With at least a dozen museums spread along 11 blocks (plus all the other monuments and memorials), there's a lot to see and do at the National Mall. As a hub of so many attractions, it's featured on just about every guided tour of the city.
National Mall tours hone in on the history of America's "front yard," while evening tours on foot, by coach, or Segway allow visitors to see the monuments and museums illuminated after dark. Some tours combine the National Mall with a trip to Arlington National Cemetery.
The National Mall is a must-visit for all first-time visitors to DC.
Bring comfortable walking shoes; it's a 1.9-mile (3-kilometer) walk from one side to the other.
The National Mall and many of its major monuments and memorials are wheelchair accessible.
Don't forget to bring sun protection and plenty of water.
The National Mall is well-connected via public transportation. Ride the Orange, Blue, or Silver Metro lines to the Smithsonian stop, or hop from one attraction to the next aboard the DC Circulator route.
The National Mall itself is open 24 hours a day, though some of the attractions in the area have their own hours. Fall (September to November) and spring (March to May) bring the best weather for enjoying the National Mall’s outdoor spaces.
One of the most prominent features of the National Mall is the 2,028-foot (618-meter) glass reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The pool was built in the 1920s, and today, it uses water from the Tidal Basin that's treated and filtered to up its reflection factor.
