A New Way for Student Groups to Experience the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial has been a cornerstone of student trips to Washington, DC for generations. Now, for the first time, visitors can experience an entirely new side of the monument.

The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft, which opened to the public on June 25, 2026, gives visitors access to a dramatic space beneath the memorial that was largely hidden from public view for more than a century. For student groups, it adds a new layer of history, architecture, and engineering to one of Washington’s most familiar landmarks.

What Is the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft?

The undercroft is the massive structural space beneath the Lincoln Memorial. Inside is a grid of concrete columns and foundations that support the monument above, giving visitors a rare look at how the memorial was engineered and constructed.

As part of a major National Park Service project, approximately 15,000 square feet of new exhibit space has been created beneath the memorial. Floor-to-ceiling glass provides views into the undercroft, while interactive exhibits and multimedia presentations explore the memorial’s construction, Abraham Lincoln, and the history of the monument itself.

Students can see the foundations that support the memorial, learn more about how it was constructed in the early 20th century, and discover traces left behind by the workers who built it. Interactive exhibits, models, and an immersive multimedia presentation help tell the story of the monument from a perspective that was previously inaccessible to most visitors.

The exhibits also explore how the Lincoln Memorial’s meaning has evolved since its dedication in 1922, including its important role in the civil rights movement and historic moments such as Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.

For students who have seen photographs of the Lincoln Memorial countless times, the Undercroft offers a very different perspective on both how the monument was built and the history that has unfolded around it.

Planning a Student Group Visit

Unlike the traditional Lincoln Memorial experience, which remains free and open without a reservation, timed-entry tickets are required for the Undercroft and lower-level museum.

Groups can reserve up to 50 tickets online up to 30 days in advance. Admission is free, although a small reservation service fee applies to advance bookings. Large groups should plan ahead, as group reservations are not available through the same-day walk-up ticket system.

For schools traveling with a student tour company, these group reservations can be handled as part of the trip-planning process, making it easier to incorporate the Undercroft into an already busy Washington itinerary.

The experience is self-guided, and visitors pass through airport-style security screening before entering. The National Park Service does not publish a standard visit length; for student-group itinerary planning, allowing roughly 30-45 minutes inside the Undercroft, plus time for security, is a reasonable planning estimate.

A Fresh Addition to a Classic Washington, DC Stop

The Lincoln Memorial has always been one of the essential stops on a student trip to Washington, DC. The new Undercroft gives teachers another reason to include it – and gives students an opportunity to see something that generations of previous visitors never could.

Rather than replacing the traditional visit to Lincoln’s statue and the memorial chamber, the Undercroft adds another dimension to the experience, helping students better understand the history, construction, and evolving significance of the monument they see above.

Teachers planning a Washington, DC student trip can also explore our Washington, DC tours for more ideas on building an educational itinerary around the city.