“My dad and I first started going to DC when I was about 14 years old, we went every since then. We only missed a few years in between. We love walking along the National Mall talking about the previous year and how we might have missed something... the slightest thing like a monument or even a tree. We typically planned our museum visits to make sure we walked along the mall. Our nights ended with dinner and always going to the WWII monument to cool off and talk about what the plans were for tomorrow. Fourth of July was our favorite Holiday to spend in DC, we used to get our spot in front of the Washington Monument to watch the fireworks and be around all the amazing people. “

- Michelle Burgard

I had just watched March On. It was wonderful, awesome. I loved it.

I remember taking [my daughter, Samantha, and the rest of my immediate family] to the National Mall in August 2001, a month before 9/11. It was very hot and very humid and Samantha wanted to swim in the Reflection Pool but we said no. So when we were at the Korean War Memorial, she walked barefoot through the fountain that flows over polished stone! Even with the water, the stone was so hot that she got blisters on the bottom of every single toe, but she never complained; we had so much fun.

We all stared at the Lincoln Memorial and lamented not being able to go to the giant pencil (the Washington Monument; it was closed for repairs). The kids had fun, we all enjoyed it. It was a wonderful day. America's Front Yard, what a great name!

- Carol Huston

My favorite time to visit the National Mall is in the evening when the monuments and buildings are highlighted in flood lights.

-Ragnar Thoresen

“For me, America’s Front Yard represents our Nation’s strength of character in every citizen. One may ponder as they walk past the grandeur marked by the Smithsonian Institution and its various museums as mere buildings of stone, brick, or marble. Yet, the National Mall evokes small whispers that are boldly evident: PEOPLE.

On a chilly night in 2011, I made a naïve decision to start running on the National Mall. As a recent college graduate with “Potomac Fever,” running on the National Mall made me feel extremely energized.

Now, almost a decade later much has transpired. More than ever before, I remain steadfast in my original belief. America’s Front Yard exemplifies the best in people.

While there are many personal stories I can share, the most impactful visit I can recall is having the pleasure of being the trusty DC Tour Guide for my immediate family members as they viewed Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial mere moments after attending the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. It is a long-lasting imprint that I will never forget.

In the coming months, what is even more exciting is that I plan to bask in the beauty of the National Mall by enjoying a picnic near the Smithsonian’s African American Museum of History and Culture!

As a young, black male from the Deep South, my ancestors would have never dreamed of the historic change that has occurred. During these uncertain times, I am deeply honored to be one of the small footnotes of history and share #MYNATIONALMALLSTORY. “

-- Blandon J. David, inaugural co-chair for the Professional Leadership Committee (PLC)

On May 16, 2019 just before midnight, after a lovely evening in Georgetown celebrating Norway's Constitution Day, my boyfriend Jon surprised me with a visit to the Jefferson Memorial. Without me knowing where we were going or why, he had the Uber drop us off at the back of the Jefferson.

We walked around to the front, holding hands and reminiscing about the first time we had visited the memorial together 2-years earlier on our first date. Then to my complete surprise, Jon got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

After saying "Yes!" I turned around to see my 14-year-old golden retriever, running up the steps of the Jefferson to greet us. The dog had been hiding in the bushes, along with a few of our friends, waiting for us to arrive. Little did I know, Jon had hired a photographer (who I thought was just a random tourist) to capture the entire moment in the perfect setting.

It was the perfect evening and biggest surprise, the Jefferson Memorial will forever be our favorite place in Washington, DC! -- Storm Horncastle

“When I was 10 years old, my family decided to move to Maryland. I was leaving loved ones, friends, and classmates behind for a place I had never traveled to before. Naturally I was nervous about my unforeseen future and the obvious troubling concerns on a young kid's mind, such as enrolling into a new school and assimilating into a new crowd.

However, on that first drive home from Reagan National Airport, I remembered peering out the window, and staring out across the Potomac River in awe of the various treasures that make up the National Mall. My anxiety inducing thoughts went away, and the only thought on my mind was going to visit each and every monument and memorial. I was not only intrigued by the various landmarks, but it also made me feel incredibly lucky to be able to have these treasures in my backyard.

To me, the National Mall not only is the visual representation of America's soul, but it also is a place I can call home. Furthermore, my family has an expansive military background, and being able to visit the many memorials made me appreciate what the brave men and women of this country do even more than I already thought possible. Between my experiences rowing on the Potomac, and various frequent travels from Maryland into the D.C. area, I have been able to view the National Mall more times than I can remember. In terms of visiting the various landmarks that make up the National Mall, I too have been many times over. Maintaining the National Mall is not only in the interest of this country's spirit, but it is also personal to me, as I'm sure it is to many others.”

