The Liberty Memorial

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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The Liberty Memorial is located in Kansas City, Kansas.

The memorial was created to honor the men and women who served in the military during World War I. The citizens of Kansas City are the reason why this memorial stands tall today. Together, as a city, they raised over two-and-a-half million dollars to build the Liberty Memorial in less than ten days! One city worked together to honor those who fought in World War I, which the United States fought from 1917 to 1918.

The Liberty Memorial was designed by the architect, Harold Van Buren Magonigle. The construction of the memorial and the museum began in 1923. The memorial and museum are both made out of limestone and granite. Once the memorial was complete in 1926, it stood two-hundred-and-sixty-eight feet tall. On the outside of the Liberty Memorial, you can see "Guardian Spirits." These Guardian Spirits were carved by Robert Aitken. Each statue stands forty feet tall. The four guardians represent honor, courage, patriotism, and sacrifice.

_{Image by Daderot, via Wikimedia Commons, was released into the public domain.}

The Liberty Memorial honors the men and women who fought in World War I. The memorial focuses on the peace that followed after the victory of the war and the importance of remembering those who served and lost their lives. Every year, over one hundred thousand people from around the world visit the Liberty Memorial. Here visitors pay their respects to the soldiers who fought in WWI. Visitors also get to explore artifacts from WWI and learn about the history of WWI in the National World War I Museum. Would you like to visit? Why or why not?

Now that you have learned about the Liberty Memorial, share two facts you learned about the memorial with your parent or teacher.

After sharing, move on to the Got It? section to take a virtual tour of the monument.