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Mystery of the Broken Branch Stop 5: Thomas Jefferson Memorial


Follow the Trail

Follow the trail with Ranger Sarah and a group kids as they search the Tidal Basin for clues about the cherry trees. You can follow along this mystery adventure from home or when visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC.

Map of the Tidal Basin titled "Story Trail Guide"; detailed alternative text is on this webpage
The image is a map for a kids activity called "Junior Ranger Story: The Mystery of the Broken Branch". Each activity directs participants to a place on the map. The map centered around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The trail has blue dots numbered clockwise around the Tidal Basin marked with numbers 1 through 12 and named for the title of the individual activity at that location.

The map legend says "Story Trail Guide". Stops marked on the map include:

Stop 1: The Trail Begins, which is located on the east end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station, which is located to the south of Stop 1 on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 3: Write Your Own Haiku, which is located along the Tidal Basin near Maine Avenue.
Stop 4: Cherry Trees Around the World, which is located on the Tidal Basin near the intersection of Basin Drive and Ohio Drive.
Stop 5: Jefferson Memorial, which is located at the Jefferson Memorial plaza on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 6: Japanese Pagoda, which is located at a stone pagoda structure on the west side of the Tidal Basin near the south end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 7: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which starts at the north end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and continues through the memorial.
Stop 8: The Tree with the Broken Branch, which is located near West Basin Drive just north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 9: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located on the plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 10: Festival History, which is located along the Tidal Basin just east of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 11: Hanami, which is located on the Tidal Basin near Independence Avenue between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Kutz Memorial Bridge.
Stop 12: Japanese Lantern, which is located at a stone lantern statue on the west end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.

Stop 5: Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Head to Stop 5 by following the trail along the Tidal Basin to the large domed memorial. Read the following story and go explore the inside of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in person or virtually!

Domed classical memorial building at the top of a large staircase

NPS Photo

"What's that building?" Taylor asked.

"It's the Thomas Jefferson Memorial!" Ranger Sarah answered. "Do you want to look inside?"

They left the trail to explore the memorial building, passing many blooming cherry trees on the grounds outside the memorial.

"Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States," Ranger Sarah said. "He also wrote most of the Declaration of Independence! He's considered one of America's Founding Fathers because he was very influential at the beginning of America's history as an independent country."

They explored for a while and read the inscriptions on the walls before deciding to return to the trail.

Activity: Explore the Memorial

Head up the stairs to see the chamber of the memorial which has a very tall statue of Thomas Jefferson! Go downstairs to explore the museum exhibits to learn more about his life and legacy. Or take a virtual tour of the chamber by moving around a 360° photo below.


Last updated: March 24, 2021