National memorial is a designation in theUnited States for an officially recognized area thatmemorializes a historic person or event.[1] As of September 2020[update] theNational Park Service (NPS), an agency of theDepartment of the Interior, owns and administers 31 memorials asofficial units and provides assistance for 5 more, known as affiliated areas, that are operated by other organizations.[2] Congress has also designated twenty-two additional independently operated sites as national memorials. Another five memorials have been authorized and are in the planning stage. Memorials need not be located on a site directly related to the subject,[3] and many, such as theLincoln Memorial, do not have the word "national" in their titles. There is a degree of overlap in development of some areas designated as memorials,monuments, andhistoric sites, and their characterization is not always consistent with their names, such as whether the site is closely associated with whom it memorializes.[4]
The earliest and perhaps most recognizable is the uniquely designatedWashington Monument, which was completed in 1884 and transferred to the NPS in 1933. The most recently established is theDwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, dedicated in 2020. ThePearl Harbor National Memorial was created out of theWorld War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in 2019 and was previously just theUSSArizona Memorial. The NPS national memorials are in 15 states and theDistrict of Columbia. Washington, D.C., has the most, twelve, followed byPennsylvania andNew York, each with three. The affiliated areas are in four states (two additional beyond those with NPS memorials) and theNorthern Mariana Islands, while the other sites are in nine states (five additional), the District of Columbia, andMidway Atoll. Creation of new memorials in Washington, D.C. is governed by theCommemorative Works Act, while outside the District there are no systematic regulations.[5]
Among the NPS national memorials and affiliated areas, ten celebrateUS presidents, eleven recognize other historic figures, six commemorate wars, five memorialize disasters, and five represent early exploration. Eleven of the twenty-two non-NPS memorials commemorate wars or veterans, another ten represent groups of people who died for related reasons, and one relates to Native American history. Several major war memorials are located on or near theNational Mall, contributing to thenational identity.[6][7] The historic areas within the National Park System are automatically listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[8]
"National Memorial" is omitted below in the names of sites that include it; others may separate the two words or just use "Memorial", and there is also one international memorial included. Private and other organizations may use the name "national memorial" (such asGeorge Washington Masonic National Memorial andNational Memorial for Peace and Justice) but they are not officially designated by the federal government, and are not listed here, as they are not created pursuant to the statutory scheme.[9]
The National Park Service manages 31 national memorials asofficial units.[10] It also oversees two more national memorials as part of other units, listed with theother national memorials. A few additional units, includingFort McHenry National Monument, include "national memorial" in their enabling legislation,[11] but are not otherwise called that and are thus not listed here.
| Name | Image | Location | Date established[12] | Area[12][13] | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Post |  | Arkansas 34°01′N91°21′W / 34.02°N 91.35°W /34.02; -91.35 (Arkansas Post) | July 6, 1960 | 757.51 acres (3.0655 km2) | Henri de Tonti established the Arkansas Post in 1686 as the first European trading post in the Mississippi River Valley as part ofFrench Louisiana. It grew into a small settlement and was the site of skirmishes with Native Americans before becoming part ofNew Spain in 1763 and the US in 1803 with theLouisiana Purchase. ACivil War battle was won by the Union there in 1863. Visitors can tour a reconstructed fort and archaeological remains of Native American, European, and American settlements.[14] |
| Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial |  | Virginia 38°52′52″N77°04′23″W / 38.881°N 77.073°W /38.881; -77.073 (Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial) | June 25, 1955 | 28.08 acres (0.1136 km2) | This mansion was built byGeorge Washington's adopted grandsonGeorge Washington Parke Custis, partially as a memorial to Washington. After Custis's death it was managed by his son-in-lawRobert E. Lee, who became commander of theConfederate States Army. The US government seized it during theCivil War and establishedArlington National Cemetery around it. The house and grounds have been restored with pre-war decor and artifacts of the Custis and Lee families.[15] |
