15th Street
and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington 20001
202/426-6841
This 555- foot obelisk
towers over the National Mall and has come to represent Washington
D.C. itself. Catching the view from the top of the monument is one
of the requisite events on a trip to the city.
 Located
at the western end of the National Mall, the Washington Monument
can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. In the summer,
crowds usually form to take the one-minute elevator ride to the
top, so tickets are required. April – Labor Day you can pick up
the free tickets across the street from the monument starting at
7: 30 am.
The tallest masonry
structure in the world, the top of the Washington Monument is a
great place to view the city. One can see the Washington D.C.
envisioned by one of the city’s first planners, Pierre
L’Enfant who tried to create city filled with broad avenues,
ceremonial circles and tree-lined streets.
The Washington Monument is a
popular place with visitors to start their tours of the Mall, so
saving it for the afternoon might not be a bad idea. The Monument
is also one of the transfer points for the Tourmobile sightseeing
tours, so you might wind up around the Washington Monument later
in the day if you choose to take the highly popular tour.
Traveling to the top of the
Washington Monument has become one of the standard activities for
visitors to the area for good reason. The views of Washington D.C.
are simply breathtaking. April – Labor Day the Monument is open
until midnight, allowing visitors to see Washington’s beautiful
nighttime vista.
One important tip is to get the free timed-entry tickets early.
You'll probably get caught in the line for the elevator, but its
still a good idea to show up at the designated time ten-minutes
early.
If you're up for it, take
the staircase tour offered on weekends. Visitors can inspect the
stones, plaques and artifacts that line the staircase as they
descend the monument's 900 stairs.
See the what's new section.
Hours:
April - Labor Day Daily 8:00am-11:45pm
Labor Day - March Daily 9:00am- 4:45pm
Admission:
Free
Metro:
Smithsonian
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WASHINGTON
MONUMENT
ATTRACTIONS
