The Vaults Under the Lincoln Memorial Are Finally Opening to the Public
By Richard Whiddington
A decade on from the National Park Service (NPS) announcing plans to transform the cavernous space beneath the Lincoln Memorial into a museum, tickets for the newest attraction on the National Mall have gone on sale ahead of its opening on June 25, in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Tickets for large tours of the undercroft on opening day are already sold out.
The underground space at the monument dedicated to the 16th president of the United States is called the undercroft, typically a type of cellar or storage space with a vaulted ceiling. The undercroft features a grid of concrete columns that has been converted into a 15,000-square-foot exhibition space. It details how the memorial was built and the role the site has played in shaping American perceptions of Abraham Lincoln.
Sign up for our daily newsletter.
The undercroft of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
The $69 million project is the product of a public-private partnership that began in 2016 with an $18.5 million gift from businessman and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein to the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official charitable partner of the NPS. It gathered pace in earnest in 2023, when the remaining funds were locked in. NPS has provided $26 million and NPF has provided $43 million through donations from hedge-fund manager and noted art collector Ken Griffin, the John L. Nau III Foundation, the Rick L. and Vicki L. James Foundation, and the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation.
“The opening of the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum is a testament to the power of partnership,” Jeff Reinbold, NPF’s CEO, said in a statement. “We are providing a new way for all people to connect with the enduring legacy of the Lincoln Memorial.”
Floor plan for the planned museum in the undercroft beneath the Lincoln Memorial. Courtesy of the National Park Service.
Beyond the exhibition space, the project has upgraded the Lincoln Memorial’s elevator systems, build new restrooms and an expanded bookstore.
Built from 1914 to 1922, the Lincoln Memorial is a Neoclassical temple-style structure that honors the U.S. president who led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery. It was the final project of Henry Bacon, the Beaux-Arts architect who also designed the memorial’s Reflecting Pool, which is currently mired in a controversial renovation. The monument houses a monumental 19-foot-tall marble statue of the president that was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, the American Renaissance sculptor.
“As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this project highlights the importance of places like the Lincoln Memorial in telling the American story and inspiring future generations,” Doug Burgum, the Secretary of the Interior, said in a statement.
This article was originally published by Artnet News.