| Chamizal |  | Texas 31°46′N106°27′W / 31.77°N 106.45°W /31.77; -106.45 (Chamizal) | February 4, 1974 | 54.90 acres (0.2222 km2) | Northward shifts in theRio Grande led to a dispute over theMexico–United States border betweenEl Paso, Texas, andCiudad Juárez. Summits and tribunals beginning in 1909 failed to resolve the controversy until a 1964 settlement transferred land on both sides of a rechanneled river. The museum and park next to theBridge of the Americas checkpoint commemorate the resolution and international diplomacy.[16] |
| Coronado |  | Arizona 31°20′N110°15′W / 31.34°N 110.25°W /31.34; -110.25 (Coronado) | November 5, 1952 | 4,830.22 acres (19.5472 km2) | Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led the first European exploration of theSouthwest, from Arizona to Kansas, finding theGrand Canyon. The site on the Mexican border, where Coronado entered what is now the US, includesa cave and hiking trails through ridges and canyons.[17] |
| De Soto |  | Florida 27°31′N82°38′W / 27.52°N 82.64°W /27.52; -82.64 (De Soto) | March 11, 1948 | 30 acres (0.12 km2) | Hernando de Soto led the first European exploration of theSoutheast, searching for gold while trading and fighting with various Native American tribes before his death along the Mississippi River in 1542. The memorial at the 1539 landing site onTampa Bay has a reconstructed camp, reenactment events, historic artifacts, and waterfront trails.[18] |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′N77°01′W / 38.89°N 77.02°W /38.89; -77.02 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial) | September 17, 2020 | 3.39 acres (0.0137 km2) | Dwight D. Eisenhower was theSupreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II andPresident of the United States in the 1950s. His accomplishments included enforcingschool integration, creatingNASA and theInterstate Highway System, and ending theKorean War. The memorial features stacked blocks showing quotations; sculptures depicting Eisenhower as a boy, general, and president; and a steel tapestry with an abstract depiction ofPointe du Hoc, a site ofD-Day.[19][20] |
| Federal Hall |  | New York 40°42′25″N74°00′36″W / 40.707°N 74.010°W /40.707; -74.010 (Federal Hall) | August 11, 1955 | 0.45 acres (0.0018 km2) | Thisneoclassical building onWall Street, originally the Port of New York Custom House, stands at the site of the first US Capitol building. The originalFederal style building was the site ofGeorge Washington's inauguration, the1st United States Congress, and previously theCongress of the Confederation.[21] |
| Flight 93 |  | Pennsylvania 40°03′18″N78°54′04″W / 40.055°N 78.901°W /40.055; -78.901 (Flight 93) | September 10, 2011 | 2,319.96 acres (9.3885 km2) | The fourth airplane hijacked in theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks,United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania after the passengers fought back against the terrorists, preventing a further attack at the capital. The memorial on the site has a white granite wall engraved with the names of the 40 victims, a 93 ft-tall (28 m) Tower of Voices with 40 wind chimes, and a visitor center.[22] |
| Fort Caroline |  | Florida 30°23′10″N81°29′53″W / 30.386°N 81.498°W /30.386; -81.498 (Fort Caroline) | January 16, 1953 | 138.39 acres (0.5600 km2) | Around 200 FrenchHuguenots founded Fort Caroline (named after KingCharles IX) as a refuge inFrench Florida in 1685. A year later the Spanish foundedSt. Augustine nearby andattacked and massacred the settlers at Fort Caroline to take unified control of the region. The current site within theTimucuan Preserve has a reconstructed fort with hiking trails, a visitor center, and monument to the executed leaderJean Ribault.[23] |
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°52′59″N77°02′35″W / 38.883°N 77.043°W /38.883; -77.043 (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) | May 2, 1997 | 8.14 acres (0.0329 km2) | Franklin D. Roosevelt was the United States' longest-serving president, leading the country during a period of enormous national challenges. Four sections of waterfalls and pools represent Roosevelt's terms in office, when he instituted theNew Deal to modernize the economy during theGreat Depression and unified the country duringWorld War II. Bronze statues of Roosevelt, his wifeEleanor, his dogFala, and scenes of period Americans stand between stone walls engraved with notable quotations.[24] |
| General Grant | .JPG) | New York 40°48′47″N73°57′47″W / 40.813°N 73.963°W /40.813; -73.963 (General Grant) | May 1, 1959 | 0.76 acres (0.0031 km2) | Ulysses S. Grant was general of theUnion Army and led several victories inCivil War battles before forcing surrender of Lee's Confederacy. He served two terms as president of the United States, overseeingReconstruction and civil rights, government reform, and relations with Native Americans. Grant's Tomb in Upper Manhattan is his and his wife's resting place, designed after theMausoleum at Halicarnassus.[25] |
