On the left a color image of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. On the right a black-and-white image of the Lincoln Memorial with a large crowd.
L-R: LC-DIG-highsm-18673, Photo by Carol M. Highsmith. LC-DIG-npcc-23032.

From Lincoln to MLK: A Walking Tour on the National Mall

date Saturday, October 4, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Free.
Accessible
This is an outdoor, one-mile walking tour over paved roads. Both the Lincoln and MLK memorials are accessible.
Register

The National Mall is home to iconic memorials that recognize pivotal American leaders, and in turn, these sites have served as stages for definitive moments in American History. Join Ford’s Theatre and National Mall and Memorial Parks as we explore the legacies of the nation’s founding, the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement through an interpreted tour of the Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials. Together we’ll consider how we commemorate our nation’s history through our memorial landscape.

This tour is offered in conjunction with the Ford’s Theatre production of The American Five, onstage September 19, 2025 – October 12, 2025.

Where: This guided, one-mile walking tour begins at the Lincoln Memorial and ends at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. The route is along paved roads and each stop is accessible.

Parking and Transportation: Limited street parking is available around the National Mall. We recommend participants take public transportation.

What to Bring: Please bring a water bottle, wear good walking/hiking shoes and dress for the weather.

Are You an Educator? Classroom teachers may request a letter certifying 1-hour of Professional Development and a packet of resources to help you transform this program into a field trip for your students!