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Secret Chamber Under Lincoln Memorial Finally Revealed for the America 250 Celebration [WATCH]

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A massive hidden space beneath the Lincoln Memorial is set to open to the public in June as Washington, D.C., prepares for America’s 250th birthday celebration, as reported [1] by Red State.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Sunday that the Department of the Interior will invite visitors into the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft. This 50,000-square-foot foundation space has remained largely out of public view for more than a century.

The Undercroft was built beneath the memorial to support the weight of the structure above and keep it from sinking into Washington’s swampy ground.

The space is nearly twice the size of the Lincoln Memorial above it and includes 120 large concrete pillars extending 50 feet into the ground to bedrock.

The Lincoln Memorial, one of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks, features a 19-foot-tall statue of Abraham Lincoln in Georgia white marble, overlooking the Reflecting Pool, with the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol visible beyond it.

Burgum appeared on CBS News’ “Sunday Morning,” where the space was showcased ahead of its opening.

“For more than a century, one of Washington’s best-kept secrets lay beneath the Lincoln Memorial: the Undercroft, a soaring 50,000-square-foot foundation built to keep the landmark from sinking into D.C.’s swampy ground,” CBS reported.

“Beginning in June, the public will be able to visit the space, now with a museum tracing the memorial’s history, from its construction to its role as a powerful stage for the civil rights movement,” CBS added.

Correspondent Faith Salie explained that Washington’s swamp reputation is not only political.

“To call Washington a “swamp” is a metaphor, but also the literal truth. So, when planning began for the Lincoln Memorial in the early 1910s, builders faced a real sinking problem.

Their solution led to one of Washington’s best-kept secrets, hidden for over a century … until now,” Salie said.

“Underneath the Lincoln Memorial is what’s known as the memorial’s Undercroft (a term usually reserved for the vaulted basement of a medieval castle or cathedral). Here, 120 massive concrete pillars sink 50 feet into the ground, down to the bedrock, to support the weight of the marble above,” she added.

The new public access is part of a broader effort to prepare the memorial for America250, the celebration marking 250 years since the founding of the United States.

Burgum said the exhibits should focus on telling America’s history while recognizing the country’s broader national story.

“There’s a place to have current cultural debates. And then, there’s a place to just tell and celebrate our history. We’re not a nation without flaws, but we are a nation that was based on continuous improvement. And we may have ‘over-rotated’ towards a point of some kind of massive self-criticism, ’cause maybe it was expedient, politically, in the short term. It’s important, when we’re using federal dollars, that we tell the story that celebrates this country,” Burgum said.

The National Park Service also said a new elevator tied to the Undercroft project has opened. With that work completed, a temporary accessibility ramp built on the front steps two years ago has been removed.

“Part of the Lincoln Memorial undercroft project, the elevator is now open. With that done, the temporary accessibility ramp that was built on the front steps two years ago has now been removed. With a few finishing touches left, we’re excited to show off this iconic American memorial later this summer,” the National Park Service said.

The opening will give visitors a look at a part of the Lincoln Memorial that has been hidden beneath one of America’s most visited monuments since its construction.