| Hamilton Grange |  | New York 40°49′16″N73°56′49″W / 40.821°N 73.947°W /40.821; -73.947 (Hamilton Grange) | November 19, 1988 | 1.04 acres (0.0042 km2) | Alexander Hamilton was aFounding Father who promoted adoption of theConstitution and served as the firstSecretary of the Treasury to establish the nation's economic and political system. He lived in this mansion inHarlem for the last two years of his life before being killed in a duel, and his widow lived there for 29 more years. It has been relocated in the vicinity twice for preservation and restoration and now hosts tours.[26] |
| Johnstown Flood | .jpg) | Pennsylvania 40°21′00″N78°46′16″W / 40.350°N 78.771°W /40.350; -78.771 (Johnstown Flood) | August 31, 1964 | 177.76 acres (0.7194 km2) | When theSouth Fork Dam catastrophically failed in 1889, the town ofJohnstown, Pennsylvania, was flooded and more than 2,200 people died, makingthe flood now the third-deadliest event in the US. The memorial at the site of the dam remains features a visitor center, short hiking trails, and a historic clubhouse.[27] |
| Korean War Veterans Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′17″N77°02′53″W / 38.888°N 77.048°W /38.888; -77.048 (Korean War Veterans) | July 27, 1995 | 1.56 acres (0.0063 km2) | The US ledUnited Nations forces in theKorean War from 1950 to 1953 defendingSouth Korea againstNorth Korea as part of theCold War. Of the over 300,000 US servicemembers, more than 36,000 died in the war that ended in a stalemate. The memorial includes a black granite wall etched with images of soldiers, 19 statues of a platoon on patrol, and the Pool of Remembrance that reflects the surrounding linden trees.[28] |
| Lincoln Boyhood |  | Indiana 38°06′47″N86°59′46″W / 38.113°N 86.996°W /38.113; -86.996 (Lincoln Boyhood) | February 19, 1962 | 199.65 acres (0.8080 km2) | Abraham Lincoln moved with his family from Kentucky to forested Southern Indiana in 1816 and lived there from age 7 to 21. He worked on his family's farm and taught himself with little formal schooling during these formative years. His mother died and is buried here. A living museum reenacts a period farm at a reconstructed homestead near the original home's foundation and a sculpted limestone memorial building.[29] |
| Lincoln Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′20″N77°03′00″W / 38.889°N 77.050°W /38.889; -77.050 (Lincoln Memorial) | May 30, 1922 | 7.29 acres (0.0295 km2) | Abraham Lincoln led the Union during theCivil War, bringing back together a divided nation and abolishing slavery before being assassinated shortly after the end of the war. A 30 ft-tall (9.1 m) statue of a seated Lincoln sits in this grand temple overlooking the National Mall toward theCapitol. Inside walls are inscribed with the text of his second inaugural address and theGettysburg Address. Thirty-sixDoric columns that represent the states of the Union in 1865 support anentablature whosefrieze is inscribed with the names of the 48 states at the time of construction in 1922.[30] |
| Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac |  | District of Columbia 38°52′37″N77°03′00″W / 38.877°N 77.050°W /38.877; -77.050 (Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac) | September 27, 1974 | 17.00 acres (0.0688 km2) | Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency saw passage ofGreat Society legislation that expanded health care access throughMedicare andMedicaid, established civil and voting rights prohibiting racial discrimination, addressed poverty and rural development, and promoted conservation and environmental protection. The grove of pine and dogwood trees surrounded by flowers sits onan island in the Potomac with trails, meadows, and a commemorative granite monolith.[31] |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial | .jpg) | District of Columbia 38°53′10″N77°02′38″W / 38.886°N 77.044°W /38.886; -77.044 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial) | August 28, 2011 | 2.74 acres (0.0111 km2) | Martin Luther King Jr. was the most significant leader of theCivil rights movement, organizingboycotts against segregated buses,solidarity marches for civil rights, and theMarch on Washington against inequality. He won theNobel Peace Prize for nonviolent resistance but was assassinated in 1968. Notable quotations, including from his "I Have a Dream" speech and sermons, are etched on granite walls and a 30 ft (9.1 m) sculpture of King.[32] |
