Lincoln Memorial
링컨 기념관
The Lincoln Memorial is a national monument in Washington, D.C., built to honour Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who led the country through the Civil War and worked to end slavery. It stands at the western end of the National Mall, a long park lined with famous monuments, and looks out over the Reflecting Pool.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- United States
- Location
- Washington, D.C., USA
- Built
- 1922
- Height
- 30 m
- Type
- Monument
Quick answers
Where is Lincoln Memorial?
Lincoln Memorial is in Washington, D.C., USA, United States.
When was Lincoln Memorial built?
Lincoln Memorial was built in 1922.
How tall is Lincoln Memorial?
Lincoln Memorial is about 30 m tall.
A Greek Doric temple ringed by 36 columns, sheltering the giant seated statue of Abraham Lincoln.
The building looks like an ancient Greek temple. Its architect, Henry Bacon, was inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. It was dedicated on 30 May 1922 and is about 30 metres tall. Inside sits a huge marble statue of Lincoln, deep in thought. The memorial is open day and night, and more than seven million people visit every year. It has also become an important place for the American civil rights movement.
What's inside
The central hall holds a statue of Lincoln seated in a large chair, designed by the sculptor Daniel Chester French and carved by the six Piccirilli brothers from 28 blocks of white Georgia marble. The pieces fit together so well that the joins are hard to see. It is 5.8 metres (19 feet) tall from head to foot. The walls of the two side rooms are carved with two of Lincoln's most famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address, and above them hang large painted murals.
How it was built
Construction began in 1914 and took about eight years. Bacon used stone from many parts of the country to show the states joined together: granite from Massachusetts for the terrace, marble from Colorado for the outside, pink marble from Tennessee for the floor, limestone from Indiana inside, and marble from Alabama for the ceiling. The ceiling tiles were soaked in paraffin wax so that soft light would glow through them. The building sits on a concrete foundation that reaches 13 to 20 metres down into the ground.
Why it's famous
In 1939 the singer Marian Anderson, who was turned away from a Washington concert hall because she was Black, sang on the memorial's steps to a huge outdoor crowd. On 28 August 1963, about 250,000 people gathered here for the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. The spot where he stood is now engraved in the stone steps.
Fun facts
- The 36 outside columns stand for the 36 states in the Union when Lincoln died in 1865.
- If the statue of Lincoln stood up, it would be about 8.5 metres tall.
- The statue was first planned to be only 3 metres tall but was made much bigger so it would not look tiny in the large hall.
- From 1959 to 2008, the memorial appeared on the back of the U.S. one-cent coin.
- Underneath the memorial is a huge hidden space where stalactites have slowly formed from water dripping through the stone.
On the globe
The model shows a Greek temple-style building ringed by 36 columns, with the giant seated statue of Lincoln inside. Zoom in to count the columns along the sides.
Quiz time
Which is taller: Lincoln Memorial or Washington Monument?
Show the answer
Washington Monument. (30 m vs 169 m) Washington Monument →
Nearby on the globe
Sources
- Read more on Wikipedia
- Lincoln Memorial — Wikipedia
- 링컨 기념관 — 위키백과
- Lincoln Memorial Design and Individuals — Lincoln Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)
Updated: 2026-10-13