Washington DC – Monuments and Presidents

We visited all 26 NPS sites in the greater Washington DC area in one jam packed week this summer with our grandson. 

We have been to DC many times, but seeing it through someone else’s eyes, especially a child’s eyes, brings a fresh experience. Seeing all of the NPS sites in one visit, including many sites that we had not seen before, brought a comprehensive view of the purpose and power of the nation’s capital.

Our grandson was excited to meet the captain and co-captain on our flight.

Keeping up with so many NPS sites can be challenging. An insert in my NPS Passport book lists the NPS sites as of a few years ago (see below). The NPS app provides the most recent information since NPS sites are added every few years.

DC was originally formed as a diamond-shaped area with land from Virginia and Maryland as shown on the map below. It is now a partial diamond due to the 1847 Virginia retrocession. After decades of discontent, Virginia reclaimed the land they had originally ceded to form the district.

Themes

Washington DC’s monuments, memorials, historical sites, gardens, groves, trails, and houses can be grouped in several themes: presidents, wars, the nation’s struggle for freedom, and natural beauty/views.

PRESIDENTS

Nine monuments honor presidents: The White House, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Fords Theatre, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Eisenhower, and LBJ.

On our first day’s twilight monument tour, our guide noted that not every President gets a monument; and that there have been many mediocre Presidents, and even a few bad Presidents. She said only the truly great Presidents have been memorialized with a monument in Washington’s National Mall.  I agree.  

The presidential monuments range from the very tall Washington Monument with awe-inspiring views of DC, to the classical memorials for Jefferson and Lincoln, and the historical dioramas of the Eisenhower and FDR memorials.  

White House and President’s Park

The fencing, closed roads, and enhanced security make the White House seem a bit more remote these days. Next time we visit, my fervent wish is to plan things early enough get a White House visitor’s pass.

Washington Monument

Day or night, the monument towers above the Washington skyline and provides a locational beacon that honors the humility and foresight of our first president.

Like Washington himself, the obelisk stands in no one’s shadow. The 555-foot tall monument was the tallest building in the world upon completion.

Holding the monument.

This was my first time to the top. The views were magnificent and worth the effort to get a timed entry pass.

Mount Vernon

We took a leisurely 15-mile cruise down the Potomac to the mansion and plantation of America’s first President. Although it is not an NPS site and it is a bit off the beaten path, a visit to Mount Vernon is highly recommended, especially if you can do the memorable boat ride down the Potomac.

The property has been in Washington’s family since 1674. By Washington’s time, the estate consisted of 8,000 acres. The site is managed by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association.

The furnishings and decor are appropriate to Washington’s time.

Our grandson was intrigued by the circumstances surrounding Presidential deaths on this trip. For example, Martha locked the bedroom door and never entered it again after Washington’s death. Also, as specified in his will, after Martha’s death Washington was moved from his original tomb to a family vault.

Jefferson Memorial

This neo-classical memorial to our third president anchors the National Mall along with the White House. A 19-foot tall statue of Jefferson, the founding father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence, stands within the circular monument and looks over the Tidal Basin.

Lincoln Memorial

A classic Greek temple houses a 30-foot tall statue of a solemn Lincoln along with quotes from his speeches. The 36 Doric columns represent the 36 states at the time of his death.

Ford’s Theatre NHS

Our grandson highly anticipated the visit to Ford’s Theatre. It did not disappoint.

We watched an excellent play about that fateful night.

The museum had many interesting artifacts.

Lincoln died in the Pederson house across the street.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

The memorial to Teddy Roosevelt celebrates his love for the outdoors and occupies an island near Arlington Cemetery. The 26th president was also a soldier, conservationist, historian, naturalist, explorer and writer.

Once you cross the bridge to the island there are dirt walking and jogging paths. One of the paths leads to the Teddy Roosevelt statue in the woods along with a reflective water feature.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

Our grandson loves history especially after a recent visit to Roosevelt’s Little White House in Warm Spring’s. This DC trip amplified his young inquisitive mind’s love for history, specifically Presidential history.

We spent a lot of time debating the merits of each president. FDR was a favorite of his. He said he was a nice president who helped people out.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

The relatively new Eisenhower memorial depicted several important events in his life.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac

The 36th president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, came to this grove across the river from Washington to escape the pressure and stress of his job. After his death, his wife chose this place for his memorial. 

U. S. Capitol

Pivoting from the executive to the legislative branch….

We kicked off our capital tour by picking up our timed entry tickets from Congressman, Sanford Bishop’s office.

The tour started in Statuary Hall where each state is allotted space to honor two individuals. I was struck by the women represented, including Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Sakakawea.

Our tour ended with a visit to the Senate gallery where we watched a couple of senators read their remarks into the record.

WAR MEMORIALS

Five memorials provide places to honor veterans: World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and Arlington House

World War I Memorial

The WWI Memorial incorporates water into the design, resulting in a peaceful and reflective oasis in the middle of the bustling city.

