Columbus Day in Washington, DC

Washington, DC honors and celebrates the achievements of Christopher Columbus with a national wreath laying ceremony on Columbus Day, on October 12, 2009 at 11 a.m. Embassies of Italy and Spain and the general public will lay wreaths at the base of the Columbus Memorial Statue located at Union Station at Massachusetts Ave. & 1st St. The memorial is a large fountain with carvings of a native American, an elderly European, the figure of "Discovery" on the prow of a ship, and a globe.

Columbus Day is celebrated the 2nd Monday in October. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is credited with "discovering" America in 1492. The Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain and Statue in Washington DC were dedicated June 8, 1912. It has been the focal point for yearly celebrations since that time to honor this Italian navigator and discoverer. Columbus Day was declared a national holiday in 1971. Read more about the history of Columbus Day.