Lincoln Memorial facts and figures
The building
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Height from the top of the foundation | 79 feet 10 inches |
| Length, north to south | 201 feet 10 inches |
| Width, east to west | 132 feet |
| Exterior columns | 36 Doric, plus 2 at the entrance |
| Exterior column size | 44 feet tall, 7 feet 5 inches across, 20 flutes each |
| Interior columns | 8 Ionic |
| Interior column size | 50 feet tall, 5 feet 6 inches at the base, 24 flutes each |
| Built | 1914–1922, eight years |
| Dedicated | 30 May 1922 |
| Total cost | $3,045,400 |
Eight years of construction and a total cost of just over three million dollars of 1922 money. The stone was gathered from several states rather than one quarry: Colorado Yule marble, Tennessee pink marble and Massachusetts granite outside; Indiana limestone, Georgia white marble, Alabama marble and copper alloy inside. That is a lot of American geology in one building, and it was not an accident.
The statue
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Sculptor | Daniel Chester French |
| Carvers | The Piccirilli Brothers |
| Material | 28 blocks of white Georgia marble |
| Height | 19 feet |
| Weight | 120 tons, or 175 tons with the pedestal |
| Head | 3 feet 7 inches tall, 2 feet 7 inches wide |
Twenty-eight blocks is the number that surprises people. The figure looks carved from one piece and is not. The head alone is taller than most doorways are wide.
The museum below
The newest number on this page. The undercroft opened on 25 June 2026 with 15,000 square feet of exhibit space built around the concrete column grid that carries the memorial. It is the only part of the site that needs a ticket: what is down there and how to get in.
If you want one number to carry away, make it 28 blocks of Georgia marble rather than the cost or the height. It is the one that changes what you are looking at while you stand in front of it.
Covering the memorials properly
Numbers land better with the buildings in front of you. The bike tour is rated 4.8 across more than four hundred reviews and covers the monuments in an afternoon.
Related: what to look at, the two step counts, and the myths worth ignoring.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is the Lincoln statue?
Nineteen feet, weighing 120 tons, or 175 tons with the pedestal, carved by the Piccirilli Brothers from 28 blocks of white Georgia marble to Daniel Chester French’s design. More on what to look at.
When was the Lincoln Memorial built?
Between 1914 and 1922, and dedicated on 30 May 1922. Henry Bacon was the architect and drew on the Parthenon. The newest part of the site is the undercroft museum, which opened on 25 June 2026.
How many columns does the Lincoln Memorial have?
Thirty-six Doric columns outside plus two at the entrance, 44 feet tall with 20 flutes each, and eight Ionic columns inside, 50 feet tall with 24 flutes each. Whether any of them hides a face is answered on the myths page.