National Mall and Memorial Parks
This is where the nation comes to remember and where history is made. As “America’s Front Yard,” the National Mall and Memorial Parks is home to many of our country’s most iconic memorials telling the story of people and events that shaped us as a nation. Each year, millions of people come to recreate, commemorate presidential legacies, honor our veterans, and make their voices heard.
About under an hour from Washington and under an hour from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- InformationWashington Monument closed one day each month for maintenance
BY MONTH 2026 CLOSURE DATES JANUARY8 (THU) FEBRUARY3 (TUE) MARCH4 (WED) APRIL6 (MON) MAY7 (THU) JUNE2 (TUE) JULY8 (WED) AUGUST3 (MON) SEPTEMBER16 (WED) OCTOBER5 (MON) NOVEMBER5 (THU) DECEMBER8 (TUE)
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| National Mall and Memorial Parks Sites | Daily · All Day |
| Washington Monument | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
National Mall and Memorial Parks Sites: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | All Day |
| Dec 25, 2026Rangers and Volunteers Christmas Day Dec. 25 Holiday | Hours not published |
Washington Monument: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day, December 25 | Hours not published |
| Jul 4, 2027Independence Day, July 4 | Hours not published |
Explore
Things to do
- Multi-Park Loop
Park your car and stretch your legs! Visit four different National Parks in Washington, DC and begin logging miles on seven different National Historic or National Scenic trails!
Opens on the Park Service site - Orange Line - DC Metro1-2 Days
Discover lotus and lily flowers at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, or explore the many memorials just a short walk from the Orange Line.
Opens on the Park Service site - Green Line - DC Metro1-2 Days
History, culture and nature come together to provide a variety of parks for visitors utilizing the Green Line. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Opens on the Park Service site - Yellow Line - DC Metro1-2 Days
Explore Washington, DC from top to bottom on the Yellow Line. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Opens on the Park Service site - Golf in DC's National Parks
Visit one of three golf courses at National Parks in Washington, DC
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit National Mall and Memorial Parks1-7 Days
Each year, millions of people visit the National Mall and Memorial Parks to recreate, to commemorate presidential legacies, to honor our nation's veterans, to make their voices heard, and to celebrate our nation's commitment to freedom and equality.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 10Hide
- Walk Around the Tidal Basin1-3 Hours
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Washington Monument are easily visible along the two mile long Tidal Basin Loop Trail.
Opens on the Park Service site - Reflect at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial1-2 Hours
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is located on the National Mall, just north of the Reflecting Pool. The memorial was dedicated in 1993 and portrays two women caring for a fallen soldier.
Opens on the Park Service site - Reflect at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial30-90 Minutes
Visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to take in the Tidal Basin and contemplate quotes from King's lifelong perseverance for freedom and equality.
Opens on the Park Service site - Tour Indigenous D.C.
Our nation's capital is full of American Indian heritage - if you know where to look. Use your mobile device to take a self-guided tour of Washington DC that highlights monuments, museums, historic sites, and artworks relevant to the indigenous…
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Korean War Memorial Tour10/1410:00 AM · freeKorean War Veterans Memorial (meet the ranger inside the memorial)
- The Unfinished America: A 250-Year Journey of Liberty and Economic Freedom10/1509:30 AM · runs through Oct 29 · freeWorld War II Memorial (contact station)
- Tales of Spies: The American Revolution10/1508:00 PM · freeThomas Jefferson Memorial (meet the rangers in the chamber)
- Patton and MacArthur in the Meuse-Argonne10/1601:00 PM · freeWorld War I Memorial (near the Pershing Statue)
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial10/1703:00 PM · runs through Nov 29 · freeMeet at the bookstore in the memorial.
- Korean War Veterans Memorial:: Meet at Korean War Veterans Memorial Kiosk10/1711:00 AM · runs through Nov 29 · freeMeet in front of the Korean War Memorial Kiosk.
Show all 10Hide
- Lincoln Memorial10/1701:00 PM · runs through Nov 29 · freeMeet in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the plaza at the base of the stairs.
- Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial10/1702:00 PM · runs through Nov 29 · freeMeet at the Martin Luther King Memorial.
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial10/1705:00 PM · runs through Nov 29 · freeMeet at the base of the stairs to the chamber where the statue of Jefferson is located.
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Meet at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Kiosk10/1712:00 PM · runs through Nov 29 · freeMeet in front of the Korean War Memorial Kiosk.
News
- National Park Service to Conduct Annual Test Installation of the 17th Street Levee ↗2026-09-16
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the National Park Service will close 17th Street between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW from 5 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. to perform a test installation of the 17th Street…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Fox 83× · Bald Eagle 26× · Peregrine Falcon 11× · Osprey 10× · Barred Owl 9× · Greater Yellowlegs 8× · Belted Kingfisher 7× · Lesser Yellowlegs 5×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 115 birds, 25 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBald Eagle · Black Vulture · Cooper's Hawk · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Snowy Owl · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Black Duck · American Coot · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night Heron · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater Scaup · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsBlack Tern · Common Tern · Forster's Tern · Franklins Gull · Great Black-backed Gull · Herring Gull · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Ring-billed Gull · Spotted Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pigeon · Mourning Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Bay-Breasted Warbler · Belted kingfisher · Black-Throated Blue Warbler · Black-Throated Green Warbler · Black-and-white Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Jay · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-Sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern tufted titmouse · Fish Crow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Catbird · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Sparrow · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Ovenbird · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Warbler · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Yellow-Rumped Warbler · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-throated Vireo
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Brown Rat · Common Muskrat · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · House Mouse · White-Footed Deermouse
PredatorsCommon Gray Fox · Common Otter · Common Raccoon · Coyote · Red Fox · Striped Skunk
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Eastern Red Bat · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Silver-Haired Bat
Also on the checklistCommon Opossum · Domestic Cat · Domestic Dog · Groundhog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Golf in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 16 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Washington, DC has all four seasons. Humidity will make the temps feel hotter in summer and colder in winter. Spring (March - May) Temp: Average high is 65.5 degrees with a low of 46.5 degrees Summer (June - August) Temp: Average high is 86 degrees with a low of 68.5 degrees. Can get into the 100s. Fall (September - November) Temp: Average high is 68 degrees with a low of 51.5 degrees Winter (December - February) Temp: Average high is 45 degrees with a low of 30 degrees (Source: www.usclimatedata.com)
Questions people ask
Does National Mall and Memorial Parks charge an entrance fee?
No. National Mall and Memorial Parks is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is National Mall and Memorial Parks open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at National Mall and Memorial Parks right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Washington Monument closed one day each month for maintenance.
Source: Alerts
Is there cell service at National Mall and Memorial Parks?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was National Mall and Memorial Parks established?
1965.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at National Mall and Memorial Parks?
Washington, DC has all four seasons. Humidity will make the temps feel hotter in summer and colder in winter.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
