pattymal

My dad wants to visit the WW II & Korean War Monuments - He is 86 years old.
What is the best way to visit them and is there parking nearby?

PaulRabe

Here's some info on the Korean War Monument

http://tinyurl.com/KorWarMon

Note the phrase "Parking on the Mall is often difficult, but your best bet is street parking along the river on Ohio Drive."

The official NPS site

http://www.nps.gov/wwii/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Notes "There is limited handicapped parking at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and World War II Memorials and near the Washington Monument and the Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean War Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans Memorials; otherwise, parking is extremely scarce in Washington, D.C."

longhorn55

I would recommend just taking a taxi and have them drop you off at the WWII Memorial and then take another taxi to drop you off close to the Korean War Memorial. Unless you will be pushing your father in a wheelchair, I think that the distance between those two memorials would be too far for most 86 year old people to walk.
Driving and parking in D.C. is a real pain (traffic, road construction, hard-to-find parking, expensive parking garages--you name it.) Even as a local, I try to avoid driving in D.C. as much as possible.

pattymal

Thank you so much for your information - it is really appreciated. Dad can walk a short distance but we
will have a wheelchair handy. He is really excited
about this trip.

PaulRabe

I don't know if you're aware of this, but part of the World War Two Memorial is to record the name, address, and contribution of EVERY American who aided Allied victory in that conflict. I don't mean every member of the military -- I mean EVERY AMERICAN. As long as you were in the U.S. at that time and weren't a spy for the Axis, you qualify. Recording a person's contribution is 100% free, and can be done in about a minute. The more info, the better. The individual you want to recall need not be alive, what you record is entirely at your option, and it is totally an "honor" system (if you insist your 80 year old grandmother captured Hitler by herself, however, they MIGHT get suspicious).

Here, for instance, is my father's record:

http://tinyurl.com/R-RabeWW2Mem

Make certain your father (I assume he was in the U.S. at the time) gets his name recorded, with all info correct. That way, 500 years from now, people researching the name will know what your father did during one of the most important events in world history!

tovarich

Take the old town trolley.You can get on/off all day at stops near the monuments.Paul

barbrn

I just took my 88 year old father in September to view his memorial as part of a Stars And Stripes Honor Flight. We flew out of Milwaukee's airport at 6:00 AM and returned that same night around 11:00 PM. If your dad served in WW2 many states are sponsoring these types of flights...their goal is to get as many veterans to see their memorial as possible. I can not begin to tell you what seeing the memorial meant to my father. His health is not the best...and we had to reconcile the idea that this is quality time that may impede on his overall quantity time. It actually put a little bounce back into his step....although I did have him stay in a wheelchair while viewing the memorials. All of the memorials were great (and we saw them all that day!) but the WW2 one is absolutely tremendous. I am so glad that my dad got to see it....I am sure you will feel the same way after you get your dad there. It is so worth it!! And to answer your question...it did appear there was close parking....and all memorials were easily viewed by wheelchair.

barbrn

oops...it is not the states that are sponsoring these honor flights....nothing to do with the government. But this organization is present in many states (Wisconsin has 4 divisions of this group, Illinois also has flights sponsored by the Stars and Stripes organization). Maybe something to look into....but again not paid for by the states themselves...my error. Website is www. StarsandStripesHonorFlight.org

DancingBearMD

If you can get a handicapped parking pass, there are a few handicapped parking spaces at the WWII Memorial. It's about a half mile between the Korean War Memorial and the WWII Memorial.

There are also a limited number of handicapped spots on what is called Daniel French Drive, right next to the Korean War Memorial.

In addition to the Ohio Drive parking, there is parking along the Tidal Basis with an entrance off of Maine Ave. (between the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial). You have to cross some busy streets this way but there are crosswalks and stoplights.

gardendiva

You may also think about one of the tour buses. We took the evening tour and it was very nice. It stops very near each of the monuments so that you can get out and walk only a short distance and then get back in the bus for a little rest on the way to the next. I don't think I would want to drive in DC let alone have to find a close parking spot.