Photos on Friday: Construction on the National Mall

Friday, May 1, 2015

Photos on Friday: Construction on the National Mall

Earlier in April, we went downtown to see the cherry blossoms (which is a major highlight for me every year, hands down, favorite time of the year!)

After we strolled around the Tidal Basin we decided to check out the National Museum of American History as it had been a while since we visited. We found in January it is currently more difficult to navigate the Mall due to a ton of construction going on and not much had changed in April. Most of the Mall's green is fenced off and undergoing a major renovation, looking at the Capitol, restorations are ongoing and the National Museum of African American History and Culture is under construction, slated to be opened later this year.

As I walked through the fenced path to get to the Metro's Smithsonian stop, I looked at all the construction going on around me and realized this was a moment in time that would never be *exactly* the same. So I stopped and took a series of photos. Here are some of them:

Mound of dirt just inside the fence I was behind. You can see the Smithsonian Castle and the U.S. Capitol in the background

Zooming in from another angle at the U.S. Capitol. You can see that it too is undergoing restoration.

Another view of the Smithsonian Castle

A large portion of the National Mall is currently fenced off. This can make getting from museum to museum a little challenging as you have to walk around for the most part instead of cut through to the other side.

Looking out at the Washington Monument.

Update Oct. 9, 2015: I have revisited the Mall a few times since originally making this post. In September, the huge mounds of dirt looking towards the Capitol are now gone. Last month there was a lot going on when looking the other way towards the Washington Monument.

Update March 2016: Took a couple of pics this month and also in April too (I think those might still be on the camera, will update when I find them). Here's what it looked like in mid-March 2016. It's come a long way since just about a year ago when I took the first group of photos. The second photo is from March 2017 - what a difference a year makes!