FAQs

Learn more about America's Front Yard.

What is the National Mall?

The National Mall, located at the heart of Washington, DC, is the country’s premier national park. It is truly America’s Front Yard, but also serves as the world’s window on America. The park is home to some of our nation’s most recognizable monuments, memorials and important events: presidential inaugurations, social and political demonstrations, and historical commemorations. It serves as a symbol of our democracy and provides every American and international visitor a chance to connect with our country’s history and heroes. The Trust is dedicated to restoring and improving this important National Park.

Why is the National Mall in a state of disrepair?
With more than 36 million visits to the National Mall each year the National Park Service cannot keep up with the volume of use with continuing reduced budgets. The National Mall has more visits than Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon National Parks combined and hosts more than 3,000 permitted events each year. Click here to see the AP's interactive map of the damage.

Why doesn't Congress pay for the upkeep of the National Mall?
The National Park Service is facing a $11.49 billion repair and maintenance backlog for all national parks and an estimated $852 million for the National Mall. Congress is helping but we cannot wait for Congress to restore America's Front Yard.

What is the Trust for the National Mall?
The Trust for the National Mall is the official non-profit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring and improving the National Mall. Simply put, our goal is to make the National Mall the best park in the world.

How much work needs to be done?
It has been 30 years since the National Mall's last major renovation was completed after the country's bicentennial in 1976. Click here to learn about the critical projects that need to be completed on the National Mall.

What is the National Mall Plan?
The National Mall Plan is the Park Service's blueprint for the restoration and improvement of our National Mall. It is the result of a planning process that took four years and includes comments from 34,000 people in all 50 states, research on best practices in parks throughout the world, and the input of more than 100 federal agencies and expert constituencies. The official Record of Decision for the Mall Plan was signed by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on November 9, 2010. To learn more about the National Mall Plan, click here.

How can I help restore the National Mall?
The Trust hopes that all Americans become involved in restoring America's Front Yard. To contribute, please make a donation to help support our mission to restore, improve and preserve the National Mall at www.nationalmall.org/give.