Lincoln Memorial undercroft opened this summer. The best part is a look at this vast vaulted space with 122 concrete columns that support the chamber above. In many ways, the columns make the memorial the grand site it is by lifting Lincoln on this hill, from which you can see all the way to the Capitol.
I can assure you the big attraction for the Instagram crowd is the chair (pictured above) where you can get your picture taken.
The 15,000-square-foot exhibit takes up only a small portion of the more than 43,000-square-foot undercroft. The displays are placed in between the concreate columns along one corridor. They discuss how the memorial was built, the tools and instruments used, where the stone was sourced, what some of the alternative designs were, the speeches made there. And of course there’s a gift shop.
Overall, I’m a bit disappointed. It’s small. If you have time to see it, great. But I wouldn’t build my visit around trying to secure tickets.
What I was really hoping for was highlighting the events that transformed the memorial. This place was dedicated in 1922, during Jim Crow America. It was made to honor Lincoln for keeping the country together during the Civil War. It had nothing to do with civil rights. But subsequent events changed that.
And that’s the part that the Undercroft exhibit barely touches. Marian Anderson’s concert, MLK's speech, the Vietnam War protesters – changed this place. It made it the place where we gather to follow Lincoln’s example of how we can make this a more perfect union.