Albert Einstein Memorial

The Albert Einstein Memorial is a monument dedicated to the prolific physicist Albert Einstein. It was commissioned by the National Academy of Sciences and dedicated on April 22, 1979, during the centennial year of his birth.

Where Is The Albert Einstein Memorial Located?

The Albert Einstein monument is located in Washington, D.C, at 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences. While most memorials in this area, also known as the National Mall, are dedicated to politicians and military figures, the Albert Einstein statue is the only one honoring a scientist.

Why Was the Albert Einstein Memorial Built?

Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879. He showed interest in mathematics and physics, excelling in school early on.

He studied at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, earning a tech diploma in 1900. While working at the Swiss Patent Office, He published several scientific papers, including the special theory of relativity, which introduced the equation E = mc2. His work on the general theory of relativity fundamentally changed how scientists understand space, time, and gravity. The Albert Einstein statue was built to commemorate these achievements and honor his contributions to modern physics.

The Interactive Design Of The Einstein Memorial

The Einstein memorial features a 12-foot-tall, 4-ton bronze statue of Einstein sitting on a bench. The statue was created by artist Robert Berks, based on a bust he made of Einstein in 1953 at his Princeton home, and cast at the Modern Art Foundry in Queens, New York. The Einstein memorial focuses on his scientific achievements, including:

• The general theory of relativity
• Photoelectric effect equation
• Energy-mass equivalence (E = mc2)

There are also three quotations attributed to Einstein engraved on the bench. They speak to civil liberties, the natural world, and the pursuit of truth.

Beneath the Einstein statue is a 28-foot circular stone dais embedded with 2,704 metal studs that represent the positions of celestial objects as they appeared on the day of the memorial’s dedication. A celestial map is a representation of the positions of stars, planets, and other celestial objects. Astronomers from the U.S. Naval Observatory positioned the metal studs to match the actual sky on April 22, 1979.

The dais also functions as an interactive element of the Albert Einstein monument with an acoustic effect. It allows visitors to engage by standing at the marked center and speaking, which carries the sound across the circle. Together, the celestial map and acoustic design connect Einstein’s work in physics and astronomy to the memorial itself.

The National Mall And Other Prominent Memorials

The National Mall, and home to the Albert Einstein statue, is a public park in the center of Washington, D.C., that displays the nation’s most prominent monuments, memorials, and museums. The Einstein monument is located north of the mall, within walking distance of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

In this area, you’ll also find the Constitution Gardens, a landscaped park created in the 1970’s, with walkable paths for pedestrians, open lawns, and a small lake. Just south of the Constitution Gardens, in West Potomac Park along Tidal Basin, is the George Mason monument, another notable memorial in the National Mall area. Mason was a political thought leader, and while different from Einstein's scientific achievement, the proximity of these monuments allows visitors to indulge in different areas of American history.

Together, the memorials and gardens create a connected corridor of history, politics, and science.

More Einstein Memorial Facts

The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, both have replicas of the Albert Einstein Monument. Both replicas mirror the scale and design of the original Albert Einstein Memorial in Washington, D.C., including the celestial map.

The Einstein memorial has also become a staple in popular culture. Most notably, the statue was featured on Sesame Street, where the character Grover interacted with the monument. The statue has since been used in educational programs, photography, and tourism marketing as a recognizable symbol of science on the National Mall.

Visiting The Albert Einstein Monument

The memorial is free and open to the public year-round. The closest mode of transportation is the Foggy Bottom Metro Station. From there, the Einstein monument is reachable on foot through the Constitution Gardens.