The Monuments & Memorials

NATIONAL MALL. From the 555-foot obelisk dedicated to George Washington to the Jefferson Memorial serenely situated on the Tidal Basin's south shore, monuments and memorials have long made Washington one of the world's most attractive capitals. Today, these and the hallowed Lincoln Memorial share space with sites offering more modern perspectives of sacrifice and honor: the Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans, the National World War II, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. Devote the better part of a day to exploring the area from 17th Street to West Potomac Park, but also plan to visit the monuments and memorials at night, when they are most breathtaking. METRO: Smithsonian