Lincoln Memorial

The basics

Few travelers to DC leave without seeing the Lincoln Memorial. Fortunately, due to its location on the National Mall, it’s easy to visit while seeing other DC highlights. You don’t need Lincoln Memorial tickets to see this famous site—admission is free—but to get the most out of your visit, consider booking a tour. Whether you’d like an up-close encounter or want to see it from afar, the site can be visited as part of most Washington DC tours, including walking tours, guided tours of the National Mall, a morning monuments tour, a DC night tour, and a bus tour combined with a cruise on the Potomac River.

Things to know before you go

• Free audio guided Lincoln Memorial tours are available by mobile phone or through the National Mall visitor’s app.

• National Park Service rangers are available from 9:30am to 10pm every day to answer questions.

• For many, the best time to visit is after dark, when the recessed lighting illuminates the memorial.

• The Lincoln Memorial is wheelchair accessible. On the southeast corner, ramps lead from street level to the basement, where an elevator goes up to the statue chamber.

• Don’t miss the book shop located on the chamber level in the northeast corner; it’s open from 10am to 6pm, and all proceeds from purchases go toward supporting National Park Service sites.

How to get there

Anchoring the west end of the National Mall, about a 20-minute walk from the Washington Monument, a 30-minute walk from the White House, and a 45-minute walk from the Capitol Building, the Lincoln Memorial is easily accessible by foot or bike from many downtown DC hotels. If you’re arriving by public transportation, the nearest metro stations are Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian. The red line of the Big Bus hop on hop off tours stops right in front of the memorial. And if you really want to arrive in style, consider booking the DC Monuments and Capitol Hill Tour by Electric Cart tour or the popular Washington DC Monuments by Moonlight Tour by Trolley tour.

When to get there

The Lincoln Memorial is free and open to the public 24 hours a day throughout the year. To have the Lincoln Memorial mostly to yourself, visit early in the morning, especially during winter. The best views of the National Mall and the reflecting pool from the memorial can be seen in the spring (especially during cherry blossom season) and the fall, when the surrounding foliage is at its most atmospheric. Visiting at night will allow you to see the monument lit up.

What to look for at the Lincoln Memorial

While the statue of Lincoln is the focal point of the Lincoln Memorial, there are several other features to see during your visit. Above the 36 Corinthian columns are two rows of state names. The lower row lists the 36 states within the US at the time of Lincoln’s death, while the upper row lists the 48 states within the US when the memorial was dedicated in 1922. A bronze plaque on the plaza level recognizes Alaska and Hawaii.

In the center of the last landing, before the statue chamber, is an engraving marking the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Inside the statue chamber, to Lincoln’s right, is the text of the Gettysburg Address and, above it, a painting entitled Emancipation. Also, see if you can spot the typo on the wall by Lincoln’s left hand. The engraver intended to carve an F, but accidentally carved an E. The mistake was corrected, but you can still see evidence of the original error.