Washington, DC has a number of the most famous monuments in the world.

Washington, DC has a number of the most famous monuments in the world, from the White House to the Lincoln Memorial and the ever-visible Washington Monument. In fact, there are other famous monuments in Washington, DC than in nearly every other city in the world and they are some of the most picturesque too. A visit to Washington, DC wouldn’t be complete without visiting a handful of them. If you have very little time and have no idea which one’s to visit, attempt to visit some of the one’s the following.

Famous Monuments

National Monuments & Memorials

Explore Washington, DC’s most well-known monuments along the National Mall, a park-like promenade in the heart of the city. Admire the toweringWashington Monumentand get up-close to the massive marble statue of America’s 16th president at the Lincoln Memorial. Neighbouring monuments honour Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and, recently, Martin Luther King, Jr. The pillars and fountains of the World War II Memorial, the lifelike statues of the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the dramatic Vietnam Veterans Memorial offer moving tributes.

Just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, the green rolling hills of Arlington National Cemetery are the final resting spot for more than 330,000 American patriots, including John F. Kennedy. A brief drive away in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial salutes firefighters who died while serving. In Sharpsburg, Antietam National Battlefield commemorates the most violent one day battle in American history.

The Lincoln Memorial

Apart from the Washington Monument (which was closed for repairs after earthquake damage), the Lincoln Memorial is probably the most iconic of our nation’s monuments. Lincoln sits in rippled finery, high in a chair inside a Greek-style temple. If you take time to count the columns, you’ll think of a number equal to the number of states by 1865. The surrounding grounds have as much history: they were the site of Martin Luther King’s

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Its reflection shimmering in the Tidal Basin, the Pantheon-like Jefferson Memorial shows its best side during spring’s cherry blossom season; it’s, after all, practically surrounded by the trees. The gleaming white of the columned rotunda perfectly recalls the classical building style that the president-cum-scholar-cum-architect was known. The steps are a great spot for quiet contemplation.

Time spent wandering in Washington, D.C., is much like paging through an encyclopedia of American history – but much more fun. Many of the best (and free!) Washington, D.C., monuments get up on one picturesque half of the National Mall. You do not need a holiday to pay homage to our nation’s luminaries and historic events. Just about every day – or night, when the monuments look especially dramatic – is a great time to (re)acquaint yourself with this nation’s past.

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial

Interjecting itself in an imaginary continuum of freedom from Lincoln to Jefferson, this memorial is the newest entry in the list of Washington, D.C., monuments, debuting to the public in August 2011. Forget about any controversy surrounding the statue’s size and features. Focus instead on King’s inspiring quotes, etched along the graceful curving Inscription Wall. They’re powerful.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

As stirring because it is simple, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial brings home the consequences and casualties of war in stark manner. Its black marble immediately sets it aside from the white masonry that dominates the remainder of the Mall. And etched in that dark stone are the names – some 60,000 – of those that died or went missing in Vietnam. To this day, it’s hard to believe the memorial was the style of a Yale undergraduate – Maya Lin.

Arlington National Cemetery

Although it isn’t a Washington monument per se, the grave of war veterans and presidents alike is unquestionably a place of national remembrance. Row upon ordered (and seemingly endless) row of identical, stout, white pillars cut across the greenery. Notable monuments within the cemetery include the Confederate Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and those honoring JFK and the Challenger space shuttle astronauts.

World War II Memorial

One of the most significant wars in history was World War II, which brought down the tyranny of Hitler and brought a semblance of peace to some hurting world. This memorial was built in remembrance of the brave soldiers that fought in World War II and kept our country free.

All the monuments in Washington, DC are essential to our nation and as reminders of past deeds. Not one of them should be discounted as unimportant, however these are the monuments that best portray the cost and worth of freedom, and the nation’s pledge since it’s defender. Visit these monuments and you’ll learn the truth about freedom.