Having visited DC at least three times over the past two and a half years, I had never been to the Jefferson Memorial. If you have not been, it's fun to check out. It's a glorious, open-air white marble monument overlooking the Tidal Basin. We went there for the cherry blossom festival, but there weren't many blossoms when we went. If you do make the trek up the staircase to the main chamber area, there is a 19-foot bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson. But our focus was more on cherry blossoms. Despite that, it is a thrill to experience the architecture, with the Washington Monument being across the Basin. And if you're able to go when the weather is beautiful and pristine, with clear skies, it makes the experience all the better. Depending on where you're staying, try to check out the Jefferson Memorial. It's worth the visit. read more

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I have so many pending drafts for years and I am now in my DC era. I have been to this memorial as well as all of the others, including all of the museums, many times in my life. The time has finally come to share my thoughts with all of you. The grounds on which this memorial sits are accessible 24 hours a day. This makes for a nice evening walk...lots to see. The marble rotunda is kinda big and Jefferson stands right in the middle of it, all 19' of him. His writings are engraved within the walls and that's pretty cool to see. The memorial can be found in West Potomac Park and during the right time of year, the cherry blossoms are in abundance here. read more

The Jefferson Memorial is one of my favorite memorials in DC. It's a little farther from the busiest stretch of the National Mall, but the walk is well worth it. Sitting beside the Tidal Basin, it has a peaceful setting and lovely views across the water. The memorial is beautiful during the day, when you can take in its architecture and surroundings, and it feels just as special when it's lit up in the evening. I'd love to return in the spring and see it framed by cherry blossoms. read more

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The Jefferson Memorial is absolutely beautiful! The architecture, peaceful setting, and views of the Tidal Basin make it such a special place to visit. A wonderful experience for the whole family and a must-see in Washington, DC! read more

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The last memorial our tour group visited, Jefferson sits in an old school, with Roman-like architecture. Also, one of the most crowded memorials, some good views are also offered at the top of the stairs/memorial. While not at the top of the list, this should be on your list of memorials to check out if you're in the DC area. read more

The Jefferson Memorial is a must-stop on your downtown DC itinerary. There is plenty of space on the grounds for a number of activities other than meandering the rotunda including photography, lounging, or taking a break on the marble steps. The memorial is situated along the Tidal Basin, offering a scenic and iconic view of the Washington Monument. In the spring, the Jefferson Memorial is a top destination to experience the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin. It is not too crowded and there is plenty of space to walk around. Like the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial is basically a life-size statue with personal quotes of the nation's forefather inscribed in the marble walls. The value is in the open space and iconic photo ops. There isn't much parking in the area and of all the memorials on the National Mall, the Jefferson Memorial is mostly accessible by foot. After rain, be careful on the stairs and platforms as they are constructed of marble and granite, making for a slippery surface. read more

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This was one of the last of the monuments that we visited on our 'monument day' in D.C. It was crisp, blue-sky, Chamber of Commerce Day, so we took advantage of a full day of monuments. Definitely a monument worthy of a five star rating. read more

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Huge and beautiful architecture of Rome's style rotunda next to the man-made reservoir known as the Tidal Basin. The views are stunning from every angle of the building read more

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Rich in history and reminders that all created equal with inalienable rights. Depending on when you go, could be crowded or just nice. So timing is important. We went mid morning on a cloudy day, so there was just a couple dozen of people. read more

Jefferson Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

On a clear day and also during cherry blossom season, the Jefferson Memorial is a spectator place to take in the skyline of Washington DC. From the monument you can see the White House, Washington Monument, MLK Memorial and so much more! If you have limited time in DC, make time for the Jefferson. If you plan to drive, give yourself 15 or so minutes to walk from the parking lot at 971 Ohio Dr SW, Washington, DC 20024 to the actual memorial. read more

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The Jefferson Memorial building is a white marble, circular, open-air structure featuring a shallow dome supported by a circular colonnade composed of 26 columns. A flight of granite & marble stairs and platforms, lead up from the Tidal Basin. The bronze statue of Jefferson is 19 ft tall atop its pedestal, surrounded by columns, quotes from Jefferson with a coffered ceiling above. Four quotations from Jefferson's writings are carved into the walls of the memorial. An excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, which Jefferson is best known, is located on the southwest wall. The southeast wall features a statement on the evolution of law and the constitution, which was taken from a letter he wrote. The northwest wall is inscribed with a 6 quotations taken from Jefferson's "1786 Notes of Virginia" and "Summary Views," illustrating his beliefs in the evils of slavery and the need to educate the masses. The northeast wall contains a quote from the "Act of Religious Freedom," which was adopted in 1779 and eliminated the state church of Virginia; this quote expresses Jefferson's views on freedom of religion. A fifth quote encircles the memorial's interior. This quote "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man," is taken from a1800 letter. There is an elevator that leads from the monument down to a gift shop, restrooms and exit. Is monument is accessible to the handicap. read more

