The DC Traveler

Monument Monday - A Place to Reflect and Remember.

by Jon on June 16th, 2008

National Memorial Park is one of the more interesting and newer cemeteries in the Washington, DC area. And it’s worth visiting. 

The parks many acres of mostly open a rolling hills, in nearby Falls Church, Virginia are tranquil and relaxing. And with all the sculptures, if you aren’t paying attention, you might think you were transported to the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden or the Hirshorne sculpture garden.

There are numerous benches where you can sit and reflect, and I assume no one would mind if you brought a blanket to relax on the grass.

I recently took a drive through the park and found some great pieces of art including the: 

- Four Chaplains Memorial, resembling a flying white bird at the top of the park’s entrance driveway, by abstract expressionist, Constantino Nivola.

- September 11, 2001 Memorial - a 7-panel marble memorial surrounding a fountain dedicated to those who died as a result of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.  Six of the panels list all of the names of the people who died, including victims in the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the passengers and crew members aboard the three airline flights.

- Babyland, a small heart-shaped grove dedicated to infants and small children who died before their time.

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- Sunchaser by Carl Milles, who worked in Auguste Rodin’s Paris studio, and has over a dozen major fountains and statues across the United States. 

- A piece very similar to the famous 15th-century white marble sculpture of the dead Jesus lying in the arms of his mother,  Michelangelo’s Pieta.

- The highlight is probably, The Fountain of Faith, also by Carl Milles. With its many human figures dancing in the spay of numerous water fountains, its make for a tranquil place to stop.

There are other statures and monuments around the park - some Victorian, others modern, and a few, a bit gaudy and ostentatious. 

The list of notable internees includes four U.S. Congressmen, two professional baseball players, three pro football players, and Frances Foster, the actress who played Vera on the soap opera The Guiding Light from 1985 to 1994. But the focal points of the park is its many memorials and statues.

National Memorial Park
7400 Lee Hwy
Falls Church, Virginia (map it)
703-573-8800 

Dates and Times - Weekdays - 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. , weekends 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Admission - FREE

Nearest Metro Subway Station - West Falls Church - Orange line, then a 2-mile walk.

Parking - Free.

Images - from personal collection © 2008 - Jon Rochetti 

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POSTED IN: Great Places to Unwind, Great Walks