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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Washington, DC · National Mall

About

Dr. King steps forward from a split block of granite here on the northwest rim of the Tidal Basin, carved as if emerging from the rock itself. The line that named the memorial runs along the stone: out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope, drawn from the 1963 speech he gave a short walk away at the Lincoln Memorial. A 450-foot inscription wall gathers fourteen of his quotations on justice, democracy, hope, and love, and the whole memorial sits open and free, with the Washington Monument framed across the cherry trees and the Jefferson Memorial reflected over the water.

Highlights

30-foot Stone of Hope statue of Dr. King by sculptor Lei YixinPass between the two halves of the Mountain of Despair to reach it450-foot inscription wall of 14 King quotationsFree and open daily on the Tidal Basin, near the Lincoln and Jefferson MemorialsWashington Monument framed across the water

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Anchoring the west end of the National Mall, this marble temple frames Daniel Chester French's 19-foot seated Lincoln, who gazes out past the Reflecting Pool toward the Washington Monument. Climb the steps and you stand where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered "I Have a Dream," with the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural carved into the side chambers. It is free and open around the clock, and the view back down the Mall at dusk is the one people remember.

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Washington D.C. Attractions23 places

Washington D.C. Attractions

No city packs more world-class attractions into a walk than Washington, and most of it is free. The Smithsonians line the National Mall like a museum mile, from the moon lander hanging in Air and Space to the Hope Diamond and the Wright Flyer. Between them stand the monuments and memorials: Lincoln gazing down the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument over the Tidal Basin cherry trees, the marble halls of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Bring good shoes and a full day, and you still will not see it all.