The Lincoln Memorial at the western end of the National Mall is the most visited monument in Washington and, for many Americans, the most emotionally charged. The 19-foot seated figure of Lincoln gazes east down the reflecting pool toward the Washington Monument and the Capitol. The scale is calculated to impress: the statue would be 28 feet tall if standing, and the Greek Revival temple that houses it towers above everything on the west end of the Mall.
The inscription of the Gettysburg Address is carved on the south wall; the Second Inaugural Address on the north. Both are worth reading slowly — Lincoln's prose at its finest. The memorial is open 24 hours a day and the view at night across the illuminated reflecting pool is one of Washington's best. Go in early morning or late evening to avoid the crowds.