Freedom Plaza

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Coordinates: 38°53′45″N 77°01′51″W / 38.8959, -77.0307

A woman walks through Freedom Plaza in early evening.

The plaza's inlaid stone forms part of the map of Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's plan for the city showing Federal Triangle, part of the U.S. Capitol, and part of the National Mall.

Freedom Plaza, originally known as Western Plaza, is an open plaza in Northwest Washington, D.C., United States, at the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, adjacent to Pershing Park. Designed in 1980, the plaza is mostly composed of stone, inlaid with parts of the L'Enfant plan for Washington. Most of the plaza is raised above street level. The western end of the plaza contains a large fountain, while the eastern end of the plaza contains an equestrian statue of Kazimierz Pułaski.

The plaza was renamed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. who worked on his "I Have a Dream" speech in the nearby Willard Hotel. In 1988, a time capsule was planted at this site, containing the Bible, a robe and other relics of Dr. King. It will be reopened in 2008.^[1]

The John A. Wilson Building, the seat of the District of Columbia government, faces the plaza. Three large hotels are to the north and west.

Freedom Plaza is a popular place for political protests, civic events, and, despite its official prohibition, skateboarding. The Federal Triangle Metro station on the Blue and Orange Lines is across Pennsylvania Avenue from the plaza. The Metro Center station on the Red, Blue, and Orange lines is two blocks north on 13th Street.