The statue of Lincoln is 19 feet tall and weighs 175 tons.
There is a typo in the second inaugural address carving; the word 'future' was misspelled as 'euture' and later corrected.
The memorial was built on reclaimed land that was previously marshy ground near the Potomac River.
Beneath the memorial lies a large, cavernous basement or 'undercroft' featuring graffiti left by the original construction workers.
The reflecting pool located directly in front of the memorial is 2,029 feet long.
The architect, Henry Bacon, designed the monument to be oriented toward the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol.
The Lincoln Memorial is a neoclassical structure modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, featuring a seated sculpture of the 16th U.S. president. It contains 36 massive Doric columns, each representing a state in the Union at the time of Abraham Lincoln's death. The interior features two large stone inscriptions of the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. The structure is built primarily from Colorado-Yule marble and Indiana limestone. The seated figure of Lincoln was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers from 28 blocks of Georgia white marble. The memorial sits at the western terminus of the National Mall, elevated on a raised platform. It is managed by the National Park Service as a unit of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. The memorial has served as a site for significant political demonstrations, including the 1963 March on Washington.
From the center of the Reflecting Pool steps looking back toward the entrance columns.
Visit at night when the interior is illuminated to see the statue without the glare of direct sunlight.
Walk around to the back of the memorial to view the Potomac River and the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Read the engravings on the north and south walls before approaching the central statue.
Attempting to climb on the memorial steps or base of the statue; avoid visiting during peak midday hours in the summer when the unshaded stairs become extremely hot.
Maintain a quiet, respectful volume as it is considered a place of solemn tribute.
