National Mall news stories on Newser

National Mall's $700M Plan: Skating, Theater, Gardens

Matt Cantor — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:06:34 CDT

The National Mall is getting a serious facelift: Soon, we'll be going skating, watching outdoor theater, and exploring vibrant gardens in America's so-called "front yard." The $700 million project will mark a big change from the "overused" grass currently between the Lincoln Memorial and Capitol Building, says an architect. In...

'Occupy Congress' Gathers on National Mall

Kevin Spak — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:18:27 CST

House members are returning from recess today, and Occupy protesters are braving the rain to yell at them. Protesters are already gathering on the National Mall for an event dubbed "Occupy Congress," the Washington Post reports. Though they were hoping to draw 2,000 to the event, so far they...

'Weak' Memorial Makes MLK White

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:43:05 CDT

Take a look at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial unveiled today, and one thing is immediately obvious: The famous black activist is white. To be precise, he’s more pinkish and “blush-colored,” carved from stone bearing “a striking resemblance to pale, freckled skin,” writes Blake Gopnik at the Daily Beast...

MLK Memorial Opens

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:07:37 CDT

The official dedication isn’t until Sunday, but the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on the National Mall opens today at 11am. The 30-foot-tall sculpture and 450-foot-long quotations-inscribed wall sit between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, the AP notes. A week of white-tie and black-tie events will precede Sunday’s dedication, with...

Park Service Approves Glenn Beck's DC Rally

John Johnson — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:14:41 CDT

Glenn Beck's controversial DC rally is a go. The National Park Service has approved a permit to stage his "Restoring Honor" event at the National Mall on Aug. 28, the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the same location, reports the Washington Post . Sarah Palin...

'Non-Political' Glenn Beck Rally Looks Pretty Political

Kevin Spak — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:59:42 CDT

Glenn Beck has insisted that his much-hyped Aug. 17 rally on the national mall will not be political. "This is not a tea party," he said on his radio show in May. "This is not a political event." That's because he's holding the event with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation,...

Michelle Obama to GWU Grads: 'Keep Giving'

M. Morris — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:55:00 CDT

When Michelle Obama agreed to be George Washington University's commencement speaker, she challenged the school's 5,000 seniors to do 100,000 hours of community service. They completed 163,980 hours, reports the Washington Post , spurring the first lady to joke at today's ceremony that if she had known they...

America's Best National Parks

Harry Kimball — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:20:02 CDT

In the recession, international air travel is down and national park attendance is way up. Forbes runs down the crème de la crème of America’s national treasures, but be warned: “It's been incredibly hard to get camping space at most national parks,” one travel agent says. Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii:...

After Historic Day, Historic Cleanup

Ambreen Ali — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:21:01 CST

Crews working into the wee hours hauled away at least 130 tons of garbage after America’s largest, and messiest, outdoor bash Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. With trashcans removed for security precautions, inauguration attendees littered the National Mall, leaving it looking like a rendition of Disney's Wall-E . Obama gear, American...