Tag Archives: National Mall

District of Columbia

Korean War Veterans Memorial

August 19, 2026 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Korean War Veterans Memorial

District of Columbia

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1995

2.2 acres

Website: nps.gov/kowa

Overview

The Korean War took place from 1950 to 1953 as the first shooting war with Communists during the longer Cold War with China and the Soviet Union. The walls of the memorial were updated in 2022 to list the names of all 36,634 Americans and 7,174 South Koreans who died under U.S. command. The memorial is situated on the National Mall near the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial. Authorized in 1986, groundbreaking occurred six years later, and it was dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the war.

Highlights

The Column statues, Mural Wall, Pool of Remembrance, United Nations Wall, Wall of Remembrance

Must-Do Activity

The main memorial forms a triangle intersecting a circle with black granite walls sandblasted with names and 2,500 archival photographic images from the Korean War. Larger-than-life statues stand over seven feet tall depicting a platoon of 19 soldiers on patrol through rocky terrain. The shorter United Nations Wall lists the 22 member states that contributed troops or provided medical support. The shallow Pool of Remembrance is a 30-foot-wide circle surrounded by inscriptions listing the numbers of casualties and the phrase “Freedom Is Not Free.”

Best Trail

There are paved sidewalks through this memorial and around the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. You will get plenty of steps in if you traverse the length of the National Mall.

Photographic Opportunity

The 19 stainless steel statues designed by Frank Gaylord are known as The Column, composed of 14 U.S. Army soldiers, three Marines, one Navy Corpsman, and one Air Force Forward Air Observer.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

Open 24 hours

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Traffic can be slow and parking expensive in Washington, D.C., so consider taking the Metro to Smithsonian Station on the National Mall or the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter stop on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Camping

There are National Park Service campgrounds in Maryland’s Greenbelt Park and Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park.

Related Sites

World War I Memorial (District of Columbia)

World War II Memorial (District of Columbia)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial (District of Columbia)

Nearest National Park

Shenandoah

Explore More – When the 19 soldier statues are reflected on the granite walls there are 38 soldiers, why is the number 38 significant to the Korean War?

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

November 11, 2025 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

District of Columbia

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1982

2 acres

Website: nps.gov/vive

Overview

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund was incorporated as a nonprofit charity in 1979 to build a monument listing all the names of those killed or missing during the Vietnam War. It was originally the idea of Jan Scruggs, an infantry corporal, and it was important to the veterans that it not make a political statement about the controversial war in Southeast Asia. Selected from 1,421 design entries, Maya Ying Lin intended her memorial to be a quiet, protected place for reflection. The polished black marble she chose to inscribe the half-inch-tall names also reflects the surrounding trees and grass in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall. The $7-million cost of the memorial was entirely funded by corporate and private donations, including those from 275,000 individual Americans.

Highlights

Memorial wall, Three Soldiers sculpture, Vietnam Women’s Memorial, In Memory plaque

Must-Do Activity

Located near the Lincoln Memorial, the walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stretch 246.75 feet in length, inscribed with 58,256 names listed chronologically by date of casualty. People come to make rubbings of their loved one’s name and often leave small items at its base. Added nearby in 1984, a life-size bronze sculpture by Frederick Hart depicts three male soldiers beneath a 60-foot flagpole. The In Memory plaque was added in 2004 to recognize the many men and women who served and later died from causes related to the war.

Best Trail

There is no trail here, but there is always plenty of walking done when visiting the many memorials on the National Mall.

Photographic Opportunity

Dedicated on November 11, 1993, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial is a bronze sculpture by Glenna Goodacre that depicts three women helping a fallen soldier. There were also eight yellowwood trees planted to commemorate the eight servicewomen killed in action in Vietnam.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

Open 24 hours

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Traffic can be slow and parking expensive in Washington, D.C., so consider taking the Metro to the National Mall.

Camping

There are National Park Service campgrounds in Maryland’s Greenbelt Park and Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park.

Related Sites

Korean War Veterans Memorial (District of Columbia)

World War II Memorial (District of Columbia)

World War I Memorial (District of Columbia)

Nearest National Park

Shenandoah

Explore More – When her design was selected in 1981, Maya Ying Lin was a 21-year-old student from Athens, Ohio; where was she attending college at the time?

District of Columbia

World War II Memorial

September 15, 2020 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Overview

The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated in 2004 to remember the 16-million Americans that served in uniform during the war. It is located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. The seven-acre site is managed by the National Park Service (NPS). There is not an NPS visitor center at the site, but there are information kiosks around the area, including two near the Lincoln Memorial.

Highlights

Pavilions, pillars, bas-relief sculptures, fountains

Must-Do Activity

The memorial’s design was chosen in a competition with more than 400 others and was created in 1997 by Austrian-born architect Friedrich St. Florian. It features a large pool and fountains, two pavilions labeled Atlantic and Pacific, 56 pillars for each state and territory, as well as bas-relief sculptures and quotes from historic figures. On the Freedom Wall, each gold star represents one hundred of the 405,399 Americans who died during World War II.

Best Trail

Walk the bridge across the Potomac River to Arlington, Virginia for a view of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial that depicts the American flag being raised over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima during World War II. This is technically part of George Washington Memorial Parkway (another NPS site), and offers a commanding view of the National Mall and is especially photogenic at night.

Instagram-worthy Photo

After dark is a great time for photography on the National Mall, and the World War II Memorial is no exception. You might consider bringing a tripod for clearer photos.