Notice to the Public: Temporary closures between Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument

Map: Closure Area

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

Beginning Thursday, June 25, 2026, the National Park Service (NPS) is imposing temporary closures to the public as described below. A map illustrating the closed park area is attached, and the closed area will be delineated by fencing or other physical barriers on-site. The closures will be lifted as soon as they are no longer necessary to protect NPS resources and provide for public safety, restoring access to the public as soon as practicable. Violation is prohibited.

Specifically, there will be temporary visitor access restrictions at the following locations:

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The following areas will be closed to visitor access starting Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. and continuing through Friday, July 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (all times local).
• The Reflecting Pool
• The walkway adjacent to the Reflecting Pool
• North Elm Walk and South Elm Walk (the exterior walkway north and south of the reflecting pool) and the land between those walkways and the reflecting pool
• JFK Hockey Fields
• The walkway along the southeastern portion of the JFK Hockey Fields from the eastern most end of the US Park Policy horse stables to the WWII public restrooms.
• The wooded area east of the US Park Police horse stables to the DC World War I Memorial and south to the walkway along Independence Avenue
• The wooded area east of the DC World War I Memorial to the restrooms at the World War II Memorial and south to the walkway along Independence Avenue
• The grass median areas north of the Reflecting Pool up to the walkway and south of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and Constitution Gardens.

Access to the DC World War I Memorial itself, public restrooms south of the reflecting pool near the World War II Memorial, and public restrooms north of the reflecting pool near Constitution Gardens will remain open to visitors.

The below closures are continuations or expansions of closures begun on June 18, 2026:

17th Street Between Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue

Continuing from June 18, 2026, the following closures will occur through Tuesday, June 30, 2026;
• Partial closure of the northbound side of 17th Street to vehicles between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day.
• Full closure of 17th Street to vehicles and pedestrians between the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. each night.

Washington Monument Grounds

The closure implemented June 18, 2026, at the Washington Monument Grounds will be extended starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 25, 2026, and will continue through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
• The west and north sides of the Washington Monument Grounds, and a portion of the southern side of the Washington Monument Grounds, extending from the ha-ha wall surrounding the base of the Washington Monument north to Constitution Avenue, west to 17th Street, and south to Independence Avenue, east to the Sylvan Theater, including exterior walkways, will be closed to pedestrians as reflected in the attached map.

Constitution Gardens Plaza

The closure to pedestrian access implemented June 18, 2026, at Constitution Gardens Plaza will continue through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026.

The National Park Service appreciates the public’s cooperation in this matter.

/s/ Kevin Griess, Superintendent, 6/25/2026