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Human and Natural Landscapes of the Capital Region
Item 9 of 9

Constitution Gardens is a fifty-acre park situated near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. The gardens was established in 1976 after President Nixon ordered that a park be established on the land. The site became a separate unit of the National Park Service in 1982 and is maintained by the National Capitol Parks-Central (NACC) division. The park also includes a memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, which is located on a small island in the pond. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was erected in 1982.


Constitution Gardens Pond

Constitution Gardens Pond

The memorial honoring the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence is on the small island in the pond.

Sky, Tree, Grass, Land lot

Constitution Gardens was established to commemorate the bicentennial of American independence. The memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence was dedicated in July 1984 and can be accessed by crossing a wooden bridge to the island. It consists of semi-circular plaza with large stones bearing the inscriptions of the signers' names and signatures as they appeared on the Declaration of Independence. The gardens is also home to a naturalization ceremony hosted by the National Parks Service for new U.S. citizens. Millions of visitors visit the site each year. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982.

"56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial." National Park Service. Last Updated October 24, 2020. https://www.nps.gov/places/000/56-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence-memorial.htm.