This memorial to Thomas Jefferson, the nation’s third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, was built during the second term of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a great admirer of the statesman. Designed in a Roman style similar to the columned rotunda of the Pantheon in Rome, the entrance to the memorial celebrates the country’s signing of the Declaration of Independence, with a sculpture of Jefferson with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston.
Inside the domed interior is a 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson whose gaze is focused on the White House, visible after Roosevelt had all the trees between the memorial and the mansion cut down to provide him a view.
At night, the storied view of the Washington Monument is one of the most famous in Washington, especially in April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- 24 Hours
- Rangers on duty: 8am to 12am daily
- Admission:
- Free
- Metro Stop:
- Blueline or Orangeline to the Smithsonian Station
- Contact:
- Location: E Basin Dr SW and Ohio Dr SW, Washington DC
- Website: www.nps.gov