| Mount Rushmore | -3_new.jpg) | South Dakota 43°52′44″N103°27′32″W / 43.879°N 103.459°W /43.879; -103.459 (Mount Rushmore) | July 1, 1939 | 1,278.45 acres (5.1737 km2) | Gutzon Borglum led the sculpting of PresidentsGeorge Washington,Thomas Jefferson,Theodore Roosevelt, andAbraham Lincoln into a mountain in theBlack Hills. Limited funding resulted in carving only 60 ft (18 m) heads without their torsos.Mountain goats,mule deer, andyellow-bellied marmots are among the wildlife living in the hills near the visitor center and walking path.[33] |
| Pearl Harbor |  | Hawaii 21°22′N157°57′W / 21.36°N 157.95°W /21.36; -157.95 (Pearl Harbor) | March 12, 2019 | 21.30 acres (0.0862 km2) | Theattack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, led to the entry of the United States into World War II. Japanese bombers in a surprise attack damaged 21 ships, killing 2,403 Americans. Only theUSSArizona,Oklahoma, andUtah were total losses, and their memorials are the centerpieces of this site that also includesBattleship Row and a visitor center with boat rides to theUSSArizona Memorial at the site of the wreck.[34][35] |
| Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial |  | Ohio 41°39′14″N82°48′40″W / 41.654°N 82.811°W /41.654; -82.811 (Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial) | October 26, 1972 | 25.38 acres (0.1027 km2) | CommodoreOliver Hazard Perry's naval fleet defeated the British at theBattle of Lake Erie during theWar of 1812, securing control of the lake and later peace with Britain and Canada. The world's largest Doric column, with an observation deck on top, stands 352 ft (107 m) tall onSouth Bass Island to commemorate the battle and international cooperation.[36] |
| Port Chicago Naval Magazine |  | California 38°03′22″N122°01′48″W / 38.056°N 122.030°W /38.056; -122.030 (Port Chicago Naval Magazine) | October 28, 1992 | 5.00 acres (0.0202 km2) | In 1944, 430 tons of munition exploded while being loaded onto ships at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, creating a three-mile-wide fireball that killed 320 people and seriously injured 390 more in thePort Chicago disaster. The majority of victims were Black, and a subsequent mutiny protesting unsafe conditions and segregation led to a court-martial of the mutineers and eventuallyintegration of the armed forces.[37] |
| Roger Williams |  | Rhode Island 41°49′52″N71°24′40″W / 41.831°N 71.411°W /41.831; -71.411 (Roger Williams) | October 22, 1965 | 4.56 acres (0.0185 km2) | Roger Williams founded the colony ofRhode Island on the basis of religious freedom, having been exiled from theMassachusetts Bay Colony for separating from theChurch of England. The memorial is a landscaped park in downtown Providence, with a visitor center in a historic home.[38] |
| Thaddeus Kosciuszko |  | Pennsylvania 39°56′35″N75°08′49″W / 39.943°N 75.147°W /39.943; -75.147 (Thaddeus Kosciuszko) | October 21, 1972 | 0.02 acres (0.0081 hectares) | Polish engineerTadeusz Kościuszko joined theContinental Army when theAmerican Revolution broke out, overseeing various fort construction projects and later leading troops on the battlefield. After returning to Poland and leadinga failed uprising against Russian occupation, he briefly lived at this house in Philadelphia before returning to Europe again. This is the smallest unit of the National Park System.[39] |
| Theodore Roosevelt Island |  | District of Columbia 38°53′49″N77°03′50″W / 38.897°N 77.064°W /38.897; -77.064 (Theodore Roosevelt Island) | October 27, 1967 | 88.50 acres (0.3581 km2) | Theodore Roosevelt led theRough Riders during theSpanish–American War and served as governor of New York before becoming vice president and then president when William McKinley was assassinated. HisSquare Deal promotedtrustbusting, labor rights, and consumer protection, and he was a noted conservationist, establishing theForest Service, the firstnational monuments, and wildlife refuges. This forested island in the Potomac features hiking trails and a memorial plaza with fountains, notable quotations, and a 17 ft (5.2 m) statue of Roosevelt.[40] |
| Thomas Jefferson Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°52′52″N77°02′13″W / 38.881°N 77.037°W /38.881; -77.037 (Thomas Jefferson Memorial) | April 13, 1943 | 18.36 acres (0.0743 km2) | Thomas Jefferson was aFounding Father who wrote theDeclaration of Independence, was the firstsecretary of state, and served as president from 1801 to 1809. He promoted democratic ideals, individual freedoms, and states' rights in his nationally formative writings, and as president he expanded the country's territory with theLouisiana Purchase. The memorial, based on thePantheon and theRotunda at theUniversity of Virginia that Jefferson designed himself, sits on theTidal Basin with a bronze statue facing toward theWhite House surrounded by notable quotations.[41] |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′28″N77°02′53″W / 38.891°N 77.048°W /38.891; -77.048 (Vietnam Veterans Memorial) | November 13, 1982 | 2.18 acres (0.0088 km2) | Almost three million Americans were deployed to Vietnam during theVietnam War from 1955 to 1975 as part of a campaign to stop communism in the region. Reflective black granite walls, sunken below ground level, bear the names of 58,320 servicemembers who died during the conflict. There are also statues representing women who served and the diversity of soldiers.[42] |
