Washington Monuments – Photo supplied
| Start/Finish | Category | Distance | Estimated Walking Time |
| Smithsonian Metro Station / WW2 memorial | History and Architecture, Tourism | 4.3 km | 1 hr 5 min* |
Summary
The Washington monuments walk explores Washington’s National Mall, including all of its main monuments and places of historical significance.
Public transport
Catch the metro to Smithsonian station.
Directions
Starting Point – Smithsonian Metro Station
The Washington monument walk begins outside the Smithsonian metro station, which is located near the 12th St expressway. From here take the path that leads in a westerly direction. Cross over 14th St SW and head towards the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument is an obelisk that commemorates George Washington, one of the founding fathers of the United States. Constructed of granite and faced with marble the structure stands at 554 ft (169 metres) tall and was completed in 1888. To the north of the monument you can view the White House in the distance.
From the Washington Monument continue travelling west and cross 17th St SW. From here walk to the World War II memorial. The memorial consists of 56 pillars, representing U.S. states and territories, and a pair of arches representing the history of the war on both the Atlantic and Pacific front. In the middle of the memorial is an oval plaza and fountain. A memorial wall of gold stars represents US soldiers killed in the war. Walk around the monument in a clockwise direction and then head north and then west around Constitution Gardens Pond.
From Constitution Gardens head to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which honours US military personnel who served in the Vietnam War. The memorial has two adjoining walls with panels inscribed with the names of the men and women being honoured. As of May 2018 there were 58,320 names of US soldiers killed in the war fought between 1954 to 1975.
Lincoln Statue
Image: Lincoln Statue, photo supplied by Jeff Kubina
Just a short walk south of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial is the Lincoln Memorial, which encompasses both the Lincoln Statue and Reflecting Pool. The Lincoln Statue commemorates the life of Abraham Lincoln who served as the 16th President of the United States. Unveiled in 1922, the marble statue stands at 30 ft (9.1m) tall and weighs 170 tons.
The Reflecting Pool is approximately 2,030 feet (620 m) long and 167 feet (51 m) wide and lined by trees on both sides. This location has been site of many historic events in US history including the Martin Luther King ‘I have a Dream Speech’ in 1963 and the anti Vietnam War protests of 1967.
Finish – World War II memorial
From the steps of the Lincoln Statue Memorial walk to the Korean War Memorial, then continue in an easterly direction past Ash Woods. From here it is just a short walk back over to the World War II memorial where the journey ends.
Washington monuments – GPX file
To access to the GPX file for the Washington monuments walk click on the download button below.
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Washington Monuments walk – Map
Start – Smithsonian Station
- Washington Monument
- WW2 Memorial
- Constitution Gardens
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
- Lincoln Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- DC War Memorial
End – Near WW2 Memorial
