The National Mall

The National Mall's sometimes known a the "Nation's Front Yard" is the open space and parklands envisioned by Pierre L'Enfant's plan , which was commissioned by George Washington.  Running form the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac to the Capitol Building it  includes the 2,000 American elms which line the Mall and the 3,000 internationally renowned Japanese cherry trees which grace the Tidal Basin . Along the Mall are the majority of the museums which comprise the Smithsonian Institution.   The centerpiece of the mall is the Washington Monument which lies directly south of the White House.