GOING UNDERGROUND
Museum beneath the Lincoln Memorial offers visitors a fresh perspective
Details about the statue of President Abraham Lincoln are displayed June 18 at Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum in Washington.
Signed copies of important documents, like the Thirteenth Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation (shown above) are on display in the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum in Washington.
Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks Kevin Griess sits June 18 on a replica of the Lincoln Memorial seat that can be used as a photo-op in the memorial's undercroft museum.
The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum features 120 large concrete pillars that support the weight of the 38,000-ton memorial above. This space under the memorial is open to the public for the first time in more than 100 years.
The exhibits showcase "how the memorial was built, how it has shaped Americans' understanding of Abraham Lincoln and how its meaning has evolved for generations who have gathered there," according to the Trust for the National Mall.
WASHINGTON LANDMARKS
For the first time in more than 100 years, the space beneath the Lincoln Memorial will open to the public, offering visitors a rare look under one of Washington D.C.'s most iconic landmarks.
The previously unseen undercroft of the Lincoln Memorial opened June 25 for free tours, with a 15,000-square-foot exhibit unveiling the story of Lincoln and how the memorial was built.
"This exhibit reveals the previously hidden foundation of one of America's most iconic memorials and celebrates the story behind its construction," Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on social media.
What's in there?
The exhibit beneath the Lincoln Memorial showcases "how the memorial was built, how it has shaped Americans' understanding of Abraham Lincoln and how its meaning has evolved for generations who have gathered there," according to the Trust for the National Mall.
It features 120 large concrete pillars that support the weight of the 38,000-ton memorial above.
The museum also tells the story of other influential people with ties to the memorial, including Marian Anderson, a Black opera singer who performed a concert in 1939 on the Lincoln Memorial steps after being barred from singing at Constitution Hall.
"You walk up today, you look at the statue, you look at the speeches," Mike Litterst, spokesperson for National Mall operations under the National Park Service, told DC News Now. "But you don't understand the symbolism unless you have a really good guidebook with you or take the time. Now, with the museum, we're going to point those features out."
The National Park Foundation spent $45.5 million on the project, and the Trust said $38.7 million was gifted from private donors.
"You can't really be a great country if you don't really honor your history and understand your history," philanthropist David Rubenstein, one of the primary donors, told CBS News.
How to get tickets
Visitors can go to the museum for free, but timed tickets are required.
You can reserve up to six tickets up to 30 days in advance at Recreation.gov or by calling 877444-6777. Same-day, walk-up tickets also are available. One person may get up to six tickets at a time by visiting the Korean War Veterans Memorial kiosk on Daniel Chester French Drive.
"Tickets are first come, first served. Supplies are limited," the National Parks Service said. "Expect high demand especially on weekends and peak visitation periods. Expect a line to begin forming before the ticket window opens."
