The Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC was dedicated in 1982. It was the first of the national war memorials on the National Mall and it honors the men and women who served during the Vietnam War. The Wall includes the names of over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives.

Vietnam memorial

Vietnam Memorial location

The Vietnam Memorial is located to the northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. It is a short walk over from the steps of Lincoln. The GPS address is 5 Henry Bacon Dr NW.

Getting to the Vietnam Memorial

There are several transportation options to get to the memorial:

  • Metro: Take the orange, blue, or silver line to the Foggy Bottom Metro station and walk southbound down 23rd Street until you reach the National Mall. It is about an eighteen minute walk to the memorial.
  • DC Circulator: Take the National Mall Circulator bus from anywhere on the National Mall. This bus route starts at Union Station and then makes a big loop past the Capitol, museums and monuments and memorials.
  • Capital Bikeshare: Ride a Capital Bikeshare bike from anywhere into the city to the nearby station named “Henry Bacon Dr & Lincoln Memorial Circle NW”.

TIP: The best and easiest way to see the Vietnam Memorial is on a guided tour. Our walking tours cover all of the major monuments and memorials on the National Mall. We use an efficient route that allows you to see all of them in three hours or less.

A few interesting facts 

  • The memorial’s design comes from a nationwide contest. The winning proposal was Maya Ying Lin, a college architecture student from Yale. She beat out more than 1,400 other entrants, including her own professor!
  • The VVMF (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc.) raised money for the memorial. The Memorial was also funded by soldiers, individuals, and corporations.
  • There are three components that make up the memorial: the Wall, the Three Servicemen Statue, and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

Coming to Washington, DC and want to learn a whole lot more about the Vietnam Memorial?

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.