National Mall

Along the Mall are a number of the nation's most popular museums, including the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum.

The Mall was originally envisioned by French engineer and city planner Pierre Charles l'Enfant as a grand 1,5 mile long boulevard bordered by Parisian style houses. The plan was never realized as such and in the 19th century the open space was a muddy area used for markets and the exhibition of exotic animals. Until the opening of the Union Station, it also contained a railway station and tracks.

In 1902 a plan by the McMillan Commission for 'improvement of the park system in the District of Columbia' designated the mall as a green area surrounded solely by museums and scientific buildings. The green strip was walled on either side by Elms, trees already used on the grounds around the Capitol. Park-like roads were created on either side of the green strip.

The creation of the National Mall resulted in a central axis of museums, monuments and memorials.

Below an overview of the most important attractions found along the Mall, from east to west:

- US Capitol - National Gallery of Art - National Museum of the American Indian - National Air and Space Museum - National Museum of Natural History - Hirshhorn Museum - Smithsonian Castle - National Museum of American History - Washington Monument - World War II Memorial - Vietnam Memorial - Korean War Veterans Memorial - Lincoln Memorial

Near the Tidal Basin:

- Jefferson Memorial - Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial