Can anyone give me information on the FDR Memorial?
Located along the famous Cherry Tree Walk on the Western edge of the Tidal Basin near the National Mall, this is a memorial not only to FDR, but also to the era he represents. The memorial traces twelve years of American History through a sequence of four outdoor rooms-each one devoted to one of FDR’s terms of office. Sculptures inspired by photographs depict the 32nd President: A 10-foot statue shows him in a wheeled chair; a bas-relief depicts him riding in a car during his first inaugural. At the very beginning of the memorial in a prologue room there is a statue with FDR seated in a wheelchair much like the one he actually used.
The FDR Memorial is in easy walking distance of the National Mall. It is a memorial that you can walk into -and has four chambers representing various periods of his terms as President, including the Great Depression and War World II. I think his statue (btw), is way off the mark. I think it isn’t very good likeness of the President and that statue to Eleanor Roosevelt makes her look like a bag lady. Until I looked at the inscription more carefully, I thought she was one of the down trodden that FDR helped during the Great Depression. I think that the FDR memorial is OK and certainly worth a visit, but overall I give the memorial about a C+ for esthetics.
I really loved the various quotes given thru-out the Memorial as well as the symbology of the “rooms” refering to different times and happenings in his life-google DC and do some online reading-they have so many great travel sites out there with specifics on all the monuments in the city. We are going in July so I’ve been doing the same myself. Note- the Twilight Trolley tour (union Station) is wonderful and you learn so much. Also the dbl decker red buses are great-its on off all day so you learn and can go see things (like the Trolley) but its only 35 or so for 2 days-and it p/u at many hotels etc as well as Union Station.