| Washington Monument |  | District of Columbia 38°53′20″N77°02′06″W / 38.889°N 77.035°W /38.889; -77.035 (Washington Monument) | February 21, 1885 | 106.01 acres (0.4290 km2) | As commanding general of theContinental Army,George Washington was instrumental in securing victory in theRevolutionary War, leading him to serve as the first president of the United States. His presidency laid the foundations for the politics of the republic with policies on banking, taxes, the judiciary, and foreign affairs. The Monument, the centerpiece of theNational Mall, is a 555 ft (169 m) tall obelisk ofmarble,granite, andgneiss topped with a small aluminum pyramid. A variety of interior memorial stones are visible from the elevator to the observation deck.[43] |
| World War I Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′46″N77°01′59″W / 38.896°N 77.033°W /38.896; -77.033 (World War I Memorial) | December 19, 2014 | 1.76 acres (0.0071 km2) | The US enteredWorld War I in 1917 and theAmerican Expeditionary Forces saw about 2.8 million servicemembers fight in Europe through the end of the following year, with 53,000 deaths. Originally called Pershing Park in honor of GeneralJohn J. Pershing, as of 2019[update] the memorial is undergoing a conversion from a fountain and pond to a lawn and plaza with a wall of remembrance.[44][45] |
| World War II Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′20″N77°02′24″W / 38.889°N 77.040°W /38.889; -77.040 (World War II Memorial) | May 29, 2004 | 8.25 acres (0.0334 km2) | Over 16 million veterans served duringWorld War II from 1941 to 1945 alongside the otherAllies against theAxis powers. The memorial recognizes their service with twotriumphal arches representing theAtlantic andPacific theaters, surrounded by 56 pillars for the states and territories. At the center is a pool with an oval of fountains, on the east are walls engraved with scenes of war, and on the west is a wall with 4,048 gold stars representing the approximately 404,800killed in action.[46] |
| Wright Brothers |  | North Carolina 36°00′50″N75°40′05″W / 36.014°N 75.668°W /36.014; -75.668 (Wright Brothers) | December 4, 1953 | 428.44 acres (1.7338 km2) | Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered flight with theWright Flyer atKill Devil Hills nearKitty Hawk in 1903, developing it into the first fixed-wing aircraft, theWright Flyer III. A monument tower representing a wing commemorates their achievement and earlier aviation experimenters. Paths outline the routes of the first flights near a reproductionhangar.[47] |
The National Park Service provides technical or financial assistance to affiliated areas but does not own or administer them.[12]
| Name | Image | Location | Date established[12] | Area[12] | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Memorial Park |  | Northern Mariana Islands 15°12′58″N145°43′19″E / 15.216°N 145.722°E /15.216; 145.722 (American Memorial Park) | August 18, 1978 | 133.00 acres (0.5 km2) | The Japanese had mandate over the Northern Mariana Islands after World War I and used them as a base for their World War II Pacific offensive. The key summer 1944Battles of Saipan andTinian during theMariana Islands campaign led to the US liberation of the islands. TheCommonwealth-owned memorial commemorates the thousands of American andChamorro casualties during the campaign with a flag monument, bell tower, and granite memorial near recreational park areas and a mangrove forest.[48] |
| Benjamin Franklin |  | Pennsylvania 39°57′29″N75°10′23″W / 39.958°N 75.173°W /39.958; -75.173 (Benjamin Franklin National Memorial) | October 25, 1972 | 0.154 acres (0.1 hectares) | Benjamin Franklin was aFounding Father who served in several political and diplomatic roles during the early republic, signing both theDeclaration of Independence and the Constitution. He made a number of scientific inquiries and inventions including thelightning rod,bifocals, and theFranklin stove. The 20 ft (6.1 m) marble statue of a seated Franklin byJames Earle Fraser sits in the Memorial Hall rotunda of theFranklin Institute in Philadelphia.[49][50] |
| Father Marquette |  | Michigan 45°51′11″N84°43′34″W / 45.853°N 84.726°W /45.853; -84.726 (Father Marquette) | December 20, 1975 | 52.00 acres (0.2 km2) | The FrenchJesuit missionaryJacques Marquette founded the first two European settlements in Michigan,Sault Ste. Marie andSt. Ignace, seeking to convert Native Americans to Catholicism. He joinedLouis Jolliet on an exploration of the Upper Mississippi River. A memorial and interpretive trail inStraits State Park overlook theMackinac Bridge.[51][52] |
