Lincoln Memorial

Lonely Planet review

Here's a local secret: if you're ever stuck in a thunderstorm while wandering around the Mall, make a dash for the Lincoln Memorial. Thunder seems to rumble like clockwork nearly every 4th of July, and everyone in the know takes shelter under the marble dome, crouching near the foot of the enormous chair in which a gigantic Lincoln holds court.

In a stunning location, the memorial is a favorite location spot for Hollywood blockbusters. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn discussed girls on the steps in the Wedding Crashers ; Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods sought Lincoln's advice in Legally Blonde 2; and many a romantic kiss has been shot on the marble steps at sunset.

The monument perfectly balances the long axis of the Mall, and is a counterpoint to the Capitol at the eastern end. The 2000ft Reflecting Pool stretches in front, its shallow, duck-speckled waters reflecting both the Lincoln and Washington memorials. Designed by Henry Bacon to resemble a Doric temple, the memorial's 36 columns represent the 36 states in Lincoln's union. Within, the seated statue of Lincoln, sculpted by Daniel Chester French, is framed by the carved text of the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's Second Inaugural.

Since its completion in 1922 the memorial to the author of the Emancipation Proclamation has also been a symbol of the Civil Rights movement. Dr Robert Moten, president of historically black Tuskegee Institute, was invited to speak at the memorial's dedication, yet officials sat him in a segregated section of the audience, sparking protests by outraged African Americans.

In 1939 black contralto Marian Anderson, barred from the Daughters of the American Revolution's Constitution Hall, sang from the memorial's steps; the historic 1963 March on Washington reached its zenith here when Martin Luther King Jr delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech. An engraving of his famed words now marks the spot where MLK stood.