Lincoln Memorial

About

The Lincoln Memorial stands at the west end of the National Mall, facing the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument. Inside the chamber, the seated marble statue of Abraham Lincoln is surrounded by inscriptions of his speeches. From the top of the steps you look east along the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument.

The chamber and the grounds are free and open to everyone. Below the chamber, the undercroft holds interactive exhibits and multimedia presentations about how the memorial was built and its place in American history and the civil rights movement. The undercroft needs a timed-entry ticket and a security screening similar to an airport, so expect a short wait before you go in.

The memorial is run by the National Park Service as part of National Mall and Memorial Parks. The Mall sites are open around the clock, and early morning or evening is the calmest time to come. A large-print copy of the Gettysburg Address is available from the ranger on site.

Parking nearby is limited. Metered street spaces run along Ohio Drive SW between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials and in lots south of the Jefferson Memorial, and most have a two-hour limit with ticketing and towing enforced. The closest Metro station is Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, about 0.8 miles away. Smithsonian station is about 1.2 miles away, and several bus lines stop near the memorial. The Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are a short walk on either side.

Accessibility

The Lincoln Memorial is wheelchair accessible. An elevator takes visitors to the statue chamber, and the undercroft exhibit space is fully accessible, with tactile features throughout.

Seven accessible street parking spaces are on Daniel Chester French Drive, just south of the memorial, with a two-hour limit. Across the street from those spaces are men's, women's and family restrooms with accessible stalls.

To reach the chamber without the steps, look to the left of the front stairs for the elevator. The undercroft entrance is on the other side of the stairs. The undercroft has its own accessible men's, women's and family restrooms, with baby changing tables in all three and an adult changing table in one of the family restrooms. A drinking fountain with a bottle filler is next to them.

For visitors who are blind or have low vision, an information panel on the south side of the Memorial Circle Plaza has a bronze model you can touch and an audio description. Several hands-on exhibits in the undercroft have braille labels, including models of the memorial and relief maps. The park brochure is available in braille, in an audio-described version and as a screen-reader friendly text file.

The undercroft film has open captions. ASL interpretation is free on request with at least three weeks' notice. Service animals are welcome anywhere visitors can go. Emotional support animals and service animals in training count as pets and are not allowed in the chamber or the undercroft. Call the park at (202) 426-6841 for help planning your visit.

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)
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (Washington)
• Washington Monument (Washington)

Photo credits

• The Lincoln Memorial with its marble columns and wide front steps under a clear blue sky.: Euelbenul, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• The seated marble statue of Abraham Lincoln beneath the carved inscription in the chamber.: Carlos Delgado; sculptor w:Daniel Chester French, Public domain (source)
• View from between the memorial columns toward the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.: Smash the Iron Cage, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)