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Currently undergoing renovations for 2025. Beautiful memorial and so excited to see what happens in taking this to the stage. read more

Jefferson Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Beautiful shrine to capture the contribution and essence of Thomas Jefferson. It has a beautiful outlook to the Train basin. One of few spots that has its own parking, but very hard to get as its always packed. It's free to enter, has a small gift store, not much to do other than admiring the statue m, the art and the location. The of Jefferson's most famous quotes are engraved in the marble walls of the dome. A wonderful tribute to one of the founding fathers of the nation. read more

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The monument is heavily under construction but it's still such a great place to visit! The monument is beautiful and has all of Jefferson great works on the walls in the rotunda. The dome is beautiful and the views of the tidal basin is great as well! This is one of the prettiest spots in all of DC especially during the cherry blossoms festival! read more

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A monument to our third president Although I wasn't really happy at the condition of the memorial, I have to say that I really enjoyed going here, as I had never actually made it here during all of my visits to DC The memorial is very beautiful, and definitely inspired me to research and think about the life of Jefferson, which is always what I expect from such experiences I'm glad I went read more

So beautiful in person! It's being remodeled but it's still open to the public. Be prepared to walk because there are a ton of steps. It's near the water and it's absolutely beautiful! read more

Jefferson Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Its a monument. Is there even a point in reviewing this? We ended up around here during the Cherry blossoms. A lot of our tax dollars go into these monuments in DC, so you might as well go visit them. It's free and something to do. read more

The Jefferson Memorial is yet another must-see landmark to include on your visit to the National Mall and Washington D.C. Jefferson Memorial is a little bit of a walk away from the rest of the landmarks in the National Mall since it is located on the other side of the Tidal Basin. We went on a Saturday morning and I was quite surprised to see that there were only maybe 8-10 other people there. Once you walk inside, in the center area you will be met by a 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson himself. Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, among other timeless Jefferson quotes, adorn the interior panels of the Memorial. It was fantastic being able to take it all in without a ton of people there. The pics really don't do it justice. A couple of fun facts: - One of the original plans for the site was a Memorial site for Teddy Roosevelt - FDR was a great admirer of Jefferson and was a large sponsor and proponent for the building of this landmark. He even laid the cornerstone on November 15, 1939! - The outer structure is directly influenced by the Pantheon in Rome. - In 2007, it was ranked fourth on the "List of America's Favorite Architecture" by the American Institute of Architects I've said it many times before and I will say it again: Any trip to the Washington DC area is incomplete without a visit to this beautiful and majestic landmark! 5 stars. read more

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A beautiful area to explore, it works well with the Roosevelt Memorial if you are up for a walk around the estuary. I love the views of the Washington Monument and the park grounds, especially at night. You will find that the Jefferson Memorial isn't as busy (or rowdy) as Lincolns Memorial, bit there can still be a crowd at peak times (nights and evenings) If you are up for a bit of a wall, there is a foot bridge around the estuary west of the Memorial that is a great spot to make a panoramic photo of the Washington and Jefferson monuments. It's also the way to Roosevelt's memorial. read more

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The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is out of the way from the National Mall which is where we were coming from but we knew that it was a stop we had to make. To get here, we walked south from the National Mall, past the MLK and FDR memorials along the Tidal Basin and crossing the bridge (known as the Ohio Drive Bridge) to get here. It requires a lot of walking so if you're not able you can take the D.C. Circulator bus for a small fee. It's majestic on the outside and beautiful on the inside. When you walk up the steps to get inside, you'll see a huge statue of Thomas Jefferson right in the center. All around the walls you'll see important quotes from him. From the steps of the memorial you can see the beaming National Monument. Unfortunately part of it was under construction when we went but we got to see enough. There's also a bookstore and gift shop at the top which was interesting (but not surprising) for such a historic monument. I've heard a lot of the Jefferson Memorial's popularity during the cherry blossom festival. If you get a chance to stop by during that time I'd take advantage of it! read more

