the back. Take a cool photo and then walk up several flights of stairs to the last landing before the stairs into the memorial proper. 

Look up at the border between the top of the columns and the roof of the monument. There are two rows, the bottom is inscribed with the 36 states in the Union when Lincoln died in 1865, and the top has the 48 states when the memorial was dedicated in 1922. On both rows, the year the state entered the union is written in Roman Numerals. (Try determining what year MDCCLXXXVIII is!) There are also 36 columns surrounding the memorial, one for each state when Lincoln died.

Go up the 2nd-last flight of stairs and stand on the “porch,” if you will, of the memorial. Find the stone on the floor with “I Have a Dream” written on it. Remember back at the MLK Memorial, how you learned that the basis for that memorial was the line, “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope?” Well, that line was said on this very spot on August 28, 1963, during Dr. King’s speech as a part of the March on Washington. How cool is that? You’re literally standing where one of the most famous quotes of the 20th century was originally spoken. Just reflect for a couple seconds on the immense historical significance of this place.

Next, walk into the memorial. The first thing you should notice is the gigantic statue of Lincoln (it’s kinda hard to miss). In total, the sculpture is 60 feet wide by 74 feet deep by 60 feet high. Lincoln himself is 19 feet tall –28 feet standing up if you’re wondering– but he was originally supposed to be 10 feet tall sitting down. 

Take a glance at Lincoln’s hands. Notice anything special about them? Didn’t think so, unless you know American Sign Language… An urban myth is that his hands spell the letters “A-L” in ASL. Now, the sculptor never confirmed whether he intended to do this or not, but it is known that his son was deaf and, as a result, he was fluent in sign language. Lincoln also signed legislation to permit Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf in Washington DC, to start giving out degrees to their students, so it could have been a tribute to that. I’ll let you decide for yourself whether this is simply urban myth or actual fact. 

Head into the chamber on the right, or the North, chamber. On the wall is an inscription of Lincoln’s second inaugural address and above it is a mural titled Unity. It features the angel of truth in the center and her wings are protecting the arts, such as painting, philosophy, music, architecture, chemistry, literature, and sculpture, each of which is represented as a person. The fourth person from the left of the angel is actually the architect of the Lincoln Memorial.

Now go across the way into the other, Southern, chamber. This wall has an inscription of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (“Four score and seven years ago…”) and above it is another mural; this one is called Emancipation. It depicts the angel of truth freeing slaves from their bonds and the personified versions of justice, law, immortality, faith, hope, and charity. 

Step out of the memorial and go down six flights of stairs (three of these only have three steps each) and turn left, heading towards a small white building (it should have US and POW/MIA flags on it). Take the path past this building and follow the signs for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Right after passing this building, you’re going straight through a T-intersection and then the path will start to veer right a little bit down a ramp. You’re going to the left past two other paths and then on your right is a statue of three men, similar in style to the Korean War Memorial. It should be right after a flagpole in the middle of the path. 

Stop 7: Vietnam Veterans Memorial

These three statues in front of you are The Three Servicemen, one of three parts to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Each of these men purposely displays a different race of American, white, black, and Hispanic, representing the many different people who fought in Vietnam. These three statues appear to be looking out over the wall of names just in front of you, as a way to honor and in tribute of their fallen comrades. 

Walk to your left and turn right into the pathway next to the black Memorial Wall. Just before turning into the Memorial Wall, there is a pedestal with the names of people on the wall and the panel they are located on, if you are looking for someone in particular. If not, take your time walking next to the Memorial Wall and see if you can spot any of the eight women memorialized among the 58,320 names written on the wall. Also, notice the symbols next to each name. A diamond means the person has been declared dead, a cross means the person is missing. If a diamond is superimposed over a cross, then a previously missing person has been declared dead. Finally, this hasn’t happened yet, but if a missing person were to be found alive, a circle would be drawn around the cross. 

It’s generally very crowded on this pathway so you’ll want to keep moving, continue reading this after you reach the other side to find out more about what you just saw.

Now that you’ve seen the Memorial Wall, here’s some more information about it. The names written on the wall are people who have died or gone missing from November 1, 1955 (the first troops deployed to Vietnam) to May 15, 1975 (the last official battle of the Vietnam War). The Memorial Wall was very controversial when the design was first announced because people didn’t like the unconventional design and lack of ornamentation. However, the design is no longer criticized and I personally believe it’s a very powerful memorial to the lives lost in Vietnam. 

