The National Mall in Washington D.C. is a national park that runs from the Lincoln Memorial in the west to the United States Capitol building in the east. With its open spaces, memorials, and museums, it serves as a popular gathering place for locals and tourists alike. The Mall has been the site of many historic events and protests, and also offers plenty of opportunities for recreation and relaxation. Let’s explore this iconic park through 63 riddles and their answers!
Riddles about the Lincoln Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: I’m as solid as stone, and I honor the president who kept the nation whole. Who am I?
A: The Lincoln Memorial
Riddle 2
Q: I’m a famous speech delivered on the steps of a memorial to the 16th president. What am I?
A: The “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial
Riddle 3
Q: We are two speeches by the same great orator, carved into the walls on either side of old Honest Abe. What are we?
A: The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the nickname of the statue that sits inside a memorial dedicated to the president who led the country through civil war. Who am I?
A: The Lincoln Memorial statue is sometimes called “Old Abe.”
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the last name of the architect who designed the memorial for the bearded president. What’s my name?
A: Henry Bacon designed the Lincoln Memorial.
Riddles about the Washington Monument
Riddle 1
Q: I’m the tallest stone structure in the world named for the first U.S. president. What am I?
A: The Washington Monument
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the furry hat that sits atop the head of George Washington’s statue in the memorial named for him. What am I?
A: The Washington Monument statue wears a tricorne hat.
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the material that covers the outer walls of the 555 foot tower in honor of America’s first president. What am I?
A: Marble from Maryland
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the color of the stones on the upper third of the obelisk, and I’m different than the lower stones. What color am I?
A: Red sandstone
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the architect whose design was selected for the Washington Monument, though I died before its completion. Who am I?
A: Robert Mills
Riddles about the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: I’m the third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, memorialized in a white, round temple near the Tidal Basin. Who am I?
A: Thomas Jefferson
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the Roman architectural style used for the memorial dedicated to the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. What am I?
A: Neoclassical
Riddle 3
Q: We’re the three quotes by Thomas Jefferson engraved inside his memorial. Who are we?
A: Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and Jefferson’s letter to Benjamin Rush.
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the university founded by America’s third president, depicted in a mural inside his memorial. What am I?
A: The University of Virginia
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the Prussian-born architect selected to design the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Who am I?
A: John Russell Pope
Riddles about the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: I’m the thirty-second president memorialized by a park filled with stone waterfalls and statuary. Who am I?
A: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Riddle 2
Q: I’m FDR’s dog who sits beside him in several sculptures throughout the memorial. Who am I?
A: Fala
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the polio-stricken president memorialized in a statue where I’m seated in a wheelchair. Who am I?
A: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Riddle 4
Q: We’re the four terms this president served, each marked by a room in his memorial. What are we?
A: The four rooms represent FDR’s terms: “The Crisis” (1933-36), “The Tasks” (1937-40), “The Struggle” (1941-44), “The Vision” (1945).
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the waterfall feature in the memorial that represents the Great Depression. What am I?
A: The Great Depression waterfall
Riddles about the National World War II Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: I’m the World War during which America helped defeat the Axis powers, memorialized by a monument of arches and twin pavilions. Which war am I?
A: World War II
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the state whose senators proposed the World War II memorial, and I’m named in honor of FDR. What state am I?
A: Georgia
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the architect who created the design for the National World War II Memorial. Who am I?
A: Friedrich St.Florian
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the number of gold stars around the World War II Memorial’s arches, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. What’s my number?
A: 4,048 stars
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the stone engraving at the World War II Memorial that bears Franklin Roosevelt’s famous D-Day prayer. What am I?
A: The D-Day inscription
Riddles about the Korean War Veterans Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: We’re the nineteen stainless steel statues representing a platoon on patrol, part of a memorial to those who served in Korea. Who are we?
A: The statues at the Korean War Veterans Memorial
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the reflective black granite wall bearing photographic images of the Korean War, adjacent to the patrol statues. What am I?
