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The National Mall is an open-area National Park in Downtown Washington, D.C. , the Capital of the United States . It is the site of Garden s and other greenery along with many Smithsonian Museum s, national Monument s and Memorial s. The National Mall refers specifically to the land stretching from the grounds of the Washington Monument to the United States Capitol directly to the east. However, the term commonly includes the areas that are officially part of West Potomac Park and Constitution Gardens to the west, and often is taken to refer to the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol, with the Washington Monument providing a division slightly west of the center.

The idea for the National Mall was originally conceived by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in his plans for the city of Washington, D.C., created in 1791. However, his ideas were not realized until the beginning of the 20th century, with the McMillan Commission plan, which was also inspired by the City Beautiful Movement . Among other things, the McMillan plan called for moving the main railroad station, from a site on the National Mall, to its present location at Union Station .

Today, the Mall is one of the most popular places in the city for Tourism . As well, the mall is the site of many Protest s and Demonstration s, including very large marches and rallies, such as the March On Washington in 1963, and the Million Man March in 1995. Annually on July 4th , the Capitol Fourth celebration takes place at the U.S. Capitol end of the mall, with a Fireworks display.


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LANDMARKS OF THE NATIONAL MALL

satellite image of the National Mall (proper) was taken April 26, 2002. The Capitol and surrounding grounds on the right were pixellated before release, presumably for security reasons.]]



  As Popularly Understood, The National Mall Also Includes The Following West Of The Washington Monument: The "http://wwwseattleluxurycom/encyclopedia/entry/Lincoln_Memorial" class="copylinks">Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool , the National World War II Memorial , the Korean War Veterans Memorial , and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
  The "http://wwwseattleluxurycom/encyclopedia/entry/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr_National_Memorial" class="copylinks">Martin Luther King, Jr National Memorial , scheduled for completion in 2008 , will be located on a 4-acre site that borders the Tidal Basin and within the sightline of the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials