Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial Park

Address: Lincoln Park, Washington, D.C.

Website: https://www.nps.gov/places/mary-mcleod-bethune-memorial.htm

Hours: Outdoor memorial - open daily (outdoor site accessible year-round)

Admission: Free

The Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial is a public bronze sculpture in Washington, D.C., honoring educator and civil-rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955).

Viewers see a seated figure of Bethune accompanied by sculpted students that represent education and progress; the composition and inscriptions underscore her contributions to African American education and public service. It is visited as part of civic and historical walks through the city.

The memorial was commissioned and installed in the late 20th century to recognize Bethune’s national impact on education and civil rights, becoming one of the few monuments in the capital dedicated to an African American woman. The work was created by a noted sculptor and placed in a public park setting.

The memorial sits in Lincoln Park, a small public park east of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., within the city’s network of federal-era monuments and greenspaces.

• Sculpture and symbolism: The memorial features a bronze sculpture of Mary McLeod Bethune with five students symbolizing education and leadership, and was unveiled in the 1970s as one of the first monuments in the U.S. capital honoring an African American woman.

The Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial sits in Lincoln Park near the U.S. Capitol. Take Washington Metro’s Blue, Orange, or Silver lines to the Capitol South station - it’s about a 10-15 minute walk to Lincoln Park from that station. The park is also reachable by surface streets such as Pennsylvania Avenue SE/East Capitol Street; several DC Circulator and Metrobus routes serve the Capitol Hill area for shorter surface connections.

• Visit early in the day or on weekdays to avoid tour groups and school visits; the memorial is a quick outdoor stop and is far less crowded in the morning.
• Because the memorial sits in a public park setting, combine this stop with nearby National Mall/Capitol-area sites to make a short walking loop rather than treating it as a separate destination.
• Look for the interpretive plaque at the site to get historical context-there's no admission fee and little infrastructure, so allow a few extra minutes to read the text and take photos without blocking pathways.