A: The Mural Wall
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the nickname for the Korean War, and my initials are on a stone circle wreath in the memorial. What am I?
A: The Forgotten War (K.W.)
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the architect who designed the Korean War Veterans Memorial sculptures and mural wall. Who am I?
A: Frank Gaylord
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the Korean War battle honored on a granite marker at this memorial, also known as the Pusan Perimeter battle. What am I?
A: The Battle of Inchon
Riddles about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: I’m the war in Southeast Asia memorialized by a V-shaped black granite wall engraved with servicemen’s names. What war am I?
A: The Vietnam War
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the Ivy League student who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at just 21 years old. Who am I?
A: Maya Lin
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the nickname for the black granite walls bearing names of the Vietnam War dead and missing. What do they call me?
A: The Wall
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the number of names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when it opened in 1982. Who am I?
A: Over 58,000 names
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the figurative bronze sculpture added amid controversy near the Vietnam Wall. What am I?
A: The Three Soldiers statue
Riddles about the National World War I Memorial
Riddle 1
Q: I’m the memorial with a fountain and wreath surrounding a bronze doughboy statue, honoring veterans of “the Great War.” Which war am I honoring?
A: The National World War I Memorial honors World War I veterans.
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the Pennsylvania architect who designed the Pershing Park site honoring World War I veterans. Who am I?
A: John Parsons
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the World War I general and commander of the American forces, for whom a nearby memorial park is partly named. Who am I?
A: John J. Pershing
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the bronze doughboy statue by sculptor Frederick Roth located at the World War I memorial. What am I?
A: The Doughboy statue
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the date the National World War I Memorial was officially dedicated by President Reagan. When was that?
A: November 11, 1984
Riddles about the National Mall
Riddle 1
Q: I’m America’s “front yard” stretching over two miles from the Lincoln Memorial to Capitol Hill. What am I?
A: The National Mall
Riddle 2
Q: I’m the reflecting pool running almost the full length of the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. What am I?
A: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Riddle 3
Q: I’m the name for the Japanese cherry trees that bloom pink and white around the Tidal Basin in springtime. What am I?
A: Yoshino cherry trees
Riddle 4
Q: I’m the Smithsonian museum with the best aerial view from its location at one end of the Mall. Which museum am I?
A: The National Air and Space Museum
Riddle 5
Q: I’m the type of monument Washington banned from the capital city, but exceptions were made for the Mall. What am I?
A: Equestrian statues
Riddle 6
Q: I’m the museum on the Mall featuring art and artifacts from African cultures. What’s my name?
A: National Museum of African Art
Riddle 7
Q: I’m the museum on the Mall where you can see the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. What museum am I?
A: National Museum of American History
Riddle 8
Q: I’m the Smithsonian museum on the Mall dedicated to Asian art. What am I called?
A: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Riddle 9
Q: I’m the huge museum of natural history located on the National Mall. What’s my name?
A: National Museum of Natural History
Riddle 10
Q: I’m the museum on the Mall where you can see the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. What am I?
A: National Museum of American History
Riddle 11
Q: I’m the Smithsonian museum located on the Mall where you can see the original Star Spangled Banner flag. What am I?
A: National Museum of American History
Riddle 12
Q: I’m the Smithsonian garden and museum located on the Mall that features orchids and exotic flowers. What am I?
A: United States Botanic Garden
Conclusion
The National Mall is much more than just a big grassy lawn. Through these riddles, we’ve explored how this iconic park is home to numerous memorials, monuments, and Smithsonian museums. From Abraham Lincoln to George Washington to veterans of America’s wars, the Mall honors key figures and events in the nation’s history. It also offers recreation, culture and lovely scenery for visitors to enjoy year-round. Whether you’re a history buff, art lover or outdoor enthusiast, the Mall has something for you! Next time you visit Washington D.C., come prepared with this riddle knowledge to fully appreciate all that the National Mall has to offer.
