Trending Now - Discovering the Hidden History of the Lincoln Memorial

WHO:

CBS News - Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced the opening of the Undercroft.

CBS News - Philanthropist David Rubenstein donated a quarter of the $69 million needed for the transformation of the Undercroft.

CBS News - Historian Edna Greene Medford from Howard University provided insights on the memorial's significance.

WHAT:

CBS News - The Undercroft is a 50,000-square-foot space built to support the Lincoln Memorial, featuring 120 concrete pillars that sink 50 feet into the ground.

CBS News - The Undercroft has never been seen by the public before and will open as a museum in June.

CBS News - The museum will trace the history of the Lincoln Memorial, including its role in the civil rights movement.

WHERE:

CBS News - The Undercroft is located beneath the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

WHEN:

CBS News - The museum in the Undercroft will open to the public starting in June.

WHY:

CBS News - David Rubenstein stated, "You can't really be a great country if you don't really honor your history and understand your history."

CBS News - The administration aims to "restore truth and sanity to American history" through the new museum.

HOW:

CBS News - The Undercroft was constructed to prevent the Lincoln Memorial from sinking into the swampy ground of Washington, D.C.

(UPDATED May 31, 2026 15:19 UTC)

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has announced the opening of the Undercroft, a significant new museum located beneath the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. This 50,000-square-foot space, which features 120 concrete pillars that sink 50 feet into the ground, has never been seen by the public before and will open in June, tracing the history of the Lincoln Memorial and its role in the civil rights movement. Philanthropist David Rubenstein contributed a quarter of the $69 million needed for the transformation, emphasizing the importance of honoring and understanding American history.