Landscape

Main Plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Martin Luther King, Jr. Forecourt

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is in Washington, DC along the west side of the Tidal Basin and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The memorial honors his legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and civil rights with themes of justice, democracy, hope, and love.

• (304 words) The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is located along the northwest bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, midway between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The memorial covers four acres, and is centered around the Stone of Hope, a 30-foot granite statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. Two similar large slabs of granite sit apart and slightly behind the statue, known as the Mountain of Despair. The King statue seems to emerge from these two large boulders. The MLK figure faces southeast, in the direction of the Jefferson Memorial. His gaze is off slightly to the side and his arms are crossed. He holds what looks to be a rolled-up scroll of paper in his left hand. On the side of the Stone of Hope is the inscription "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." The signature of sculptor Lei Yixin can be found in the lower right corner. There are four entrances to the memorial. The main entrance leads through the two large open granite slabs. There are entrances on both sides of the memorial, and a fourth from the opposite side at the Tidal Basin. Restrooms can be found behind the center entrance and across Independence Avenue. Beyond the Stone of Hope is a wide plaza area which opens to reveal a stunning view of the Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, and Washington Monument. Surrounding the King statue is a 450-foot arced wall featuring 14 quotes from King's speeches and writings. Trees surround the wall and also are within the plaza area. Water flows gently from the wall at its openings on both sides. The arc of the wall references King's quote "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." The Inscription Wall displays fourteen quotes from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. END OF DESCRIPTION

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial bookstore & restrooms

Your purchase supports this and other national parks.

• A single-story, flat-roofed building with tall glass windows. Doors to the bookstore are located on the north side of the building nearest Independence Avenue. Restrooms are on the south side of the building, accessed from outside the building.

Quote from King’s “Last Christmas” Sermon

Quote from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Quote from “Montgomery Bus Boycott” Speech

Quote from “Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance” Speech

Quote from “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” Sermon

Removed "Drum Major" Quote

Stone of Hope

The quote is the only one in the memorial that is from King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”. It serves as the theme statement for the memorial. The speech was the basis for the design concept of the memorial.

Stone of Hope (East Side Facade)

The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and His Memorial

The Memorials Around the Tidal Basin

The Jefferson, Roosevelt, and King memorials connect, both chronologically and thematically, clockwise around the Tidal Basin.

• A large basin of water curves around a bend filled with trees. The Jefferson Memorial is seen in the distance in the right hand side of the photo.

The Mountain of Despair

• Reflect at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
• Visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to take in the Tidal Basin and contemplate quotes from King's lifelong perseverance for freedom and equality.

“Thinking Outside the Box”

“Thinking outside the box” enabled Martin Luther King, Jr. to effect social and economic change. Those involved in creating the memorial that honors Dr. King also demonstrated a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. “Thinking outside the box”: “to radically imagine new possibilities (even if they feel out of reach), to question the way things are, and to stretch the boundaries of what could be” -From the article What it Means to Truly “Think Outside the Box” by Sabrina Meherally, Harvard Business