National Mall

This article is about the park in Washington, D.C.. For the parkway in California, see Capitol Mall. For the shopping malls in Olympia, Washington, and Jefferson City, Missouri, respectively, see Capital Mall and Capital Mall (Missouri).

National Mall
The National Mall with the Lincoln Memorial and its reflecting pool (foreground), the Washington Monument behind it, and the United States Capitol (background) in 2010
LocationBetween Independence and Constitution Avenues from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial
Coordinates38°53′24″N 77°1′25″W / 38.89000°N 77.02361°W / 38.89000; -77.02361
ArchitectPierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant, McMillan Commission
WebsiteNational Mall and Memorial Parks
NRHP reference No.66000031[1] (original)
16000805[2][3] (increase)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Boundary increaseDecember 8, 2016

The National Mall is a landscaped park near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institution, art galleries, cultural institutions, and various memorials, sculptures, and statues. It is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) of the United States Department of the Interior as part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit of the National Park System.[4] The park receives approximately 24 million visitors each year.[5] Designed by Pierre L'Enfant, the "Grand Avenue" or Mall was to be a democratic and egalitarian space—unlike palace gardens, such as those at Versailles in France, that were paid for by the people but reserved for the use of a privileged few.

The core area of the National Mall extends between the United States Capitol grounds to the east and the Washington Monument to the west and is lined to the north and south by several museums and federal office buildings.[6] The term National Mall may also include areas that are also officially part of neighboring West Potomac Park to the south and west and Constitution Gardens to the north, extending to the Lincoln Memorial on the west and Jefferson Memorial to the south.[7]

  1. ^ "National Register of Historic Places: NPS Focus". National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  2. ^ "District of Columbia: National Mall Historic District (Boundary Increase and Additional Documentation), Bounded by 3rd St. NW-SW, Independence Ave. SW, Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW, CSX RR, Potomac R., Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, 16000805, Listed 12/8/2016". National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/28/2016 through 12/2/2016. National Park Service. December 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  3. ^ Robinson, Judith H.; Gasparini, Daria; Kerr, Tim (May 31, 2016). "National Mall Historic District – Boundary Increase/Additional Documentation (Final backcheck)". United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  4. ^ "The National Parks: Index 2012-2016" (PDF). National Park Service. p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  5. ^ "National Mall Frequently Asked Questions". National Park Service. October 28, 2008. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference National Register Nomination Form was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Foundation statement for the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Park" (PDF). National Mall Plan. National Park Service. pp. 6–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017. The National Mall stretches from the grounds of the U.S. Capitol west to the Potomac River, and from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial north to Constitution Avenue.