Monument to Reopen on May 12

The official grounds of the Washington Monument, including the observation deck, are currently closed due to repairs following damage from an earthquake and hurricane in 2011. Despite the repairs, the monument is still fully visible and visitors are welcome to photograph and admire the monument from the National Mall. The National Park Service has announced the monument will reopen on May 12, 2014 and will at that time once again operate tours to the top of the oblique.

About

One of the nation’s most recognizable structures, the Washington Monument is located at the center of the National Mall, in between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, and just east of the Reflecting Pool. The obelisk-shaped memorial is made up of marble, granite and bluestone gneiss. It is the world’s tallest structure made of stone and the tallest obelisk, at 555 feet tall. The National Park Service estimates that more than 800,000 people visit the monument per year.

History

The Washington Monument was built to honor George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States. The structure was designed by Robert Mills, with construction beginning in 1848. Construction was halted from 1854 to 1877, due to the Know Nothing Party’s rise to control of the Washington National Monument Society through an illegal election, lack of funding and the Civil War. It was completed in 1884 by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an elevator was added to the monument in 1889, which shuttles tourists to the top of the monument to this day. A restoration project was carried out from 1998 to 2002, and a $15 million renovation was completed from 2004-2005. The Monument officially reopened on April 1, 2005.

Experience

*Note that the Washington Monument is currently closed for repairs. Details below are subject to change upon the reopening.*

The Washington Monument is free to visit day or night. While the observation deck and the official grounds of the monument are currently inaccessible due to renovations, visitors are able (and encouraged) to witness the monument first-hand. Capture it in photographs, picnic nearby or stroll around the National Mall.