Overseen by government agencies and private foundations, U.S. national memorials commonly commemorate lives lost due to acts of violence and war. Memorials also may celebrate the accomplishments of and pay tribute to the nation's leaders. Found throughout the country, American national monuments are tourist attractions that draw visitors from across the world.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service oversees the memorial, which honors U.S. service members who fought in Vietnam from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s. The memorial was established on Nov. 13, 1982. Artist Maya Lin designed the memorial, which is a long wall that lists the names of the American men and women who died or were declared missing during the conflict.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is accessible to the public 24 hours per day. Tours are provided of the area every hour during the day and evening. The National Park Service does not charge an admission fee to view the memorial. Parking garages are located within several blocks of the park. The nearest Metro subway stops to the memorial are the Smithsonian, the Federal Triangle and George Washington University.
The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. According to the National Park Service, which operates the memorial, the site receives approximately 1.5 million visitors per year. A white, bridge-like structure floating in Pearl Harbor, the memorial commemorates the Japanese attack on U.S. military facilities that occurred on Dec. 7, 1941, drawing the United States into World War II. A museum of World War II memorabilia and information about Pearl Harbor are located within a visitors' center on shore a short boat ride away. The museum area is also home to a 4,500-seat theater that shows films related to the memorial and the war.
The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial is open daily throughout the year with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years' Day. No admission fee is required to visit the memorial. Free, on-site parking is available.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in Keystone, South Dakota. The National Park Service oversees the park area that houses the monument. The memorial honors four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Each of their faces is carved into the mountain, and the monument draws nearly 3 million visitors per year, according to the National Park Service. President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the memorial on Aug. 10. 1927.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is open daily except for Christmas. Self-guided audio tours of the visitor's center and the grounds. The National Park service does not charge an admission fee, but a parking fee is required. As of November 2010, the cost of the parking fee was $10 per car.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is located on a 3.3-acre site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The location is the previous site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which was destroyed by a truck bomb on April 19, 1995. Overseen by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation, the memorial was dedicated by President Bill Clinton on the fifth-year anniversary of the bombing. The memorial consists of a plaza, a reflective pool, a Survivor's tree and wall dedicated to survivors of the event and a field of empty chairs that represent those who died in the bombing. The on-site museum features exhibits related to the bombing.
The outdoor portion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial is accessible 24 hours per day and is free to tour. The museum is open daily except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. General admission to the museum was $10 as of November 2010. Children, U.S. military service members and children receive admission discounts. The nearest parking is in the pay facility at 5th Street and Robinson Avenue.
