Columbus Memorial

The Columbus Memorial, in Washington

The Columbus Memorial is a great monumental fountain topped with a statue, in front of Union Station. The Washington audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this monument dedicated to the famous navigator, whose voyage of 1492 changed the course of the history of the American continent.

The fountain of the navigator

This fountain, located just in front of Union Station, is topped with a great statue that represents one of the most famous figures of history: Christopher Columbus. This Genoese navigator, in the service of the crown of Spain, reached in 1492 the coasts of the New World, an event that marked the beginning of the meeting between Europe and the American continent and profoundly changed the course of history. The memorial, inaugurated at the beginning of the twentieth century, is a monumental ensemble of marble: the statue of Columbus, standing, the gaze turned towards the horizon, stands at the prow of a stylised ship, framed by allegorical figures that symbolise the Old and the New World, as well as the Discovery. The ensemble is completed by a great basin and water features. Placed in front of the main station of the town, this monument symbolically welcomed the travellers arriving in the capital. Today, the gaze cast on this historical figure has evolved and arouses debates, in the light of the consequences of the colonisation for the indigenous peoples. A historic monument and a monumental fountain, the Columbus Memorial is an interesting stop of the discovery of Washington.

What to see

You admire the great monumental marble fountain in front of Union Station, topped with the statue of Christopher Columbus standing at the prow of a stylised ship, framed by allegorical figures of the Old and the New World, in tribute to the navigator who reached the New World in 1492; the gaze cast on this figure today arouses debates. The Columbus Memorial is a monument of Washington. It is an interesting stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Columbus Memorial lies on the square in front of Union Station, in Washington, reachable on foot and by public transport. It is an open-air monument, freely accessible. You discover it during a walk in the surroundings of the station.

What is the Columbus Memorial in Washington?

A great monumental marble fountain, in front of Union Station, topped with the statue of Christopher Columbus standing at the prow of a stylised ship, framed by allegorical figures of the Old and the New World; it pays tribute to the navigator who reached the New World in 1492, a figure on whom the gaze cast today arouses debates.

Where is the Columbus Memorial in Washington?

On the square in front of Union Station, in Washington, in the United States.