Washington, DC is a lot more than the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and other famous landmarks. Go off the beaten path and explore when you visit DC! These are four of our favorite obscure monuments in DC that you can come and check out.

4 SECRET DC Monuments Hidden in Plain Sight

1. Albert Einstein Memorial

Einstein’s Memorial is located about one block to the north of the Lincoln Memorial. This is a private monument on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences. It was dedicated on Albert Einstein’s 100th birthday in 1979. The statue depicts a 12-foot tall Einstein in a nice casual pose.

They encourage climbing on the statue. They even advertise a hashtag that you can use to post your photos. If you look on the floor in front of Einstein you will see 2,700 metal studs. These represent the stars, planets and moons on the night that the statue was dedicated. Also, a bonus hack for this monument is that if you stand directly in the center, look right at Albert Einstein, and speak, you will hear a really cool echo chamber. Above all, you really need to experience it in person to know exactly how cool it is. 

2. District of Columbia World War Memorial

The District of Columbia World War Memorial or the DC War Memorial for short honors the approximately 26,000 residents of the District of Columbia who served during World War I. On the base of the memorial you will see the 499 residents of DC who died serving in World War I.

Many people think the design is based on the Jefferson Memorial because they both have a beautiful rounded dome. However, the DC War Memorial was built over a decade earlier than Jefferson. The lack of knowlege about this memorial makes it one of the more obscure monuments in DC. This is one of the few places that you can come and not have the huge crowds that you’ll experience at the other memorials. 

3. The Signers Memorial

This monument is officially called the Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence. However, it is often shortened to the Signers Memorial. This is located on a tiny island in the middle of a pond just to the west of the Vietnam Memorial. The off-the-beaten path location makes it a rather obscure memorial in DC.

When you arrive you can walk across the little footbridge and you will see recreated signatures of the 56 men who signed our Declaration of Independence in 1776. So, if you are looking for a name in particular make sure you know where he came from.

4. George Mason Memorial

George Mason is relatively unknown outside of Virginia, and his memorial stands almost literally in the shadows of the Jefferson Memorial. Also, Mason is sometimes called America’s forgotten founding father. He was quite influential to the early development of our new country. However, nowadays most people have no idea who he was or what he did. George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights. George Mason is thus credited for coming up with many ideas in the Bill of Rights. When you visit you’ll see the statue of George Mason and some of his quotes nearby.

Coming to Washington DC, and want us to take you on a tour?

Trip Hacks DC was founded by Rob, a veteran tour guide in the Nation’s Capital. Trip Hacks DC provides tips, tricks and travel hacks for planning your trip; and guided tours to show you around once you get here. Our tours are family and school group friendly and our guides specialize in the major Washington, DC sites. Click here to check out the upcoming tour options and to book your tour here today! Feel free to contact us if you have any tour questions.