The Lincoln Memorial pays tribute to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. More than 3 million people visit the memorial annually. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the monument at the National Mall is open 24 hours a day. The memorial was formally dedicated in 1922. Constructed of marble, the monument of Lincoln sitting is nearly 20 feet high and 20 feet wide. The monument also contains an engraving of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Established in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a tribute to those Americans who served in the Vietnam War. Each year, the memorial draws more than 3 million visitors. The memorial is made up of three distinct parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the most famous section of the tribute. The memorial wall stands more than 240 feet long and is composed of reflective black granite that chronologically lists the names of service members killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War.
Nationals Park is the home of the Washington Nationals, a Major League baseball team that competes in the National League. The stadium, which holds 41,000 fans, opened in 2008 at a cost of more than $600 million. Nationals Park was inspired by the National Gallery of Art designed by I. M. Pei. Visitors can enjoy picturesque views of the nation's capital. At the Exxon Strike Zone, kids can participate in interactive games. Daily tours of the stadium are available four times a day when the Nationals are not playing.
Arlington National Cemetery was established in 1864 and contains more than 300,000 grave sites on more than 600 acres of land. Casualties from all of the country's wars are buried in the cemetery, which is owned by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Arlington also is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which overlooks the nation's capital. President John F. Kennedy is buried at Arlington, and his grave is marked with an eternal flame. A tribute to the fallen astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger is also found at Arlington.
The Smithsonian Institution is made up of 19 museums, nine research centers and a zoo. Museums include the African Art Museum, Air and Space Museum, American History Museum and American Indian Museum. The Institution contains more than 130 million artifacts, displays, works of art and specimens. Visitors can get in free to all museums. Group tours are available daily. The Institution also offers a planetarium, IMAX theaters, restaurants and shops.
