Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Park

Address: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Tidal Basin, Washington, DC, USA

Website: https://www.nps.gov/frde/

Hours: Open 24 hours

Admission: Free admission

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial honors the life and presidency of FDR and is located in West Potomac Park along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The memorial was designed by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and was dedicated in 1997.

The site is organized into four outdoor rooms, each representing one of Roosevelt’s terms, with bronze sculptures, water features, and engraved quotations from his speeches. The memorial also addresses the Great Depression and World War II through sculptural groups and inscriptions.

Construction and dedication took place over the 1990s with design intent to provide a reflective, sequential experience through the chronological progression of Roosevelt’s presidency. The memorial is integrated into the Tidal Basin landscape and is visited year-round.

Located on the west side of the Tidal Basin, the memorial sits near other Tidal Basin sites and is a short walk from the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

• Layout: The memorial is arranged as four outdoor ”rooms” representing each of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential terms and is oriented along the Tidal Basin shoreline.

By metro and walking: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial sits on the Tidal Basin on the National Mall. Take the Washington Metro to Smithsonian station (Orange/Blue/Silver lines) and walk about 10-15 minutes along the Mall/Tidal Basin to the memorial. Alternatively, Foggy Bottom and L’Enfant Plaza stations are also within a 15-20 minute walk depending on which side of the Mall you approach from.

Driving and parking in the National Mall area are limited; using Metro, bike, or a short taxi/ride‑share is recommended.

• Plan a visit early in the morning or around sunset to experience the memorial's contemplative spaces with far fewer tour groups; the memorial's layout is chronological-walk the four outdoor rooms in sequence to follow FDR's presidency.
• Enter from the Tidal Basin/West Potomac Park side and allow time to read the engraved quotations and study the bronze sculptures-many visitors pass through without pausing at the reliefs and water features that illustrate each term.
• Combine a visit with a stroll around the Tidal Basin (especially during cherry blossom season) to avoid backtracking and to see nearby memorials when crowds are lower.