The
National
Mall,
known as
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
from 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
Museums.
The
centerpiece
of the
mall is
the
Washington
Monument
which lies
directly
south of
the
White
House.
