Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Lonely Planet review

When locals give guests the requisite DC memorial tour, they save the FDR memorial until after dark. Not only is the combination of light and water more powerful at night, the place is void of crowds. The fabulously landscaped area is composed of four red-granite 'rooms' narrating FDR's presidency through statues and inscriptions, punctuated with cascades and peaceful alcoves.

FDR didn't want a grand memorial. In fact, when asked about a more traditional memorial, he reportedly responded: 'If any memorial is erected to me, I should like it to consist of a block about the size of this desk and placed in front of the Archives Building. I want it plain, without any ornamentation, with the simple carving 'In Memory of.' This request was honored in 1965, when a small, stone slab was placed at the corner of 9th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW. Though overshadowed by the tribute on the Tidal Basin, the first FDR memorial- the one that remembers FDR the way he wanted - still stands at its designated spot.

Planners later felt the stone wasn't grand enough, however, so this second, 7.5-acre memorial opened in 1997.