Zachary Bagliore

“In the fall of 2017, friends of mine from when I worked in South Korea only a few years prior came to visit me in Washington, D.C. Some of them were American citizens that had never been to the East Coast, others were from foreign countries and had never been to America before that trip.

The National Mall is called “America’s Front Yard”, and from the moment of my friend’s arrival, this reality never rang more true. That first evening, with everyone gathered, we took a stroll from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, stopping, contemplating, and absorbing the monuments along the way. The walk took all night just to cover a few miles. I know that I am not alone in enjoying the monuments at night -- there is a certain solemnity to the Washington monument light up piercingly against a clear black sky, and there is a certain reverence that a person undergoes as they deliberately walk up each step, all alone and without any visitors vying for a view, to stop before the statue of Lincoln that looks as if he is about to rise out of his chair at any moment. When I first moved to D.C. for graduate school, I would take night time runs through D.C., always making a point to run past the tidal basin where seeing the monuments lit up in such a way would fill me not just with pride, but with a deep emotional weight that I would carry throughout my runs.

That night my friends visited, I got to see what experiencing that weight looks like on others, as we moved at times silently, and at other times in hushed but heavy speech about what these testaments meant to each of us. I will carry that memory forever, as will my friends for their own individual reasons. I can think of no other experience across the world that is not only so contemplative, but is free, open to the public, and maintained for reflection both day and night, every day of the year. Being able to help preserve that experience for future generations is important to me, as this is what the National Mall means to me.”

Matthew Brandeburg

“I grew up in Rhode Island. My first visit to Washington DC was when I was about 6 or 7 years old with my family. We stayed in Arlington and drove in to see all the sights including obviously the National Mall. I believe I may have known then that the DC area would become special to me.

Years later my older sister came to DC to University. I remember again coming to visit attendIng her graduation festivities . Always impressed by the beauty of the National Mall.

I attended college in Massachusetts...but after 2 years transferred to George Washington University , where of course the National Mall became my back yard. We , as students would spend many nights just hanging around the various monuments . On the 4th of July , one of the first concerts was held during the day on the mall. I went with my now husband and have great pictures and memories of watching The Beach Boys... yes this was 1980 I believe.

We then moved to NYC for a short stint but always wanted to come back to the DC area. We thought of it as a takedown of NYC and a great place to start a family.

We then enjoyed the mall in so many ways; bringing visitors from out of town , watching 4th of July fireworks, the Capital music on Memorial Day and the 4th and watching my daughter play soccer on the mall was a highlight. “Christmas Eve in Washington “ by Maura Sullivan is my favorite song , I often play it regardless of the season .

Upon an early retirement, I would park on Ohio Drive and walk the National Mall for hours, it was addicting.

One of the last memories I have of the National Mall pre Covid is having 5 of my high school friends visit from RI . We spent an entire day walking the Mall , covering every monument and place of interest and mostly just taking in the beauty of The National Mall .

Pam Marquez, Co-Chair, Women’s Leadership Committee

“In 1966 two friends and I had graduated from business school in Salina, Kansas. The Navy Department came and recruited us, and others to come and work in Washington, D.C. We worked at Main Navy, a building built temporarily in WW II.

...My mother sent me a letter saying if you look out your back door, I think that's the reflection pool. And what a beautiful marvelous surprise. Spent lots of time on the mall area along with hundreds of others.

Left in 1970 and the Main Navy building was to be torn down. But what an adventure." -- Linda Norris

“I fell in love with the blossoming cherry trees during my first springtime visit to the Tidal Basin many years ago, and I strive to visit every year at that time. Sheltered under the lush canopy, hugged by Nature, showered with millions of pink and white petals, I am stunned into silent reverence - grateful to experience such fragile, fleeting beauty.” — Mary Pierce

"Hi, I lived in Washington DC for 12 years. During that time our family visited the Mall countless times. When it came time for me to begin my next novel, I decided to plunge into historical fiction. But I didn't know where to set my love story covering 20 years.

It was the 200th anniversary of the Mall and what should appear but a wonderful infographic story in the Washington Post. The universe delivered my historical location to me that day. Now I have Love on the Mall out to literary agents, and I've begun writing Faith on the Mall, both part of a series planned called Tales of the National Mall.

I do rigorous research for my stories and love learning more. I'm looking forward to sharing them with you once I get a publisher.

Best, Ann Beltran"