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Sometimes the Jefferson Memorial gets skipped, especially if you're visiting the monuments by foot because it's a little further and out of the way. However, it's beautiful and the dome shaped rotunda style memorial provides for a beautiful view especially of the Washington monument across the water. It's still worth a visit, especially if you can hitch a ride or tour to ease the walk. read more

The Jefferson Memorial is a lovely building and a fitting tribute to Jefferson. It's a short walk from The Washington Monument or The WWII Memorial and as such, it's definitely less visited than some of the other memorials/monuments. The memorial has a neoclassical architecture and the architect took inspiration from Jefferson's designs for UVA/Monticello and The Pantheon in Rome, the latter of which is very easy to see. It's a peaceful area and very nice to visit even outside of the Cherry Blossom festival. There was construction when we came here on Memorial Day Weekend, but it was still a lovely place to visit and I highly recommend that you come here when you're in D.C.! read more

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You can get your dose of exercise by going up the stairs. It's not too bad. After you reach the top, you'll see a statue of Thomas Jefferson. He was the third president of the United States, a Founding Father, and primary author of the Declaration of Independence. If you look around at the walls, you'll see some of his quotes. Admission is free. Definitely less crowded than the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. You'll get some crowds but it's not bad. You also get an amazing view when you look out. read more

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PROS: I have never been here before so I decided to come by. The building is huge and the statue was larger than I thought it would be. It has its own section in the city and it overlooks the water and the Washington monument CONS: it's completely out of the way from everything else which makes the seclusion difficult for people to get to and then leave without driving OVERALL: worth checking out but just be weary on how far it is read more

Much like many of the buildings, monuments, and memorials in DC, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial is one that you instantly recognize, even if you can't think of it's name right away. This memorial is just to the side of the National Mall but not far and you could walk to it or drive. Parking is limited right by the memorial but there is a nice park across the waterway that has parking which is where I stood to take photos as I also had my big camera and the lenses require that you are a good distance from the subject. There is something about being in DC that just makes you feel patriotic and for me, emotional. I am a self-proclaimed history dork so I was in awe of so many things here and taken back by their size as they look smaller on TV. LOL. Even for those non history loving dorks, a trip to our nations capital is a must. read more

Jefferson Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The Jefferson is so inspiring, whether it's up close, reading all of the inscriptions inside, or seeing its dome from afar- it's iconic. The view of the White House from the Jefferson Memorial steps is really great, and the steps are a nice hang by the water. I've never been lucky enough to catch the cherry blossoms, but hope to, one day! read more

Jefferson Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

What a cool historical building! Must visit in Washington DC. Feeling very patriotic, we biked over here to check it out and take some photos. There was no one there on the day we went except for 1 security guy sitting there making sure people don't do anything stupid. The dome is beautifully constructed and the walls were intricately carved with words of wisdom from our founding father. Super cool! read more

Jefferson Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This was my first time visiting the Jefferson Memorial because, tbh, it's far. I mean it's a good long hike from the National Mall (and not a straight line, you have to walk around the Tidal Basin). There doesn't seem to be a lot of stuff going on around it either, just a highway. We were spent after visiting and would have had to walk another 20-30 min just to get back to the Metro. We ended up taking an Uber (which was easy because of the parking lot here) but because it's so far it took 3 cancellations and 30 min to get said Uber. That being said, this place is yet another gorgeous structure in DC. There was a tour happening while we were there and I got to listen to some of the interesting facts. There's a bookshop/souvenir shop that you can info at as well. It was undergoing construction when we went but I'm sure once all the boarding and scaffolding is gone, it's even more gorgeous. The thing that struck me the hardest were the quotes on the wall. Even today, those words are meaningful. It goes to show you how different people can interpret words. Some people use these words for oppression (especially when they can only see Jefferson as an slave owner) but I see them and can only believe that we can make a peaceful society, without rampant hate. Hopefully, these words can make a difference in this country once again. We'll see. read more

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This is a gorgeous location both at night and during the day. It's majestic overlooking the reflecting pond of the WWII memorial and the Washington monument and off in the distance on a clear day you can see the Capital. It is flanked by the Vietnam and Korean memorial and on the opposite side the Potomac river. And it's where I proposed to my wife! read more

