10 Patriotic Places By Ben Abramson and Maura McCarthy washingtonpost.com Staff Writers Updated July 1, 2002

(Photo by Sarah L. Voisin for The Post)

1. Arlington National Cemetery
As the burial site of presidents, military figures and other heroes, Arlington National Cemetery is among the country's most hallowed places. Perched on a hillside on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, the site also provides a commanding view of Washington's landmarks and monuments. Among memorials too numerous to list are the grave site of John F. Kennedy, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a monument to the victims of the Space Shuttle Challenger. With its acres of white headstones -- many belonging to casualties of military conflicts -- the cemetery is at once sobering and inspiring.

2. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Also known as "the Wall," the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most-visited and most-moving destinations in Washington. The once-controversial design features the names -- engraved on unembellished black granite -- of the almost 60,000 military victims of the Vietnam War. Friends and relatives of the deceased can often be seen rubbing names from the wall onto paper for a memento. Offerings left there for fallen comrades -- from childhood photos to military gear to packs of cigarettes -- are collected and held by the Smithsonian and have been the subject of a museum exhibition and a book. Adjacent to the wall is the Korean War Memorial, with its impressive life-size statues of soldiers from the "forgotten war."

3. Washington Monument
How patriotic is this place? At 555 feet, it's the dominant building on the skyline of the nation's capital, rising above the National Mall on a direct axis between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. Its base is surrounded by American flags, waving crisply in the wind from their hilltop location. It's the prime viewing spot for Washington's famous Fourth of July fireworks. The monument is constructed with a special commemorative stone from each state. And, of course, it commemorates the "father of our country," the Revolutionary War hero and first president, George Washington.

4. Lincoln Memorial
Our nation's tribute to its 16th president anchors the National Mall in homage to Lincoln's vision for unity and freedom. Modeled on a Greek temple, its 36 Doric columns stand for each of the states at the time of Lincoln's death. Under inscriptions from the president's Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address, visitors find the solemn, seated figure of Lincoln. The memorial has also served as an important backdrop to further campaigns for equality: Nearly a century after Lincoln, it hosted Martin Luther King Jr. as he proclaimed "I Have a Dream."

5. U.S. Capitol, White House and Supreme Court
We could separate these, but we really don't think one should function without the other two: the seats of our three branches of government -- Legislative, Executive and Judicial. Each day these three buildings are abuzz with the business of keeping America running. They work to ensure our liberties and sometimes keep them in check. For all but one, Americans vote its leaders in and out of office. Note: The White House is currently open only for scheduled school group tours.

6. Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Our third president wrote his own epitaph: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia"; but this memorial testifies to his grand and enduring legacy. Above the bronze statue of Jefferson, passages from his writings are inscribed upon the rotunda's interior walls. The architecture reflects the Roman Pantheon as well as Jefferson's own designs for Monticello and the University of Virginia.

7. Marine Corps Memorial
Known to many as the Iwo Jima Memorial, this Arlington monument is modeled on one of America's most enduring iconic images. The sculpture of four Marines raising the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima actually commemorates all Marines who died in service of Marine Corps' missions since 1775. The names of these battles are inscribed around the base of the memorial, along with the tribute of Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz to the fighting men at Iwo Jima: "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue."

8. African American Civil War Memorial
In the midst of Washington's historic U Street corridor stands a monument to the valor of the more than 200,000 freed and enslaved African Americans who volunteered during the Civil War. At the end of the war, these same soldiers were shunned from the victorious Grand Review of Troops down Pennsylvania Avenue. After more than a century, the volunteers received their due in this moving tribute. A granite "Wall of Honor" surrounds three sides of a landscaped plaza, holding the names of every United States Colored Troop soldier and officer. At the center of the plaza rises the "Spirit of Freedom," a nine-foot figurative sculpture of African American Union troops.

9. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
This quiet three-acre memorial site at Judiciary Square pays homage to heroes who embody bravery, honor and commitment to cause, not unlike the soldiers honored in our war and military memorials. Inscribed on the low, gray walls are more than 15,000 names of men and women who gave their lives in the line of duty, the oldest dating back to 1794. Barely a decade old, the memorial never draws enormous crowds; it goes about its work proud and unassuming, much like those whom it serves to honor.

10. Library of Congress
As the largest library in the world, the Library of Congress serves as a monument to America's freedom of expression. More than 120 million artifacts, including 18 million books on 500 miles of bookshelves, make up our nation's oldest cultural institution. For more than 200 years, the library has safeguarded national treasures -- including Thomas Jefferson's own library -- and honored America's innovators and intellectuals. Of course, in true democratic spirit, it has also held its doors open to the public.