The 'National Mall' is an open-area
national park in
downtown Washington, D.C., the
capital of the
United States. However, the term commonly includes the areas that are officially part of
West Potomac Park and
Constitution Gardens to the west, and often is taken to refer to the entire area between the
Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol, with the Washington Monument providing a division slightly west of the center.
Dimensions
★ From the
Capitol steps to the
Lincoln Memorial, the Mall runs 1.9 miles (3.0 km).
★ From the steps to the
Washington Monument, the Mall spans 1.1 miles (1.8 km).
★ From Grant Statue to
Lincoln Memorial, the Mall covers 309.2 acres (1,251,000 m²).
Landmarks
The
National Sylvan Theater, southeast of the Washington Monument, is also part of the Mall, although it is not numbered in the image. As popularly understood, the National Mall also includes the following areas west of the Washington Monument: the
Lincoln Memorial and
Reflecting Pool, the
National World War II Memorial, the
Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, scheduled for completion in 2008, will be located on a 4 acre (16,000 m²) site that borders the
Tidal Basin and within the sightline of the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials.
Other nearby attractions
Other attractions within walking distance of the Mall include the
Library of Congress and the
United States Supreme Court building east of the Capitol; the
White House (on a line directly north of the Jefferson Memorial), the
National Archives, the
Old Post Office, the
National Theatre,
Ford's Theater, and the
Albert Einstein Memorial to the north; the
National Postal Museum, and
Union Station to the northeast; and the
Jefferson Memorial (on a line directly south of the White House), the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the
George Mason Memorial, the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing to the south.
The Mall, in combination with the other attractions in the Washington metropolitan area, makes the nation's capital city one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
History
The idea for the National Mall was originally conceived by
Peter (Pierre) Charles L'Enfant in his plans for the city of Washington, D.C., created in 1791. However, his ideas were not realized until the beginning of the 20th century, with the
McMillan Commission plan, which was also inspired by the
City Beautiful Movement. Among other things, the McMillan plan called for moving the main railroad station from a site on the National Mall to its present location at
Union Station.
The
United States Congress passed the Reserve Act of 2003 to forbid further construction in the core of the National Mall.
Protests and rallies
The Mall's status as a wide, open expanse at the heart of the capital makes it an attractive site for protests and rallies of all types. One notable example is the 1963
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a massive rally for
African-American civil rights, at which
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "
I Have a Dream" speech. The largest officially recorded rally was the
Vietnam War Moratorium Rally on
October 15,
1969. Although larger rallies may have occurred since that time, the
United States Park Police no longer release official estimates of crowd sizes on the Mall. One later rally that is claimed to have been the largest rally on the Mall was the 2004
March for Women's Lives. On
January 27,
2007, tens of thousands of protesters
opposed to the Iraq War,
converged here, drawing comparisons by participants to the Vietnam War protest.
[2][3][4][5]
Recreation
The National Mall has long served as a spot for jogging, picnics, and light recreation for the Washington population. It is also host to several annual events. Every year on
July 4th, the Capitol Fourth celebration takes place at the U.S. Capitol end of the mall, with a
fireworks display. On Monday nights during July and August, the mall hosts the annual
Screen on the Green movie festival. The free classic movies are projected on large portable screens and typically draw crowds of thousands of people.
On
7 July 2007, one leg of
Live Earth was held at the Mall.
Al Gore presented, and such artists as
Garth Brooks and
Trisha Yearwood performed.
Transportation
The National Mall is accessible via
Washington Metro, with the
Smithsonian station located on the south side of the mall, near the Smithsonian Institution Building and between the Washington Monument and Capitol Hill. The
Federal Triangle,
Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter, and
Union Station metro stations are also located near the mall, to the north.
L'Enfant Plaza,
Federal Center Southwest and
Capitol South metro stations are located a few blocks south of the mall.
The
Metrobus and
DC Circulator travel and stop around the National Mall. Parking is also available south of the mall, accessible directly south of the Lincoln Memorial.
See also
★
Constitution Gardens
★
West Potomac Park
References
1. National Register Information System
2. Wide opposition to war energizes protests / WASHINGTON: Jane Fonda among celebrity protesters joining veterans, politicians in calling for end to war
3. Crowds on Both Coasts Protest Iraq War
4. Protest Focuses on Iraq Troop Increase
5. Tens of thousands demand U.S. get out of Iraq
External links
★
NPS Official Site of the National Mall
★
Official Site of the United States Botanic Garden
★
NPS Site for the National Mall Plan
★
Photo Collection of tourist attractions during four seaons around national mall
★ Maps and aerial photos
★
★ Satellite image from
Google Maps
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