Illustrations by Christine Chan

Washington Monument
$27.3 million
This D.C. icon began as a volunteer effort in 1848, but funding tanked before the Civil War. In 1877, Congress picked up the tab to finish construction; the obelisk was dedicated in 1885.


Vietnam Veterans Memorial
$9.2 million
Money for the wall, dedicated in 1982, was raised privately and included donations from Exxon and Boeing. A $100 million fundraising drive has been launched to build an underground visitors center nearby.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
$63 million
Private donors funded this memorial, which was dedicated in 1997. Disability activists later raised more than $1.5 million for a second statue depicting F.D.R. in his wheelchair.

National World War II Memorial
$200 million
Donors included Exxon Mobil, FedEx, the National Funeral Directors Association, and Wal-Mart. Supporters fought off lawsuits and criticism that derided the design as "vainglorious." The memorial was dedicated in 2004.

Note: Costs are adjusted for inflation.