Vietnam Veterans Memorial
A V-shaped black granite wall designed by Maya Lin, with the names of more than 58,000 American service members killed or missing carved on its polished surface, understated and striking.
Dedicated in 1982 and designed by Maya Lin, then a 21-year-old Chinese American architecture student. Two black walls, each about 75 meters long, sink into the ground and point toward the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Names are arranged by date of death, and visitors can see their own reflections in the stone. People often make rubbings of relatives' names and leave flowers. Nearby are a bronze statue of three servicemen and a sculpture honoring the women who served in the Vietnam War. It is free and open 24 hours, and visitors are asked to keep quiet.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- National Mall & Lincoln Memorial
- Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
- National World War II Memorial
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms
- Washington Monument
- The White House
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial