National Mall, DC, June 2026
Walking through the National Mall area, we passed by other points of interest that we did not spend very long at or are not large enough to warrant a post.
On the way to the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, we had to pass by the United States Bontanic Garden. Across Independence Avenue SW from the Botanic Garden building, there is an outdoor garden and fountain.
We have been in the Botanic Gardens building before for the Christmas display, but we did not have time to tour the gardens on this visit. Inside the lobby, they have all the state flowers and a giant live edge table with a repaired split. We did not know if they had a stamp, but we do now.
Just north of the United State Botanic Garden and south of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, there is a monument to Garfield. This monument is for the president, not the fat orange sarcastic cartoon cat. (You can read more about it here.) You can see The Capitol behind it.
Just north of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, there is the Peace Monument. It was erected between 1877 and 1878 to commemorate the naval deaths at sea during the Civil War. (You can read more about it here.) You can see The Capitol behind it.
In the Senate Parks northeast of here, between the Peace Monument and the National Japanese American Memorial, there is a memorial to Senator Robert A. Taft. He is the son of the 27th President, William Howard Taft. He was known as Mr. Republican because he dominated the party. (You can read more here.)
Just outside the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, we saw the National Guard Memorial Museum across the street. We did not go into it, but we did take a picture.
On the walk back, we passed the George Gordon Meade Memorial. It was originally in the northwest section of union square, by The Capitol, but it was moved in 1969 to incorporate the Capitol Reflecting Pool and I-395 tunnel. You can read about the move here.
On the United States Department of Labor building, we saw this.
Someone is trying so hard to make people think he is a great historical leader that it is kind of embarrassing. Even worse,
Republicans are red,
Democrats are blue,
Politics look sour,
And so do you,
The flags have the party colors backwards. I wonder how many people are laughing at this.