General Grant National Memorial

Digitized collections

Scenes from General Grant Memorial

Slide 1: Designed in the classical style by architect John Duncan, the imposing edifice of Grant's Tomb was intended to show the nation's respect for General Grant.
Slide 2: Over one million people attended the 1897 dedication ceremony and parade.
Slide 3: Murals illustrating iconic scenes from Grant's life, like General Lee's surrender at Appomattox, adorn the domed ceilings.
Slide 4: The Grants' twin sarcophagi, carved from a single piece of granite, lie beneath the great rotunda.
Slide 5: This pavilion across from Grant's Tomb, opened in 1910, is one of the highest points overlooking the Hudson River.
Slide 6: A visitor information center beneath the pavilion showcases replica Civil War uniforms and supplies.

Located in Riverside Park at West 122nd Street, General Grant National Memorial is the final resting place of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant. Popularly known as "Grant's Tomb", it is one of the largest mausoleums in North America, featuring an impressive 8,000 tons of white marble and granite and soaring 150-foot domed ceilings.

After Grant's death in 1885, New York City Mayor William Grace convened a group of citizens to raise funds for the erection of a monument in honor of the former president. The Grant Monument Association undertook what was then hailed as the largest fundraising effort of the time, securing over $600,000 to build the structure. Completed in 1897, Grant's Tomb combines elements of classical architecture designed to express the nation's respect for General Grant. Grant's Tomb has been managed by the National Park Service since 1958, when it was authorized a national memorial by the United States Congress—a designation used to protect places that are commemorative.

The collections of General Grant Memorial are strong in photographic documentation of Grant's funeral and the enormous undertaking that was the construction and dedication of the tomb (1892-1897).

Learn more about this site on the National Park Service and New York Harbor Parks websites.