Come 2022, visitors will be able to take a peek into the memorial’s foundation chamber known as the “Lincoln Undercroft.”
We’ve all been to the Lincoln Memorial at least once in our lives, but little did we know that good old Abe actually sits upon one of the city’s hidden gems. The monumental underground chamber holding up the Lincoln Memorial, known as the “Lincoln undercroft”, is a real work of art in its own right. Once renovations on the memorial are finished in 2022, we’ll be able to explore what was perhaps one of D.C.’s best-kept secrets. (Feature image: Pixabay)
According to the National Park Service (NPS), renovations will allow visitors to venture into the cavernous chamber to take a closer look at the three-storey-high columns and arches covered in stalactites that hold up Lincoln Memorial. There they will also be able to take a look at the undercroft’s “historic graffiti,” cartoons that were drawn onto the columns by the workers who first started building the memorial back in the early 1900s.
Along with the undercroft viewing area, NPS is planning to open new underground functional space which will allow for new exhibits, education and research areas. The new underground area is said to open in time for the 2022 Lincoln Memorial centenary celebrations.