| Oklahoma City |  | Oklahoma 35°28′23″N97°31′01″W / 35.473°N 97.517°W /35.473; -97.517 (Oklahoma City) | April 19, 2000 | 6.24 acres (0.0 km2) | Anti-government terrorists detonated a truck bomb that destroyed theAlfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people, injuring another 680, and damaging hundreds of buildings. The memorial features a reflecting pool flanked by square bronze gates that represent the moments before and after the event at 9:01 am on April 19, 1995. A field of empty chairs and what is left of the building's walls symbolize the victims and survivors, mostly federal employees and children at a day care.[53][54] |
| Red Hill Patrick Henry |  | Virginia 37°01′55″N78°53′53″W / 37.032°N 78.898°W /37.032; -78.898 (Red Hill Patrick Henry) | May 12, 1986 | 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) | Patrick Henry was the first governor of Virginia and was known for his oration for the cause of independence from Britain, including his 1775 "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech. He lived at his Red Hill estate the last five years of his life, which now has the original law office and reconstructed home.[55] |
Congress has designated a number of sites as national memorials but not as units or affiliated areas of the National Park Service. While some are maintained by other federal agencies, most of these were created by local governments or private organizations which sought federal designation for wider and official recognition; the naming typically does not come with federal funding, but Congress has provided funds or allowed private fundraising for certain memorial sites.[5] TheDepartment of the Interior has noted that Congressional designation of private or local government sites as "National" may mislead the public into believing they are affiliated with the federal government.[56] Congress has also authorized the construction of many memorials or commemorative works on federal land under theCommemorative Works Act, usually in Washington, D.C., or nearby;[57] these are not listed unless specifically called a national memorial.
| Name | Image | Location | Date designated[58] | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIDS Memorial Grove | .jpg) | California 37°46′N122°28′W / 37.77°N 122.46°W /37.77; -122.46 (AIDS Memorial Grove) | November 12, 1996 | This seven-acre (0.028 km2) landscaped space inSan Francisco'sGolden Gate Park features redwood trees, meadows, and memorial spaces dedicated to victims and patients ofHIV/AIDS and the continued fight against the disease.[59][60][61] |
| Astronauts Memorial |  | Florida 28°31′30″N80°40′55″W / 28.525°N 80.682°W /28.525; -80.682 (Astronauts Memorial) | May 8, 1991 | The Space Mirror Memorial atNASA'sKennedy Space Center is a reflective black granite monument engraved with the names of 24 astronauts who have died in spaceflight missions or training. Major disasters includeApollo 1 and Space ShuttlesChallenger andColumbia.[62][63] |
| Battle of Midway |  | Midway Atoll 28°12′N177°21′W / 28.20°N 177.35°W /28.20; -177.35 (Battle of Midway) | September 13, 2000 | TheBattle of Midway in June 1942 was the turning point of thePacific War that put the US Navy on the offensive. The victory cost the lives of 307 sailors, a destroyer, and an aircraft carrier, but secured the vital base on the island and weakened the Japanese position. TheFish and Wildlife Service maintains a memorial park at the dual-named Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial, a breeding ground foralbatross,Hawaiian monk seals, and other marine life.[64] |
| David Berger Memorial | .jpg) | Ohio 41°28′26″N81°29′31″W / 41.474°N 81.492°W /41.474; -81.492 (David Berger Memorial) | March 5, 1980 | David Berger was an American Israeli weightlifter who competed at the1972 Summer Olympics. He and ten other Israeli competitors and coaches were kidnapped and killed by terrorists in theMunich massacre. Located at a Jewish Community Center, a steel sculpture of the fiveOlympic rings split in half sits on eleven supporting segments.[65][66] |
| El Paso Community Healing Garden | – | Texas 31°45′25″N106°24′04″W / 31.757°N 106.401°W /31.757; -106.401 (El Paso Community Healing Garden) | December 29, 2022 | A right-wing terrorist targeted Latino Americans at a Walmart store inEl Paso, killing 23 people and injuring 22 ina mass shooting. A memorial to these victims of white supremacy and gun violence consisting of 23 bronze plaques on a semicircular wall was installed at Ascarate Park in theMission Valley neighborhood in August 2021.[67] |
| National D-Day Memorial |  | Virginia | June 6, 2001 | American troops joined Allied forces in theInvasion of Normandy onD-Day, June 6, 1944, to begin the liberation of France. More than 150,000 Allied troops landed in a sustained airborne and amphibious assault on five beaches that saw more than 10,000 casualties. The memorial includes a central pool,Operation Overlord arch, numerous statues of commandos in action andGeneral Eisenhower, and flags of participating nations.[68] |
