Four years ago, on May 22, 2022, the Lincoln Group of DC celebrated the centennial of the Lincoln Memorial Dedication with a grand ceremony on the steps of the iconic building. And now the Lincoln Memorial is set for a grand re-opening of sorts as the newly renovated undercroft visitors center is scheduled to open on Thursday June 25, 2026.
Most visitors climbing the memorial’s steps to get up close and personal with Daniel Chester French’s seated Lincoln statue will have seen over the last few years a monster ramp zig-zagging its way up to the top. That ramp was used to facilitate renovation work on the undercroft, which required removing and replacing the only elevator available for the structure. The ramp was removed a few weeks ago, and the renovations are in the final stages.
This has been a long process. Originally conceived in the last year of the Obama administration and funded through government and private donations (most notably by philanthropist David Rubenstein), the project was put on hold for several years after the 2016 election and revived during the Biden administration.
The new underground facility will feature 15,000 square feet of exhibit space showcasing the grid of concrete columns that support the memorial. The immersive design will help visitors explore how the memorial and museum were built, how the iconic memorial shaped Americans’ understanding of Abraham Lincoln, and how its meaning has evolved for generations who have gathered at the memorial. New restrooms, upgraded elevators and an expanded bookstore will join the new exhibit space.
Admission to the memorial run by the National Park Service is free. Timed free tickets became available on May 26, 2026.
You can watch a video that explains the renovation. This video includes an interview with Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst explaining the new facilities. The video also includes an interview with Paul Tetreault of Ford’s Theatre and an interview with yours truly, David J. Kent, about Lincoln’s legacy (my part starts around 17:30 of the video and runs to the end).
The Lincoln Group has been watching the progress of the renovation for many years and is looking forward to seeing the changes beginning June 25.
[Top photo by Bruce Guthrie; video produced by Maddie Biertempfel for Nexstar] [This article originally appeared in slightly different form on Lincolnian.org]
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David J. Kent is Immediate Past President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of many books on Abraham Lincoln, Nikola Tesla, and Thomas Edison.
