Fodor's Expert Review Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial

One of the most iconic American figures, Martin Luther King Jr., stands among the presidents on the National Mall. For his dedication on October 16, 2011, President Barack Obama said, "This is a day that would not be denied." The memorial opened on August 22, 2011, 15 years after Congress approved it in 1996 and 82 years after the famed civil rights leader was born in 1929. Located strategically between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials and adjacent to the FDR Memorial, the crescent-shaped King Memorial sits on a 4-acre site on the curved bank of the Tidal Basin. There are two main ways to enter the memorial. From West Basin Drive, walk through a center walkway cut out of a huge boulder, the Mountain of Despair. From the Tidal Basin entrance, a 28-foot-tall granite structure shows a likeness of King looking out toward Jefferson's statue. King's words explain the symbolism of the mountain and stone: "With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope." Chinese sculptor Lei Yixin carved the centerpiece stone; his design won the commission among more than 900 entries in an international competition. Fittingly, Yixin first read about King's "I Have a Dream" speech at age 10 while visiting the Lincoln Memorial.The themes of democracy, justice, hope, and love are reflected through quotes on the south and north walls and the Stone of Hope. The quotes reflect King's speeches, sermons, and writings from 1955 through 1968. Waterfalls in the memorial reflect King's use of the biblical quote: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."