| Disabled American Veterans Vietnam Veterans |  | New Mexico | November 13, 1987 | The parents of a soldier killed in Vietnam built a sail-shaped chapel with the assistance ofDisabled American Veterans to honor allveterans of the war. The site, a New Mexico Department of Veteran Services memorial, also has a helicopter damaged in Vietnam and sculptures of a soldier and nurses.[69][70] |
| Distinguished Flying Cross | – | California 33°52′59″N117°16′01″W / 33.883°N 117.267°W /33.883; -117.267 (Distinguished Flying Cross) | July 25, 2014 | TheDistinguished Flying Cross has been awarded to more than 170,000 members of the US armed forces and some civilians who have shown "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight". TheMarch Field Air Museum hosts this pyramidal monument in honor of their service.[71] |
| National Memorial to Fallen Educators |  | Kansas | April 30, 2018 | Located at the National Teachers Hall of Fame, this monument honors educators who died in the course of their roles, including victims ofschool shootings andschool bus crashes.[72] |
| National Fallen Firefighters Memorial |  | Maryland | August 9, 1990 | On the campus of theNational Fire Academy, a sculptedSt. Florian cross andeternal flame are surrounded by a Wall of Honor with the names offirefighters who died in the line of duty. It is maintained by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.[73] |
| Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II |  | District of Columbia | November 9, 2000 | The US government baselessly challenged the loyalty of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II,unconstitutionally detaining them in a number of concentration camps around the country. Despite that, 33,000 Japanese Americans served their country in the armed forces. This monument depictingcranes escaping barbed wire symbolizes their sacrifices during this injustice. It is part of theNational Mall and Memorial Parks NPS unit.[74][75] |
| Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Memorial |  | Ohio | December 29, 2022 | The Zion Memorial Park Cemetery donated land for the construction of a monument to victims of theHolocaust in 1961, the first in the United States. A ring of granite is engraved with names of 1,300 family members of Cleveland-area Holocaust survivors. It surrounds a central column that contains ashes of victims.[76][77][78][79] |
| National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°54′N77°01′W / 38.90°N 77.02°W /38.90; -77.02 (National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial) | October 15, 1991 | Honoring more than 23,000law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, the memorial plaza has tree-lined pathways protected by twelve bronze lions.[80] |
| Medicine Creek Treaty |  | Washington 47°04′N122°43′W / 47.07°N 122.71°W /47.07; -122.71 (Medicine Creek Treaty) | December 18, 2015 | The 1854Treaty of Medicine Creek established threereservations for nine south Puget Sound-area tribes, who ceded 2,240,000 acres (9,100 km2) to the US government; agreed-upon payments and hunting and fishing rights however were not respected, leading to further conflict. The signing site is managed by theFish and Wildlife Service in theBilly Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, named for aNisqually activist who successfully fought for the treaty rights.[81] |
| Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial |  | California | December 8, 2004 | A wooden cross was originally placed onMount Soledad inSan Diego by local residents in 1913. The current 29 ft-tall (8.8 m) concrete cross was built in 1954 by Christian groups and was designated a memorial to veterans in 1989. TheDepartment of Defense took the site from the city byeminent domain in 2006 until it was sold to a private association in 2015 following a three-decade-longEstablishment Clause legal battle. Six walls are covered in plaques commemorating veterans and military units.[82][83] |
| National Native American Veterans Memorial |  | District of Columbia 38°53′20″N77°00′58″W / 38.889°N 77.016°W /38.889; -77.016 (National Native American Veterans Memorial) | November 11, 2020 | This memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian honors the military service of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans. A vertical steel circle stands on a stone drum from which water flows and a ceremonial fire burns.[84] |
| National Pulse Memorial |  | Florida 28°31′12″N81°22′37″W / 28.520°N 81.377°W /28.520; -81.377 (National Pulse Memorial) | June 25, 2021 | Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was the scene ofa mass shooting that killed 49 people on June 12, 2016. There are plans for a permanent memorial with a reflecting pool at the site.[85][86] |