World War II Memorial

The WW II Memorial recognizes the contributions of each state with a column.  We circumnavigated the 50 columns to find our home state of Georgia.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Korean Veterans Memorial was particularly dramatic at night. The ponchos worn by the platoon of 19 soldiers seem to blow in the cold winds of Korea.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The wall is always dramatic. The multitude of Father’s Day flowers made it even more so.

Arlington Cemetery

Although Arlington is not part of the NPS system, I include it here as an honorable mention. We almost always go to Arlington when we are in DC.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded 24-7. The changing of the guard is a must-see event.

Our tour bus skipped the John F. Kennedy gravesite due to a nearby burial. Our grandson and Joe could not abide this omission, so the next day they returned to the cemetery to visit the eternal flame at Kennedy’s grave.

Arlington House, Robert E. Lee Memorial

Lee’s historic family residence was seized during the Civil War and ultimately repurposed to serve as a national cemetery for veterans and war dead. Lee never returned to the site post war.

The memorial to the complicated and controversial Confederate Civil War General was established for his role in promoting peace and reunion after the War. Arlington House is also a place of research and study of some of the more difficult aspects of American history, including military service, sacrifice, citizenship, duty, loyalty, slavery, and freedom.

The Marine Memorial (Iwo Jima)

Located just outside Arlington Cemetery and based on Rosenthal’s iconic photograph of Iwo Jima, the Marine Memorial honors Marines who died in all wars and those who fought beside them.

STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

Six memorials highlight the nation’s struggle for freedom, particularly for African-Americans and Women. They are Constitution Gardens, MLK, Frederick Douglass, Carter Woodson, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Belmont-Paul.

Constitution Gardens

Tucked away on an island in a small pond near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the National Mall, Constitution Gardens is a peaceful memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Even though Joe and I have been near this spot many times, we were unaware of the 50-acre Constitution Gardens Monument. It became part of the NPS system in 1982.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The design for the memorial’s Stone of Hope is inspired from the line from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

King is the first African American and the fourth non-President to be honored with a memorial in the National Mall area.

Frederick Douglass NHS

The site preserves the home and estate of Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent African Americans of the 19th century. For instance, Douglass met with President Lincoln several times in an effort to advocate for emancipation and for equal pay for of black soldiers in the army. Their complicated relationship was built on mutual respect.

His hilltop home commands sweeping views of D. C.

We took an informative tour of the home, Cedar Hill, where Douglass lived until his death in 1895. His love of books and music is reflected in the home’s furnishings.

Our Grandson was intrigued by the grit and accomplishments of Frederick Douglass, as evidenced by his quick reading of the “Who Was” book about his life.

Carter Woodson Home NHS

Known as the father of black history, Carter Woodson was an author, historian, journalist, and scholar. From his three-story Victorian row house he pursued his research and writing efforts in the area of African American history.

The site was closed due to a full renovation project at the time of our visit.

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS

This site preserves the three-story Victorian townhouse and two-story carriage house of Mary McLeod Bethune, an American educator, civil rights activist, philanthropist, and humanitarian. She founded the National Council of Colored Women and started a private school which later became Bethune-Cookman University

Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality NM

The monument is a historic house and museum of the U.S. women’s suffrage and equal rights movements. It is named for National Woman’s Party leaders Alva Belmont and Alice Paul. 

Our grandson was rather dumbfounded to learn that there was a time when women could not vote and lacked other basic rights. We talked about how women had to protest to gain these basic rights. Protest is a new word for him so we talked about the concept of “good trouble”.

NATURAL BEAUTY/VIEWS

Three NPS sites feature natural beauty/views: Old Post Office Tower, Potomac Heritage NST, and Rock Creek Park.

Pennsylvania Avenue NHS (Old Post Office Tower)

The historic building offers 360 degree views of the city.

Potomac Heritage NST

This 710-mile network of trails traces the natural, historical, and cultural features of portions of three rivers, including the Potomac River. We walked part of the trail along the Tidal Basin.

Rock Creek Park

The Old Stone House (1765) in Georgetown is the last pre-revolutionary colonial building in Washington, D.C. The house is part of Rock Creek Park, a 1,754 acre urban natural area considered an oasis in the city.

MUSEUMS

We visited the Smithsonian Castle and three of the Smithsonian museums. Our grandson loved the NPS sites, but surprisingly he was underwhelmed by these museums so the visits were very quick.

Smithsonian Castle

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

FOOD

Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant gave us delicious food artistically presented. Rarely do we experience such gastronomic perfection. Afterwards we visited the nearby Titanic statue in memory of those who gave their place on the lifeboats to women and children.

Founding Farmers in Foggy Bottom was a fun dinner spot.

A big stack of pancakes was his usual breakfast and he had Maine-inspired whoopie pie at lunch a couple of times.

CONCLUSION

We did it. We checked the box for all of the DC area NPS sites. What an inspiring whirlwind of a journey. Would we do anything different? Nope, it was just about perfect. In fact we are already planning a big trip next summer for another grandchild. They make traveling more fun! We recommend tailoring the trip to the interests of each one to maximize the impact.