u/Elsupersabio

Final Fantasy art from the Nintendo Power strategy guide. Opening art for 7 chapters.

The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft is an interesting exhibit. You can get daily tickets at the south information pagoda at the Lincoln Memorial at 8:45 am, but you probably should arrive at least 30 min. early to make sure you get tickets, the lines in summer can get long. I was surprised that there seemed to be more security areas than exhibit space.

To enter, visitors first go to a stand set up on the Lincoln Memorial Plaza, then after gathering the group for the ticket time, a ranger takes you to wait by the door, where they give you the initial security briefing and talk about prohibited items. Then you enter a security briefing room where they explain the security entrance and exit process, followed by an airport-style metal detector screening in another room. From there, you're directed into a sealed security room where all doors must close before a two minute timer counts down and then the next set of doors unlocks. From there you enter the undercroft exhibit area.

Inside there is a large viewing window to the undercroft area, a theater room with a short maybe 5 minute film, and a small museum area. The undercroft is huge and worth seeing. The museum area was well done, with a lot of interesting infromation, photos, artifacts, and models of the memorial. Gift shop was also very good, with an interesting selection of books and gifts, and it is onlly for the undercroft area.

After visiting the exhibit and gift shop, the exit process is similar. You enter another sealed room, wait for the doors to lock and the timer to finish, and then you're allowed to leave. The exit vestibule is smaller, has no windows, and only ceiling vents, which I found uncomfortable. If you're at all claustrophobic, you want to skip this experience.

The undercroft itself was worth seeing, but the multiple enclosed security checkpoints and lengthy security procedures made the overall experience less enjoyable for me.

Unedited photos from yesterday

The middle of the National Mall is gated off for the Great American State Fair until at least July 10. There are entry points into the gated area at 7th Street and 12th Street, but if you want to cross from the museums in the south of the National Mall to the museums on the north side of the mall field, you have to go all the way to 14th Street or 4th Street. The gated off area is pretty huge, a pain to get around. All the metal gates everywhere, not the most inviting look.

They have the large screen back at FIFA Fan Zone on the National Mall and the area is nice. Drinks and food are expensive, like stadium prices. The rest of the mall field between the Capitol and the Washington Monument grounds is fenced off to the public. Yesterday there was no line to get in, but when there is a big game lines get long. No outside food or drink, no bags only small purses or blankets allowed.

FIFA Fan Zone was nice. You have to get there at least 30 minutes early, yesterday for Brazil vs. Morocco there was about a 20 minute line to get in. They have air conditioned tents, bit overpriced food and beer, $14 tall Stellas, $8 pizza slice, but it was good fresh pizza not frozen. Only bad part is they need a larger screen or more screens because that screen is too small to see from half of the seating area. People in the back were just watching on their phones because from there it was impossible to see anything, screen was barely visible.