| National Veterans Memorial and Museum |  | Ohio 39°58′N83°01′W / 39.96°N 83.01°W /39.96; -83.01 (National Veterans Memorial and Museum) | October 27, 2018 | This is the first museum dedicated toveterans and their families, focusing on their individual stories and sacrifices rather than the military and war. Exhibits show servicemembers' journeys throughout American history and how veterans are recognized in society. An elm-lined memorial grove with waterfalls into a reflecting pool offers space for remembrance.[87] |
| Prisoner of War/Missing in Action |  | California 33°53′13″N117°16′41″W / 33.887°N 117.278°W /33.887; -117.278 (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) | December 10, 2004 | This memorial atRiverside National Cemetery (US Department of Veterans Affairs) depicts a man on his knees and bound by his captors, surrounded by pillars of black marble. It commemorates American servicemembers who have been takenprisoner of war or wentmissing in action.[88] |
| United States Marine Corps War Memorial |  | Virginia 38°53′N77°04′W / 38.89°N 77.07°W /38.89; -77.07 (United States Marine Corps War Memorial) | November 10, 1954 | This memorial is dedicated to the dead of theUS Marine Corps since its founding in 1775. Located atGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway it depicts theraising of the flag on Iwo Jima, a symbol of the Corps's dedication inamphibious warfare.[89][90] |
| USSIndianapolis Memorial | _Memorial.jpg) | Indiana 39°46′37″N86°09′54″W / 39.777°N 86.165°W /39.777; -86.165 (USS Indianapolis Memorial) | November 30, 1993 | Theheavy cruiserUSSIndianapolis was torpedoed by a submarine after it delivered parts of theLittle Boy atomic bomb toTinian, killing 300 sailors when it sank. Another 600 perished during four days adrift and only 316 survived, making it the US Navy's greatest loss of life at sea due to its failure to monitor the ship's movement. The granite memorial resembles the shape of a ship and depicts theIndianapolis with the names of the crew.[91] |
| White Cross World War I Memorial |  | California 35°18′54″N115°33′00″W / 35.315°N 115.550°W /35.315; -115.550 (White Cross World War I Memorial) | January 10, 2002 | A white cross was originally erected byVeterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in theMojave Desert in 1934 as a memorial to American participation inWorld War I and those who served. Previously inMojave National Preserve, the land around the cross was conveyed to the VFW due toseparation of church and state concerns, the constitutionality of which transferwas upheld by theSupreme Court in 2010.[92] |
These memorials have been authorized by Congress but have not yet been constructed and established. Three would become NPS units if completed.[93]
| Name | Location | Date authorized | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Memorial | District of Columbia | November 5, 2001 | Will honor presidentsJohn Adams andJohn Quincy Adams, their wivesAbigail Adams andLouisa Adams, and other members of theAdams political family. Neither a location nor design has been selected but a new planning commission was authorized in 2019. It will expire in 2025.[94] |
| Hershel Woody Williams National Medal of Honor Monument | District of Columbia | December 27, 2021 | Will honor recipients of theMedal of Honor. Named afterHershel W. Williams. There is a 2028 deadline to raise funds and finalize a design for the memorial.[95] |
| National Emergency Medical Services Memorial | District of Columbia | November 3, 2018 | Will honor the services ofemergency medical services personnel. There is a 2025 deadline to raise funds and finalize a design for the memorial.[96] |
| National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial | District of Columbia 38°53′28″N77°03′04″W / 38.891°N 77.051°W /38.891; -77.051 (National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial) | December 19, 2014 | Will commemorate the events and veterans of theGulf War, a six-month troop buildup and conflict that ended the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A spiral-shaped wall design is proposed.[97] |
| National Global War on Terrorism Memorial | District of Columbia | August 18, 2017 | Will commemorate the events and veterans of thewar on terror, including theIraq War andWar in Afghanistan and other military campaigns. There is a 2028 deadline to raise funds and finalize a design for the memorial, which received an exemption to be built in theReserve.[98] |
| Women's Suffrage National Monument | District of Columbia | December 17, 2020 | Will honorsuffragists who organized and demonstrated for thewomen's right to vote in the United States. There is a 2027 deadline to raise funds and finalize a design for the memorial.[99] |
