Uncover the Many Histories of the National Mall

Explore historical maps, discover stories you never knew, find people and historical events related to the Mall's past.

Featured Exploration Were people ever allowed to swim in the Tidal Basin or the Reflecting Pool?

Swimmers and bathing beauties filled the swimming areas of the Tidal Basin after its construction out of the mudflats on the Potomac in the 1880s. In 1914, Congress voted to create an official beach…