NBC NEWS — Washington's new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial has officially opened to the public.

The multi-million dollar tribute sits on the National Mall just across the tidal basin from the Jefferson Memorial.

It includes a 30-foot tall sculpture of the civil rights leader and a 450-foot granite wall inscribed with more than a dozen of his quotations.

The memorial is the first on the National Mall dedicated to a non-president and an African-American.

A dedication is set for Sunday, August 28, which will mark the 48th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.