You probably noticed that there are several wreaths and other sentimental items left beside the memorial. That is common practice among visitors to this memorial and thousands of items are left and collected by the Parks Service each year. 

Turn right now and walk until the end of the path. You should see a bronze statue up to the right, just off the main path. Go to that. This is the third piece of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Women’s Memorial. It honors the women, mainly nurses, who were important to the conflict in Vietnam. 

Coming out of the Women’s Memorial, turn right and walk along the main path past the turnoff for the Memorial Wall. Continue walking on the trail for about 400 feet and you’ll eventually hit a snack shack right next to a lake. Turn left and stick to the trail right next to the lake; you’re heading for the island in the middle of the lake. About halfway to the other side of the lake, there should be a small bridge onto the island. Walk across the bridge onto the island.

Stop 8: Constitution Gardens and Signer’s Island

You just walked through about half of the Constitution Gardens, the small wooded park area of the National Mall. Not many people go through this part of the Mall, so I’ve found it’s a bit quieter and emptier than the rest of the Mall. The island you are standing on right now is Signer’s Island, a memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. The semi-circle of rocks has each of the names, signatures, and hometowns of the signers, organized by state. 

I just like to come here and think if I ever need to because it is always empty and peaceful, just me and the ducks in the lake. 

From here, head back to the main path across the bridge and turn right. At the next fork, turn left, heading away from the lake. At the fork after that, turn left again and then turn right and walk along the sidewalk until the next light, which is 17th Street NW. You’ll know you’ve hit it when there is a grey brick building on your right. Turn left and cross the street at this intersection and walk along 17th Street NW for a half a mile, until you hit Pennsylvania Ave NW. Once there, cross the street to your right and walk into the pedestrian only street beyond the very large amount of police cars and security. About halfway to the next block, to your right will be The White House. It’ll be where everyone on this street, police, protestors, etc., will be congregated. You can’t miss it!

Stop 9: The White House

Now the reason for the tight security is clear. This is probably the most heavily guarded house in the world and for that reason, they only let pedestrians onto this section of the street. The White House, if you didn’t know, is the home and offices of the United States President. The first president housed here was Thomas Jefferson in 1801. The building was burned down by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812 but then was reconstructed almost immediately afterwards and President James Monroe moved back into the White House in 1817. Today, the White House complex has six stories, two basement level and four above ground. The President conducts their business in the West Wing (haven’t you seen the show?) and the East Wing is used by the First Lady. The complex also has Blair House, which is a guest house, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which used to have the State Department but now it’s the Vice President’s office, and the Executive Residence, which is, of course, where the President lives. 

The White House used to be much more accessible to the public. Jefferson hosted an open house during his second inauguration in 1805 and, in one of the most infamous White House stories, Andrew Jackson had a raucous party to celebrate his inauguration with over 20,000 people showing up and Jackson eventually had to leave for a hotel because it got crazy. However, public visitation continued with traditional New Year’s Day and Fourth of July Tours until the 1930’s, when that stopped entirely. Now, tours are still offered but you need to sign up through your congressperson; go to whitehouse.gov for more information about that. 

As you saw, security is very tight around the White House and, as a result, the entire area is restricted airspace. (In fact, all of the National Mall is restricted airspace, although you still probably saw planes taking off over the Potomac River from nearby Reagan National Airport). 

Thank you so much for reading this Red Jacket Travels DC Monuments Walking Tour. I hope you learned something new during our time together! DC is one of my all-time favorite cities and I’m glad I could show you a little bit of my adopted home. Enjoy the rest of your time here!

This walking tour is now over. Read below to find directions back to the DC Metro Blue, Orange, Silver, and Red Lines. 

Walk back in the direction you came from towards 17th Street NW. Turn right when you hit that street (it’ll be the first one with cars) and walk two blocks, when you should find yourself at the corner of I Street NW and 17th Street NW. On your right, you’ll find a sign for Farragut West Station. Head in here for the Blue, Orange, or Silver Line. Continue walking up one more block to K Street NW. Across that street, there is the sign and entrance for Farragut North Station, on the Red Line.