Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial, in Washington

The Lincoln Memorial is an imposing monument dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, on the National Mall. The Washington audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this temple of the national memory, which shelters the colossal statue of the president who abolished slavery.

The temple of the memory of Lincoln

It is in honour of the sixteenth president of the United States that this imposing monument was built. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most venerated figures of American history: president during the Civil War, he preserved the unity of the nation and was the architect of the abolition of slavery, before being assassinated in 1865, becoming a martyr of the cause of freedom. To honour his memory, this grandiose memorial was raised at the western end of the National Mall, conceived as a temple of ancient Greece, surrounded by columns. Inside, in a solemn and contemplative atmosphere, sits a colossal statue of Lincoln seated, the grave gaze turned towards the town, a striking work that imposes respect. On the walls are engraved some of his most famous speeches. The memorial is also a high place of the history of civil rights: it is on its steps that Martin Luther King pronounced his famous speech in 1963. A place of memory and national pilgrimage, it embodies the values of freedom, unity and equality. A temple of memory and a venerated monument, the Lincoln Memorial is discovered with respect.

What to see

You admire, with respect, the imposing monument dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president who preserved the unity of the nation and abolished slavery before being assassinated in 1865; conceived as a Greek temple at the end of the National Mall, it shelters a colossal statue of the seated president and the engravings of his speeches, and it is on its steps that Martin Luther King pronounced his speech in 1963. The Lincoln Memorial is a venerated monument of Washington. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Lincoln Memorial lies at the western end of the National Mall, in Washington, reachable on foot. It is an open-air memorial, freely accessible. It is best to visit it with the respect due to this place of memory; it is particularly moving at nightfall.

To whom is the Lincoln Memorial dedicated in Washington?

To Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, who preserved the unity of the nation during the Civil War and was the architect of the abolition of slavery, before being assassinated in 1865; conceived as a Greek temple, the memorial shelters a colossal statue of the seated president and the engravings of his speeches, and it is on its steps that Martin Luther King pronounced his speech in 1963.

Where is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington?

At the western end of the National Mall, in Washington, in the United States.