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Mar 15, 2024 · Learn about the history and significance of the 555-foot marble obelisk that honors George Washington, the first president of the United States. Find out how to get tickets to visit the monument and explore its timeline and features.
- Fees & Passes
The Washington Monument is closed one day during the first...
- History & Culture
The Washington Monument, designed by Robert Mills and...
- Plan Your Visit
Plan Your Visit. The Washington Monument has reopened to the...
- FAQ
When the monument was under construction in 1854, the...
- Contact Us
Washington, DC 20242. Washington Monument Tickets:...
- Basic Information
The Washington Monument is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00...
- Fees & Passes
The Washington Monument is a hollow Egyptian -style stone obelisk with a 500-foot-tall (152.4 m) column surmounted by a 55-foot-tall (16.8 m) pyramidion. Its walls are 15 feet (4.6 m) thick at its base and 1+1⁄2 feet (0.46 m) thick at their top.
Learn about the obelisk in Washington, D.C., that honours George Washington, the first president of the United States. Find out how it was built, what it symbolizes, and how to visit it.
- Assessment
- Design
- Construction
- Later years
- Design and construction
- Background
- History
- Accidents
George Washington's military and political leadership were indispensable to the founding of the United States. As commander of the Continental Army, he rallied Americans from thirteen divergent states and outlasted Britain's superior military force. As the first president, Washington's superb leadership set the standard for each president that has ...
The geometric layout of Washington, D.C.'s streets and green spaces, originally designed by Pierre L'Enfant, reserved a prominent space for a monument to George Washington at the intersection of lines radiating south from the White House and west of the Capitol. In 1833, the Washington National Monument Society, a private organization, formed to fu...
Despite difficulties raising funds, construction began on the Washington Monument in 1848. The cornerstone was laid on July 4 with upwards of 20,000 people in attendance including President James K. Polk, Mrs. James Madison, Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, George Washington Parke Custis, and future presidents Buchanan, Lincoln, and Johnson. Builders comme...
In 1853, a new group aligned with the controversial Know-Nothing Party gained control of the Washington National Monument Society in the Society's periodic board election. Having always struggled to gather funding, the Society's change in administration alienated donors and drove the Society to bankruptcy by 1854. Without funds, work on the monumen...
Rather than ascend to 600 feet as Mills had intended in the original plan, Casey was persuaded to make the height of the structure ten times the width of the base, meaning the optimal height for the Washington Monument was 555 feet. Plans for ornate adornments on the obelisk and the ring of columns were scrapped in favor of the clean, stark look of...
The Washington Monument was dedicated on a chilly February 21, 1885, one day before George Washington's birthday (which fell on a Sunday that year). After the completion of the iron staircase in the monument's interior, the Washington Monument was first accessible to the public in 1886, closed much of 1887 until it could be better protected from va...
The original steam-driven elevator, with a trip time of 10-12 minutes to the top of the monument, was replaced with an electric elevator in 1901. The National Park Service was given jurisdiction over the Washington Monument in 1933, and the first restoration of the structure began as a Depression Era public works project in 1934. Another round of r...
At 1:51 p.m. on August 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Visitors inside the Washington Monument's observation deck were thrown about by the force of the shaking; falling mortar and pieces of stone caused minor injuries, though all the people inside exited safely. Damage occurred throughout the metro...
Sep 20, 2019 · Plan Your Visit. The Washington Monument has reopened to the public as the National Park Service will have completed the modernization to the elevator and construction of a permanent screening facility for visitors entering the landmark.
Learn about the iconic obelisk that honors George Washington and see the world's tallest free-standing stone structure. Find out how to reserve tickets, access the observation deck and enjoy the panoramic views of DC.
Apr 15, 2022 · Visit the Washington Monument, a 555-foot obelisk honoring George Washington, at the center of the nation's capital. Learn how to get tickets, accessibility information, and history of the monument.
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Why is the Washington Monument a obelisk?
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