Hidden History

Each year, more than 8 million people climb the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. But now they can experience the monument from a whole new perspective—underground. In June, a new museum opened beneath the famous landmark.

The museum, called the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft, and the memorial both honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president. He led the country during the Civil War (1861-1865) and helped make slavery illegal in the United States. The museum also tells the story of the memorial’s construction from 1914 to 1922 and its role in the civil rights movement.

The exhibits sit between giant columns that hold up the memorial. Artifacts from Lincoln’s presidency are featured, including the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in Southern states. Visitors can also see a copy of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery in 1865.

People can view graffiti and tools left by the workers who built the monument. They can get a close look at the carving of Lincoln’s head that served as a model for the memorial’s statue. Tourists can even sit in a small replica of the statue’s chair.

Seventh-grader Grace Chappell of McLean, Virginia, visited just days after the museum opened. “I really liked getting to walk through and learn all about what Abraham Lincoln has contributed to American history,” she says.

—Charlotte Berlin and Lisa M. Herrington