The iconic aboveground space at the Lincoln Memorial is accompanied by lesser-known environs beneath—in the form of an “undercroft” being transformed into a 15,000-square-foot exhibition space scheduled to open next month with a show related to the memorial’s creation and the legacy of Abraham Lincoln himself.
As reported by Artnet News, “A decade on from the National Park Service (NPS) announcing plans to transform the cavernous space beneath the Lincoln Memorial into a museum, tickets for the newest attraction on the National Mall have gone on sale ahead of its opening on June 25, in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Tickets for large tours of the undercroft on opening day are already sold out.”
The new initiative, said to cost $69 million, started with $18.5-million gift from philanthropist David M. Rubenstein to the National Park Foundation in 2016. The National Park Service has covered $26 million, while $43 million has come in through donations by Ken Griffin, the John L. Nau III Foundation, the Rick L. and Vicki L. James Foundation, and the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation, according to Artnet.
National Park Foundation CEO Jeff Reinbold said in a statement, “The opening of the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum is a testament to the power of partnership. We are providing a new way for all people to connect with the enduring legacy of the Lincoln Memorial.”
Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Mall and Memorial Parks, told DC News Now, “You walk up today, you look at the statue, you look at the speeches. But you don’t understand the symbolism unless you have a really good guidebook with you or take the time. Now, with the museum, we’re going to point those features out.”
