The memorial, brought to life by architect Frank Gehry, was commissioned by Congress in 1999. After two decades in the making, the memorial will open to the public Friday at 1 p.m.
Located in a new, four-acre public park across the street from the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, the memorial honors the life and achievements of the former president and five-star general. It features inscription panels and three bronze sculptures of Eisenhower by sculptor Sergey Eylanbekov.
Invited guests for the formal dedication Thursday evening include President Donald Trump, the Eisenhower family and current and former members of Congress and cabinet members. The event is invitation-only, but it will be streamed on Facebook Live at 7 p.m.
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Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
The new Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, will open in September of 2020. The memorial encapsulates Eisenhower’s legacy in a four-acre urban park at the base of Capitol Hill featuring a stainless steel tapestry depicting beaches of D-Day, heroic-sized bronze sculptures, and stone bas reliefs. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
A statue of a young Dwight D. Eisenhower at the soon to be opened Eisenhower Memorial, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The memorial encapsulates Eisenhower’s legacy in a four-acre urban park at the base of Capitol Hill featuring a stainless steel tapestry depicting beaches of D-Day, heroic-sized bronze sculptures, and stone bas reliefs. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
A statue of a young Dwight D. Eisenhower at the soon to be opened Eisenhower Memorial, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The memorial encapsulates Eisenhower’s legacy in a four-acre urban park at the base of Capitol Hill featuring a stainless steel tapestry depicting beaches of D-Day, heroic-sized bronze sculptures, and stone bas reliefs. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
The new Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, will open in September of 2020. The memorial encapsulates Eisenhower’s legacy in a four-acre urban park at the base of Capitol Hill featuring a stainless steel tapestry depicting beaches of D-Day, heroic-sized bronze sculptures, and stone bas reliefs. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
The new Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, will open in September of 2020. The memorial encapsulates Eisenhower’s legacy in a four-acre urban park at the base of Capitol Hill featuring a stainless steel tapestry depicting beaches of D-Day, heroic-sized bronze sculptures, and stone bas reliefs. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Statue of Eisenhower leading troops as a five-star Army general during WWII.
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Statue of Eisenhower during his presidency.
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Statue of Eisenhower during his presidency.
