Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

About

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial stretches along the western shore of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. Instead of a single statue or building, it is a walk through four outdoor rooms, one for each of Roosevelt's terms as the 32nd president, who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II.

Walls of red South Dakota granite carry 22 of his quotations. Bronze sculptures fill the rooms, including the Breadline, a rural Appalachian couple, a man listening to a Fireside Chat, FDR seated with his dog Fala, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Waterfalls, fountains and pools run through the rooms. At the entrance, the Prologue room has a statue of Roosevelt in a wheelchair, and the exhibit area near the bookstore displays a real-life version of the wheelchair he used.

The memorial is open 24 hours a day, and rangers rove the Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Roosevelt memorials from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. to answer questions and give talks. Free maps and brochures are inside the bookstore building. Large groups come through every day, and the area near the Prologue and bookstore is the busiest. The quiet spots are along the Tidal Basin side.

Accessible street parking is on West Basin Drive. Other metered parking runs along Ohio Drive SW, in the lots south of the Jefferson Memorial and in East Potomac Park. Street parking is generally limited to two hours, and parking across the District is restricted from midnight to 6 a.m. In spring, the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin bloom right along the memorial.

Accessibility

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is fully wheelchair accessible. That fits the memorial's subject, since Roosevelt used a wheelchair, and a statue of him seated in one greets visitors at the entrance.

Accessible street parking is on West Basin Drive, right next to the memorial. From there it is about 200 yards to the entrance. Bollards set into the sidewalk leave about four feet of space to pass.

The paths through all four rooms are very wide, with firm granite pavers and slopes of 3.1 to 6.8 percent. There are stairs and ramps throughout, and each set of stairs has a paved alternative. In Room Four, a paved ramp of about 4.7 percent leads to a bronze relief, and another ramp of about 4.1 percent leads out. Two exits from Room Four down to the Tidal Basin walkway each have both stairs and an accessible paved path. The one spot you cannot roll to is the alcove with FDR and Fala, which is up two steps. Some fountains have no barriers, so take care near the water, and the stones can be slippery when wet. There is plenty of seating and room to move between exhibits.

Restrooms at the front and back of the memorial each have two accessible stalls, an accessible sink and a child-size changing station.

The bookstore entrance has push-open double doors and room inside for a wheelchair. Its exhibit area has tactile elements, an assistive listening system and the wheelchair replica. Many sculptures and engraved quotes can be touched, and panels hold miniature tactile versions of the main sculptures, including the wheelchair statue. Braille brochures are free, and ASL interpretation is free with three weeks' notice. Service animals are welcome.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Washington, DC

• Smithsonian's National Zoo (Washington)
• National Air and Space Museum (Washington)
• National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington)
• National Museum of Natural History (Washington)
• Washington Monument (Washington)
• Lincoln Memorial (Washington)

Photo credits

• Waterfalls spill over red granite blocks beside a wide, level stone plaza at the FDR Memorial.: Anja Scheble, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
• A visitor walks along a wide paved path beside a granite wall carved with a Roosevelt quote.: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain (source)
• The memorial's granite entrance wall reads Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United States.: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)