The National Mall - Washington DC, USA

About the National Mall

Situated on the banks of the Potomac River, the National Mall is a two-mile swath of land bound by the U.S. Capitol to the east and the Washington Monument to the west. Visitors to "the Mall" will find a wide, pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined boulevard with moving monuments and memorials, world-famous museums and impressive federal buildings along Constitution Avenue.

The National Mall welcomes millions of visitors every year, but it has also played host to many history-making events. This is where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech to hundreds of thousands who marched on Washington. This is where protestors - from those opposing the Vietnam War during the turbulent 1960s to the peaceful protests of the 1980s punctuated by the AIDS quilt, to modern-day marchers rallying for and against everything from reproductive rights to big business- make their voices heard.

Monuments & memorials on the Mall

The National Mall is home to the country’s most famous monuments and memorials. The Lincoln, Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorials all reside here. You’ll also find the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

DC’s monuments and memorials are free and open to the public 24 hours a day. Spread out across just two miles, it’s fairly easy to see them all in a day or two (be sure and include some time to rent a paddle boat at the Tidal Basin, where the Jefferson, FDR and MLK memorials are located). If walking the Mall isn’t in your plan, you can also rent a bike, Segway or see the sights via the hop-on, hop-off bus. Be sure to check out our Tours of DC's Monuments & Memorials for more information.

Museums on the Mall

The National Mall is also home to many of the country’s most popular museums. Smithsonian museums along the National Mall include the National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Castle.

The expansive National Gallery of Art, which features two wings of traditional and contemporary art, is also conveniently located on the Mall. The museum’s sculpture garden hosts free Jazz in the Garden concerts on Friday evenings during the summer and transforms itself into an ice skating rink during the winter.

For more information on navigating all 15 Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, read Visiting the Smithsonian Museums.

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