Discover the Secrets: Top 8 Fun Facts About the National Mall You Never Knew!

1. Playing Politics on the Mall

Who says parks are all fun and games? Well, apparently the National Mall does: This iconic American landmark offers far more than just sightseeing, with activities like basketball, flag football, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, bocce, cornhole, and even pickleball available on various fields and courts throughout the Mall and surrounding areas. It's a whole new meaning to the term "playing politics"!
Source => dcfray.com

2. Skating with Frosty and Picasso

As the winter chill descends, the National Mall transforms into the grand stage for an epic showdown between Frosty the snowman and Picasso on ice skates: From November 26, 2022, to March 5, 2023, the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden hosts an outdoor ice-skating rink, offering two 45-minute sessions for skaters ages 13+ at $12 and ages 12 and under, 60+, military service members, and students at $9. Ready to get your glide on? Don't forget that skating lessons for all skill levels are available, plus group packages for birthday parties and special events (advance purchasing needed for season passes and lessons)!
Source => nga.gov

Did you know the White House has been home to presidential pets ranging from furry cabinet members to a kangaroo rat? Discover how these unique animals played a role in shaping political images and providing companionship!

=> Fun Facts about The-White-House

3. The Mall That Could've Been

If you thought building IKEA furniture was tricky, try constructing a grand garden-filled avenue in an entire city: The contemporary National Mall turned out to be a simpler, open space flanked by sidewalks and the Washington Monument, rather than a lush garden extravaganza, and it's now been the stage for numerous historical events, like Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.
Source => thetexasorator.com

4. The Smithsonian Pokémon Trainer

When the Smithsonian met Pokémon GO, history and gaming collided in a truly digital display: Sergeant Nadia Tyler, a ten-year veteran of the Office of Protective Services at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, not only protects historical treasures but also hunts for digital creatures, using the numerous Poké Stops found at museum sculptures and gardens to level up and open dialogue with a diverse group of players visiting the National Mall.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

5. A Rocket's Monumental Takeover

Houston, we have a projection: The National Mall commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission by projecting a life-sized Saturn V rocket onto the Washington Monument, thanks to special permission from Congress, collaboration with the Department of the Interior, and the late-night efforts of dozens of designers and technicians.
Source => pbs.org

6. Monument Busting Park Police

Who you gonna call? Monument Busters: The United States Park Police, founded by none other than President George Washington himself in 1791, has got the National Mall and its iconic monuments covered 24/7, extending their protective reach all the way to San Francisco and New York. Not just ghost chasers, they also prep first responders for possible national park shenanigans with their Counter Narcotics & Terrorism Operational Medical Support (CONTOMS) training.
Source => nps.gov

7. Monu-mall Sightseeing Bonanza

From a "monu-mall" shopping spree to a historical treasure trove: The National Mall boasts over 80 picturesque monuments and memorials, including must-see stops such as the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Source => nationalmallcoalition.org

8. Classic Drive-in Experience, Mall Edition

Lights, camera, free popcorn extravaganza: Screen on the Green, the annual outdoor summer film festival on the National Mall, kicked off in 1999 with showstoppers like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, King Kong, and Rebel without a Cause, turning the Mall into a larger-than-life drive-in theater for everyone to enjoy, fancy goggles optional since 3D had yet to take the world by storm!
Source => mallhistory.org