Skip to content
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington, DC

Photo: Rachel Hendrix, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory BuffFree

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a sightseeing stop in Washington, DC, part of the Washington DC guide. Cost: free.

1850 West Basin Dr SW · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

This memorial sits at the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin, on a sightline between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. You enter by passing through the Mountain of Despair, two granite pieces, to reach the Stone of Hope, a 30-foot relief of Dr. King. A crescent-shaped granite wall 450 feet long carries fourteen quotations from his sermons, speeches and writings. Cherry trees on the grounds bloom in early spring.

  • #civil rights
  • #memorial
  • #national mall
  • #tidal basin
  • #monument

What's around here?

The closest stops to Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

    Free

    Walk through four open-air rooms of red granite, cascading water and bronze sculpture that trace FDR's four terms beside the Tidal Basin.

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Korean War Veterans Memorial

    Free

    Walk among 19 stainless steel soldiers on patrol beside a black granite wall etched with the faces of those who served.

    0.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Tidal Basin

    Free

    Walk the path around a 107-acre basin lined with cherry trees, past the Jefferson, FDR and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    World War II Memorial

    Free

    Circle a fountain plaza ringed by 56 granite pillars and two arches honoring Americans who served in World War II.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Powerful

    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

    Free

    A profound, self-guided journey through Holocaust history just off the Mall, free, with timed passes for the Permanent Exhibition.

    0.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    History Buff

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Free

    A powerful journey through African American history and culture, from the slave trade galleries to Motown and beyond.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums