Each year, somewhere between 6 to 7 million people visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to see the grand statue of President Abraham Lincoln overlooking the National Mall.

May 30 will mark a century since the monument was erected in honor of the nation's 16th president, but its significance has hardly waned over the course of those 100 years. 

From opera singer Marian Anderson’s open-air concert in 1939 – when she sang to over 75,000 people after being denied from performing in any concert hall because she was Black – to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 Civil Rights March, the memorial has remained front-and-center in American culture.

“The Lincoln Memorial is a memorial obviously of not just Lincoln but everything that happened around the Civil War so it really stands for a tremendous amount for the country,” said Matt Smyth, a tourist from Phoenix.

Anne Marie Whittacker, a licensed tour guide of over 46 years, says the Lincoln Memorial is the number one place international tourists want to visit.

“The idea and his ideals of democracy and equality in America resonate internationally,” Whittaker said.

Architect Henry Bacon designed the memorial to emulate the Parthenon on the Acropolis overlooking Athens, the birthplace of democracy, after growing fond of Greek architecture while studying in Europe for several years.

“So this then becomes the temple of democracy and Lincoln is seated in this temple not as a God, but as a servant and a judge,” Whittaker said.

Bacon submitted the design for the memorial and chosen in 1912. Construction began two years later and continued through 1922 when it finally opened to the public.

To commemorate the 100 years of the Lincoln Memorial, the National Park Service and partner organizations like the Trust for the National Mall will sponsor events throughout May. The virtual and in-person activities will center on the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the role the memorial has played in national celebrations and demonstrations, like the civil rights movement.

President and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit organization that aims to bring attention to and raise funds for the National Mall, Catherine Townsend is excited for tourists to see what is lined up.

“We're hopeful that everybody will really enjoy and understand that it's at 100 year marks an incredible time for the Lincoln Memorial,” Townsend said. “And it also represents what's to come, the opportunities ahead.”

The Trust for the National Mall has led fundraising efforts for the National Park Service since 2007. Most of the funds for the memorial are private donations since the government only provides the National Park Service with annual operating costs for significant restorations and repairs.

“So it's always a difficult mission because people feel that the National Mall is supported 100% by government funding. And that's just not the case,” Townsend said.

However, Townsend says government funding is not enough.

“There is a huge backlog of repairs and maintenance needs all across the park system,” Townsend said. “And the national mall has one of the largest, obviously, because we have the largest amount of visitors that come to the national mall every year, but over 36 million visits. So it’s annual wear and tear. It's this increased visitorship.”

Funds also help develop education enrichment programs that showcase the work done to upkeep the memorial and its history over the past century.

More details about the 100-year anniversary festivities can be found on the national park service website.​