10 fun facts about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is an iconic sight on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It sits directly between the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Monument with the Washington Monument just beyond the WWII Memorial. 

Many people are familiar with the Reflecting Pool because of this famous scene in the fictional Forrest Gump movie. While it’s true this man-made body of water has had a front-row seat to many real-life pivotal and important scenes in history, it has also got an interesting history of its own. 

10 fun facts about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

1. Work began on the Reflecting Pool on Dec. 16, 1920, and took over two years to finish, with the work being completed on Jan. 5, 1923.

2. The Reflecting Pool is approximately 2,028 feet long, 167 feet wide, and, while it looks deeper, is only about 18 inches deep at either side. Its deepest part is in the center which is about 30 inches, and it's the largest of any of Washington’s reflecting pools.

3. The pool holds almost 7 million gallons of water and pulls water from pipes leading to the nearby Tidal Basin.

4. Henry Bacon, a prominent U.S. architect, was chosen in 1913 to design the Lincoln Memorial – but the Reflecting Pool was not a part of his original design. After a complicated process and a shift in direction from the earlier plans for this space (it was originally supposed to be a cruciform shaped pool which was determined in the early 1900s as a part of the McMillan Plan), Bacon was ultimately tasked to design the pool.

5. On the Lincoln Memorial end of the pool, there are 87 steps from the reflecting pool to reach the memorial (and another 58 steps to climb up to the chamber where the statue is). 

6. On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech overlooking the Reflecting Pool with 250,000 people in attendance.

7. The Rainbow Pool, which is now integrated into the WWII Monument, was originally part of the Reflecting Pool project design.

8. In 2010, Reflecting Pool underwent a massive renovation. It was closed for about two years with the pool essentially being reconstructed. Work was performed by a company called Louis Berger. We've seen the DC Reflecting Pool drained in recent years for cleaning, removal of algae, or elimination of parasites.

9. Swimming and ice skating are not allowed to take place in or on the Reflecting Pool.

10. The Reflecting Pool is the largest of the several pools on the National Mall. The water to fill the large pool comes from the nearby Tidal Basin.

The Reflecting Pool adds a beautiful complementary component to the overall Mall’s theme. Every year, the National Mall sees about 25 million visitors. If you're in the area, definitely come by the Reflecting Pool. The Lincoln Memorial at night is spectacular, but during the day also offers beautiful views and reflections in the water.