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The Jefferson Memorial is currently under renovation and can be deceiving when you first see it. It looks closer than it actually is but is quite a walk. Definitely recommend going at night you get to see a great view of the city and the memorial at night. Strategically placed overlooking The White House, there is also bathrooms available that you can use as well. read more

Jefferson Memorial - Thomas Jefferson - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Such a BEAUTIFUL spot - less crowded than some of the other monuments, which I loved. There view across the water is beautiful, especially around sunset, great architecture as well. I mean if I lived in DC, I would certainly go there often for a stroll, take my book to read or have a picnic. Its also nice for some solid photo ops. Definitely worth checking out if you are in DC. read more

If you are visiting DC, seeing the monuments and memorials are a must. We took the Tidal Basin loop to see this memorial that honors our 3rd President. The walk offers fantastic views, we will have to return when the cherry trees are blooming. Jefferson Memorial is a must visit. read more

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This memorial is under construction and is located a distance from the other major memorials. You have a good view of the Washington Monument, MLK memorial and the Potomac River from here. It was dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in1943. Fun fact: the memorial stands in a straight line with the White House. It consists of a large memorial chamber on 19 acres of land. There is a 19 foot statue of Thomas Jefferson in the chamber and there are inscriptions on the chamber's walls. It somewhat reminds me of the Lincoln memorial. There are restroom int the chamber and there is a little snack shop on the road side of the monument. There is limited parking along the street by the memorial and a lot that is shared by the nearby park that is in walking distance. read more

All the memorials are under construction right now, but you can still visit them. It was amazing to see and be in the place for the first time read more

One of the most iconic memorial in DC with a breath taking backdrop of the tidal basin and Washington Monument along with its well known Cherry Trees adorned the basin! So impressive and majestic Memorials to visit! read more

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Thankfully the Jefferson Memorial is under renovation. For some time, it's been looking rough. I do appreciate the efforts, being done to restore this place of historical significance. Walking around the reflecting pool, is most often quite relaxing. Parking now is unfortunately paid, through an online system. All the parking spots in adjacent Potomac Park, require you to charge a card unfortunately. What really irks me, is there's a sign on the memorial, that reads "no protesting, please be quiet and respectful." Something along those lines. Jefferson wouldn't be pleased, and I view this as undercutting the first amendment. That doesn't seem to honor or, remember Mr Jefferson for some of his better qualities. This is a good place to visit though. You can also walk across the Fourteenth Street Bridge, to get over to this popular tourist spot. read more

Had to come check this out while in our nations capital. It was amazing to see how many landmarks are so close to one another. You definitely get your daily steps in and then some read more

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A great memorial to visit in the DC area. The Jefferson Memorial is a very special monument in Washington D.C. It was built to remember Thomas Jefferson, who was an important leader in America a long time ago. When you visit the monument, you'll see a big dome and a statue of Jefferson inside. You can also read some of the things that he said on the walls inside the monument. It's really beautiful to see, especially in the spring when there are cherry blossoms around. A lot of people like to go to the Jefferson Memorial, but sometimes it can be really crowded, especially when lots of tourists are visiting. It's also hard to find a place to park your car nearby, so it's a good idea to plan ahead. You can take a bus or a taxi to get there instead of driving yourself. The day we went to visit there was construction around a large part of the monument but you could still walk up the steps and into the dome. The steps can be a little slippery and the wind can be strong in the middle but the monument is beautiful. If you go, you'll see other cool places nearby too, like the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall. Overall, the Jefferson Memorial is a really neat place to visit. It's great for people who like history or buildings, and it's also very pretty. You can learn a lot about the past and feel proud to be an American. read more

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Beautiful memorial! There is some construction happening here at the moment.

I like how simple this memorial is. One bad thing is how hard it is to get to from the rest of the memorials. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is one of the best known but doesn't get as much attention as the others. A reason is that it's far away. You have to hike around the river to get there. Compared to other presidential memorials it's not as busy. It gets crowds but these aren't nearly as big as at the Lincoln Memorial, which is okay because it's easier to get inside. The inside is a pretty simple design that has a rotunda feel to it. In the middle is the Jefferson statue, looking well maintained and not worn like many others around. The walls of the inside have quotes. One is the Declaration of Independence. There's another one from an important speech. It shouldn't take you too long to see it. Once you see the inside that's almost all there is. There is a gift shop if you're interested in getting memorabilia and things. read more

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