The National Mall & Memorial Parks protects some of the older parkland in The National Park System. This premier park preserves some of the country’s most significant moments in history, providing visitors with ample opportunities to commemorate presidential legacies, honor the courage of war veterans, and celebrate the United States commitment to freedom and equality. The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National Mall, which is part of its National Mall and Memorial Parks unit Place for holidays. The term National Mall commonly includes areas that are officially part of West Potomac Park and Constitution Gardens to the west, and often is taken to refer to the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol, with the Washington Monument providing a division slightly west of the center. The National Mall receives approximately 24 million visitors each year.
History of National Mall and Memorial Parks
Approved on July 16, 1790, except for 42 acres transferred later from other agencies. Transferred from Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital on August 10, 1933.
