Jefferson Memorial, Washington DC

Impressive presidential memorial dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd President of the United States. Situated on the south side of the Tidal Basin, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial has a truly striking Neoclassical architecture, which is also favored by Thomas Jefferson himself. The most best timing to visit, in my humble opinion, is late afternoon! That's because you will get to also catch the spectacular sunset with magnificent rays of the sunlight shining into Thomas Jefferson Memorial, making it looks so stunningly beautiful!

Many people come to DC and almost nobody misses the Lincoln Memorial, but poor Tom Jefferson, his Memorial, which is truly beautiful and in a lovely location right on the Tidal Basin, is undervisited. I took a sightseeing bus that stopped at Memorials to less important figures, but didn’t even slow down for us to take a photo. I went back on my own, and I was glad that I did. This memorial is serene and majestic, paying homage to both Jefferson’s most famous speeches and writings as well as a tacit tip of the hat to his Monticello home in the architecture of the building itself. It’s a great place to take some photos at sundown or any time, so I would highly recommend you come and visit.

Awe inspiring monument. The man was a national treasure, and this place is a fitting tribute. The statue of him in the center is big and bold. The quotes on interior walls are powerful, and would do us well to remember today. I was humbled. Quite a few other people were there, but much less crowded than the Lincoln monument and other hot spots.

Beautiful memorial, and well worth the walk over to the area. The building itself is beautiful, and the statue inside is great. They also have a gift shop downstairs for visitors. The only issue we had walking over here was that it was difficult to find a working water fountain.

Like many others, Thomas Jefferson is my favorite president. This memorial was the first place I visited in DC. There is a paid-parking lot across a small lake from the memorial. It is a short walk of a few hundred yards to get there. As you get closer you begin to realize just how large and magnificent this memorial really is. The entire building is beautiful in design and construction. Marble steps lead you from the lake up into the memorial, where a magnificent statue of Thomas Jefferson commands your attention. Inside the upper perimeter are some of his more famous quotes. More are placed throughout the statue area. Below and inside there are displays with detailed histories of Jefferson. There is also a small gift shop with some really neat souvenirs and gifts to bring home. There are bathrooms as well, but you may have some trouble finding them. I'm not even going to try to explain where they are, but they are there. This memorial is a great place to start your walk around the Washington Mall. The same sidewalk winds around to several other memorials. The Lincoln memorial isn't far, as well as the Washington Monument. It makes a big loop and you end up back at the paid-parking lot. There are benches scattered throughout the walk so you can take a break if needed. Also there are a couple of food vendors with expensive, but decent, food.