Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC: history, how to get there, hours and tickets

The Lincoln Memorial stands at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, DC, near the Potomac River. The NPS gives its address as 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW (the park's mailing address is 1100 Ohio Drive SW). It honors Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, who led the nation through the Civil War. The chamber and the grounds are free and open around the clock; the exhibit in the undercroft below needs a timed ticket. Below: its history, what to see, how to get there and how tickets work, per the National Park Service (NPS). More of the city is on our Washington, DC page.

Lincoln Memorial history, from 1867 to the 1922 dedication

Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. In 1867, the NPS says, Congress created the Lincoln Monument Association and hired sculptor Clark Mills to design a bronze monument with 36 figures. Fundraising began, but the project stalled before construction.

In 1901 Senator James McMillan pushed for a Senate Park Commission to redesign Washington. In 1902 it proposed a riverfront site at the western end of the National Mall. Congress created the Lincoln Memorial Commission in 1911, and President William Howard Taft signed the bill that February.

Work began on February 12, 1914. The site was filled land, so engineers anchored 122 concrete piers in bedrock, with a second layer of piers and arches above them. The foundation was finished in 1915. In 1918 the designers doubled the planned size of the statue and added steel supports under the floor. Crews assembled the statue in late 1919 and early 1920.

The memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922. Taft, by then Chief Justice, officiated; President Warren G. Harding accepted it for the American people; Vice President Calvin Coolidge and Lincoln's son Robert attended. Robert Moton, president of the Tuskegee Institute, gave the keynote to a largely segregated audience. Work on the Reflecting Pool started in 1921 and was finished soon after the dedication.

The memorial later became a stage for civil rights. In 1939 Marian Anderson sang an Easter Sunday concert here for a crowd of 75,000, after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused her Constitution Hall because of her race. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke from these steps at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the "I Have a Dream" speech.

What to see at the Lincoln Memorial

The building. Architect Henry Bacon modeled it on the Parthenon in Athens. It is 190 feet long, 120 feet wide and 99 feet tall. Its 36 Doric columns, one for each state in the Union when Lincoln died, are 44 feet tall and built of 12 drums each. The names of the 48 states at the time of the dedication run along the top; Alaska and Hawaii have a plaque on the plaza.

The statue. Daniel Chester French designed the seated Lincoln, and the Piccirilli brothers carved it. It is 19 feet tall and 19 feet wide, weighs about 175 tons and is made of 28 pieces of white Georgia marble. Standing, this Lincoln would be 28 feet tall. One clenched hand perhaps represents resolve to see the war through, the open one compassion, and the bundle of rods beneath them stands for strength through unity.

Inscriptions and murals. Behind the statue is the line saying Lincoln's memory is enshrined in this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union. The Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863) is on the south wall, the Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1865) on the north. Above them hang Jules Guerin's murals, 60 by 12 feet each: Emancipation to the south, Unity to the north.

The steps and the view. According to the NPS FAQ page (last updated in 2015), there are 58 steps from the chamber to the plaza and 87 to the Reflecting Pool. A stone on the landing below the steps marks where King spoke. Walk around the outside for views of the Potomac and Arlington Cemetery; the Vietnam and Korean War Veterans Memorials and Arlington Memorial Bridge are close by. The National Mall itself has its own page on our site.

The undercroft. A 15,000-square-foot exhibit space opens up the concrete foundations that have been hidden since 1922, with interactive exhibits on the construction and multimedia on the memorial's role in civil rights history.

How to get to the Lincoln Memorial

Parking is scarce, and overstaying on Ohio Drive SW means a ticket or a tow. WMATA says its stations open 10 minutes before the first train. Check bus routes and times on wmata.com.

Hours and tickets

Hours and prices checked November 5, 2026 on nps.gov. These pages do not give an exact evening closing time for the museum and elevators, so call the park at 202-426-6841 before a late visit or a visit on December 25.

Book undercroft tickets on Recreation.gov or at 877-444-6777, up to 30 days ahead. New tickets come out daily at 11 a.m., up to six per reservation; groups of up to 50 book online only. Same-day tickets are handed out from 8:45 a.m. at the Korean War Veterans Memorial kiosk on Daniel Chester French Drive, just south of the memorial, up to six per person aged 16 or older. Everyone two and over needs a ticket.

Accessibility and rules

• An elevator to the chamber is to the left of the front steps; the undercroft is fully accessible.
• Seven accessible street spaces are on Daniel Chester French Drive, with a 2-hour limit. Restrooms are across the street from them.
• Undercroft exhibits carry braille labels and the film has open captions. ASL interpretation is free on request at least three weeks ahead.
• Service animals are welcome. Other animals, emotional support animals included, are not allowed in the chamber or the undercroft.
• No riding bikes or scooters inside the memorial.

The NPS warns that undercroft tickets are in high demand, especially on weekends and at peak times, and that the same-day line forms before the window opens. Booking ahead on Recreation.gov is the safer choice; new tickets come out daily at 11 a.m. For more places nearby, see what to see in Washington, DC.

Questions people ask

Do you need a ticket for the Lincoln Memorial?

No ticket is needed for the chamber with the statue or the grounds, which are free and open 24 hours. Only the undercroft exhibit needs a timed ticket: it is free, with a $1.00 fee per reservation on Recreation.gov. Same-day tickets are handed out from 8:45 a.m. at the Korean War Veterans Memorial kiosk.

Where did Martin Luther King Jr. give the I Have a Dream speech?

King spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The National Park Service marks the spot with a stone on the landing below the steps, and the chamber above looks out over the Reflecting Pool.

What is the closest Metro stop to the Lincoln Memorial?

Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines is closest, about 0.8 miles on foot, per the National Park Service. Smithsonian station on the same lines is about 1.2 miles away. Several bus stops are also near the memorial; the WMATA Trip Planner shows routes.

Can you visit the Lincoln Memorial at night?

Yes. The NPS says the Lincoln Memorial is open 24 hours a day, every day. The National Mall and Memorial Parks hours page lists rangers on duty from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., while restrooms, the museum and the elevators close in the evening. Visitors who need the elevator to the chamber should come during the day or call the park at 202-426-6841.