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Filming at National Monuments

June 18, 2026

Restricted Area Maps of Memorials within National Mall and Memorial Parks along with Copyright information about some of the popular locations.

Copyrights Required for Monument in Washington DC

Per the NPS: While many of the monuments and memorials are in the public domain, therefore free of copyright concerns, several are not in the public domain and the permittee will need approval from the artist or their conservator to use the images for commercial purposes.

The permittee shall own all rights of every kind in and to all (photographs/film/recording) made in the park and shall have the right to use such material in any manner it may desire without limitation or restriction of any kind. Permit does not grant any rights regarding the filming, photography or recording of individuals on National Park Service property. In addition, right owned by other individuals or institutions are not impacted or changed by this permit.

Persons granted filming/photography/recording permits retain all rights to the photographs/film/recordings made in the park to use in any manner they may desire without limitation or restriction. These rights do not extend to the photography or recording of individuals, or of NPS property. Furthermore, the rights owned by other individuals or institutions are not impacted or changed by this.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

Copyright Required

  • Section:
    The Appalachian Farm Couple (Room 2)
    The Depression Breadline (Room 2)
    The Fireside Chat (Room 2)
    • Copyright Holder:
      George Segal (copyright currently held by the
      George and Helen Segal Foundation, Inc.)
    • Contact Information:
      136 Davidson’s Mill Road
      North Brunswick, NJ 08902
      (732) 821-5877
  • Section:
    Eagle Alcove and the Presidential Seal
    • Copyright Holder:
      Tom Hardy (deceased)
    • Contact Information:
      224 NW 10th Avenue
      Portland, OR 97209
      (503)228-2473
  • Section:
    Eleanor Roosevelt statue (Room 4)
    Franklin D. Roosevelt with Fala statues (Room 3)
    First Inaugural statue (Room 1)
    Social Programs statue (Room 2)
    • Copyright Holder:
      Neil Estern
    • Contact Information:
      432 Cream Hill Road
      West Cornwall, CT 06796
      (860) 824-5208
  • Section:
    Franklin D. Roosevelt in Wheelchair statue and Prologue (Prelude Room)
    • Copyright Holder:
      Robert Graham Studio
    • Contact Information:
      5856 Adams Blvd.
      Culver City, CA 90232
      (310) 399-5374
      rgstudio@earthlink.net
  • Section:
    Funeral Cortege (Room 4)
    • Copyright Holder:
      Leonard Baskin (copyright currently held by Lisa Baskin)
    • Contact Information:
      Box 314
      Leeds, MA 01053
      (413) 586-4127
  • Section:
    Stone Carver (inscriptions throughout the memorial)
    • Copyright Holder:
      John Benson
    • Contact Information:
      7 Cross Street
      Newport, RI 02840
      (401) 846-0564

US Marine Corps War Memorial

Copyright Required, but is granted automatically when you have a filming permit

  • Section:
    U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial
    • Copyright Holder:
      NPS/GWMP
    • Contact Information:
      National Park Service George Washington Memorial Parkway
      (703) 289-2500

Please note the Original “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” photograph still has a copyright

  • Photo:
    “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima”
  • Photographer:
    Joe Rosenthal
  • Taken:
    February 23, 1945
    • Employer / historical rights holder: 
      Associated Press⁠
    • Contact for licensing the Rosenthal photograph:
      AP Images Licensing
      info@ap.org
      (212) 621-1500

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Copyright Required

  • Section:
    • Copyright Holder:
      Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, Inc.
    • Contact Information:
      10301 McKinstry Mill Road
      New Windsor, Maryland 21766
      1 (888) 567-2927
      kwvmf@koreanwarvetsmemorial.org

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Copyright Required

  • Section:
    Dr. King’s image and words used in the memorial
    • Copyright Holder:
      King family
    • Contact Information:
      Intellectual Properties Management inc.
      Eric Tidwell, Managing Director
      licensing@i-p-m.com
      (404) 526-8968

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Copyright Required

  • Section:
    Three Soldiers statue
    • Copyright Holder:
      Associated Press
    • Contact Information:
      N/A
  • Section:
    Vietnam Women’s Memorial statue
    • Copyright Holder:
      Eastern National
    • Contact Information:
      Stacy Madalena
      Director of Retail South
      44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 5, Level G1
      Alexandria VA 22314
      (703) 837-0746
      stacym@easternnational.org
  • Section:
    Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
    • Copyright Holder:
      Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
    • Contact Information:
      1012 14th Street, Suite 201
      Washington, DC 20005
      (202) 393-0090

Washington Monument

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

National World War I Memorial

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

National World War II Memorial

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

Restrictions at the Memorial prevent you from laying cable over the walls of the Memorial. Nothing can be staged in front of the Wall of Stars. No equipment on the North or South ramps to the Memorial.

United States Navy Memorial

Copyright Required

  • Section:
    The Lone Sailor
    • Copyright Holder:
      Stanley Bleifeld
    • Contact Information:
      United States Navy Memorial
      701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
      Washington, DC 20004
      Front Desk: (202) 737-2300

Note: the Statue is inside of the Globe and that area is Restricted for Filming

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

Note this Memorial is so new no major films have filmed at the memorial at this time to test the restrictions.

Lincoln Memorial

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

Limited control and very restricted inside and past the MLK landing.

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

Please note this Memorial is no longer under the control of NPS, it is now under the US Capitol Police control. They have lots of rules for filming and the process take a long time.

The White House

No Copyright Required this is in the Public Domain

Filming is very restricted inside the red dots and is only allowed with the support of the current administration. The Ellips falls under the NPS and Closed Section of Pennsylvania Ave NW is under the OCTFME.