The World War II Memorial in shutting down for monthslong renovations to update its fountains and lighting, starting Friday, according to the National Park Service,
The World War II Memorial is shutting down for monthslong renovations starting Friday, as the National Park Service spruces up popular spots ahead of America’s 250th birthday.
The Park Service expects the memorial to reopen by May 15, according to a Thursday news release.
The $3.7 million project will replace the lighting systems that don’t work anymore in the memorial’s fountain and along the ground. Crews will also make electrical and mechanical upgrades to ensure the new lighting is safe and reliable.
The National Park Service said the renovations will make it possible to see the World War II Memorial at night again, while improving safety and visitor experience.
During the closure, fencing and construction barriers will restrict visitors’ access to the monument. Some pedestrian routes could be adjusted to accommodate the ongoing work.
The upgrades come as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday this summer. The semiquincentennial has pushed along projects to restore the District’s monuments, historic landscapes and parks.
A lot of the changes will address signs of weathering, general wear and tear from visitors, as well as outdated systems, according to the National Park Service.
Some of the ongoing work could lead to additional closures beyond the World War II Memorial.
Other fountains are also getting upgrades at Dupont Circle, the George Mason Memorial and several additional monuments.
Some fountains that don’t work are being fixed up, including at Columbus Plaza, John Marshall Park and Meridian Hill Park.
A group of veterans were among those on hand at the World War II Memorial in D.C. to lay a wreath in commemoration of Veterans Day.
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Veterans honor those they served with at World War II Memorial
The Nazis couldn’t stop them back then, and so the cold air and biting, constant wind blowing across the National Mall wasn’t going to stop them Tuesday.
A group of World War II veterans were among those on hand at the World War II Memorial to lay a wreath in commemoration of Veterans Day.
Standing up at 100 years old was Col. Frank Cohn, who was born in Germany and fled the Nazis as a teenager. Years later, he returned to fight them in World War II as a member of the U.S. Army.
“It’s a remembrance of all the people who didn’t get through the war, the ones who were killed,” Cohn said. “We have to … memorialize them, because they did everything to even give their lives to the freedom that we wanted, and this is what’s important. We got the freedom, and we should keep it, and everybody got to help keeping it too.”
He said those who weren’t veterans, but were taking the time to honor one, are living up to the spirit of the day.
“I think it’s wonderful that they do this, not because of us, but because of the way we have our country,” Cohn said. “It’s ours, and we’re not gonna let it go.”
Fighting for the spirit of America was also a theme touched on by Patrick McCourt, a living history volunteer for the National Park Service.
“Memorial Day, we’re honoring the dead. But these guys, they served, and they’re not dead,” he said. “They came back. And, they’re the ones that can tell us the stories and give us a sense of what they did and what those deceased on Memorial Day, who we honor, also did.”
He said the importance of those stories carry on today.
“It’s very important that we know about what happened in our history,” McCourt said. “I think we would not be in this situation if everyone in the United States knew the history and lived by the history.”
It’s estimated there are less than 50,000 living veterans of World War II. Those who are alive are closing in on 100 years old, if they haven’t hit that mark yet, the way Cohn and other veterans of that war who were at the memorial have.
“When the world was in peril, you came home and built a better nation,” said Jane Droppa, chair of the Friends of the World War II Memorial. “Your legacy continues to inspire us to be worthy of the freedom you defended.”
Alex Kershaw, the resident historian for the Friends of the World War II Memorial, told those who gathered about how important it is to celebrate soldiers “who served a cause greater than themselves” on battlefields in Europe and the Pacific.
“Eighty years after the most impactful war ever fought came to an end, we thank them and veterans of all wars for serving this great nation, for protecting us and our freedoms,” Kershaw said.
One of the veterans in attendance for the Veterans Day event at the World War II Memorial was Col. Frank Cohn, who was born in Germany and fled the Nazis as a teenager.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
A group of veterans gathered at the World War II Memorial on Nov. 11, 2025, to commemorate Veterans Day.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
Patrick McCourt, a living history volunteer for the National Park Service, salutes military veterans.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
Alex Kershaw, the resident historian for the Friends of the World War II Memorial, told those who gathered about how important it is to celebrate soldiers.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
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