Jefferson Memorial at Dusk
The Jefferson Memorial — Places to Visit in Washington, DC
The Jefferson Memorial is one of the most interesting places to visit in Washington DC. Thomas Jefferson, agitator for the American Revolution and author of the Declaration of Independence was our third president. The Jefferson Memorial sits on the south side of the Tidal Basin. Completed in 1943, the architecture is reminiscent of Jefferson’s own design of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia and the Pantheon in Rome. A 19 foot statue of Jefferson looks towards the White House, and many of his most memorable quotes are engraved into the marble walls.
A visit to the Jefferson Memorial is included as part of our Featured Tours. Book a Featured Tour with Nonpartisan Pedicab.
There is a visitors center downstairs that has a display of the history of the monument as well as interesting facts about Thomas Jefferson. Like all the monuments in Washington DC, the Jefferson Memorial is free. It is open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Jefferson Memorial is illuminated spectacularly at night. Unfortunately, the Jefferson Memorial does not lie very near to a metro station. The nearest metro is Smithsonian Metro about 2/3 of a mile away. You can reach the Jefferson Memorial by walking, by Capitol Bikeshare, by pedicab or by taxi. Not far away is the George Mason Memorial. If you continue walking around the Tidal Basin, you will also come to the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial. The Jefferson Memorial sits on the Tidal Basin. During late March or early April each year, thousands of cherry trees come into bloom. The Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
You can find more information about the Jefferson Memorial directly from the National Park Service at www.nps.gov/thje/index.htm. A lot of information about the Jefferson Memorial and many others are available at the NPS website.