National Mall, National park in Washington D.C., United States.

The National Mall is a landscaped park in Washington, D.C., running from the United States Capitol grounds east to the Washington Monument west, a distance of 1.2 miles. Its central greensward is lined by rows of trees and flanked by Smithsonian museums and federal buildings. At the west end, the tall pale stone obelisk of the Washington Monument rises from a circular base and is mirrored in a long rectangular reflecting pool.

Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed the grounds in 1791 as an open space for citizens, drawing on European models with a democratic focus. Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, memorials and institutions were gradually added, shaping its current appearance.

The central lawn serves as a gathering place for events and is often used by visitors for picnicking or playing ball games. Surrounding the green space are buildings displaying objects from different areas of American history.

The Mall stretches 1.9 miles (3.0 km) from the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial, and 1.2 miles (1.8 km) from the Capitol to the Washington Monument. Its open lawn between Madison Drive NW and Jefferson Drive SW is 656 feet (200 m) wide at 7th Street, with a tree-lined vista 300 feet (91 m) across. National Park Service rangers lead walks and talks here through the year.

The obelisk in the middle of the grounds was built from two different types of marble after construction resumed following a decades-long halt. This interruption left a visible color gradation on the tower that remains noticeable today.