WASHINGTON — A popular spot to catch the Fourth of July fireworks at the National Mall will be closed this year as construction continues to build an underground museum beneath a national landmark.
According to National Park Service's Mike Litterst, the Lincoln Memorial will be closed on July 4. This includes the stairs where many typically gather to watch the fireworks on the National holiday.
The closure was announced Tuesday during a press conference and comes as construction of a museum beneath the Lincoln Memorial continues. Despite the National Park Service website saying that memorial would remain open during construction, the agency decided to close the area citing crowd concerns.
"Currently half of the stairs are under construction," said Litterst. "We know the stairs draw a big crowd and there are concerns of overcrowding and safety issues. So, for that reason, the Lincoln Memorial and the stairs will be closed."
While the stairs and memorial will be off-limits, Litterst says there are still plenty of places to watch the Fourth of July fireworks.
"[There's] plenty of room on the plaza, on the stairs down to the reflecting pool, for people to still come and enjoy the fireworks," Litterst explained.
Construction on the nearly $69M underground project began in March 2023 and isn't expected to be completed until July 2026.
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