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The Washington Monument commemorates George Washington, a founding father of the United States who served as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, the President of the Constitutional Convention, and America’s first President. The Monument is a hollow Egyptian-style granite obelisk faced with white marble that rises 555 feet tall to make it the tallest stone supported structure in the world (Philadelphia’s City Hall is the world’s tallest stone supported habitable building at 548 feet tall).
The History
Washington’s success as America’s General during the Revolutionary War and as America’s first President made Washington a towering figure in America. His death at 67 shortly after the completion of his second and final term as President meant that Washington was not alive to participate in the much more partisan and contentious years that followed his presidency. Because of this Washington became a figure that mostly rose above any partisan differences and political parties. While political opponents initially were resistant to celebrate Washington, within a couple of short decades he was mythologized as the “Father of his Country” and Washington quickly became a symbol of America as any political quarrels from his time in office were quickly forgotten.
By 1833, the Washington National Monument Society was founded with the express goal of finally building a suitable national monument to Washington in Washington, D.C. The group raised funds and solicited design proposals. By 1848 the obelisk design was settled upon, and enough funds had been raised for construction to begin. Before the monument you see today could even begin construction, a massive foundation had to be built underground to support the Monument. The foundation resembles an 80 foot tall pyramid constructed entirely underground. Once the foundation was completed, work could finally begin on the obelisk but issues with funding would soon grind construction to a halt. By 1854 the monument was over 150 feet tall, but the Washington National Monument Society went bankrupt, and progress stalled. The Civil War further delayed construction and the monument ended up sitting unfinished for decades.
In 1876 the country was swept up in nostalgia for its revolutionary past as the country celebrated its 100th Birthday and there was suddenly renewed interest in completing the monument. Congress passed a revolution to provide funding to finally complete the Washington Monument on July 5th, 1876. Initial plans for a more ornate obelisk monument were scraped and the plan for a simple unadorned monument moved quickly from this point forward. On December 6, 1884 there was a celebration as the Monument was topped off and officially became the world’s tallest structure.
How to Get Tickets
Located in the Middle of the National Mall, the Washington Monument is easy to appreciate from locations across downtown Washington D.C., but in addition to taking in the Monument from the outside, you are actually able to tour the inside of the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument is operated by the National Park Service and much like visiting Independence Hall here in Philadelphia, entrance to the Washington Monument is free but to ensure you are able to visit you should reserve your ticket in advance which caries a fee of $1 per ticket. Tickets can be served at the Recreation.Gov website by clicking HERE.
Tickets are generally made available 30 days prior to the date of the tour, and it is recommended to secure your tickets as soon as they become available as they sell out quickly. Additional tickets are also released the day before the tour, so if you can’t get tickets 30 days in advance, be sure to check back.
Some tickets are also held back to be released on the day of the tour and are released for free in the Washington Monument Lodge, located a short distance from the Washington Monument along 15th Street. So even if you can’t secure an advance, there is still a chance for you to visit the interior of the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument Lodge opens at 8:45AM and tickets are given away on a first come, first served basis. Because of this, tickets generally go very quickly, and a line will generally start to form long before the Washington Monument Lodge opens at 8:45AM. The earlier you arrive, the better your chance of securing a ticket. One person is able to obtain up to six tickets, so make sure to have multiple people wait in line if you need more than six tickets. Everyone in your party over the age of 2 will require a ticket to enter the Washington Monument.
Enjoying Your Visit
Be aware that there is an airport style security screening prior to entering the Washington Monument. Because of this, it is recommended that you arrive at the Washington Monument and begin to make your way through security at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time of entry on your ticket. There are also no restrooms, and no food or drink is allowed within the monument, so be sure to take care of that before entering security.
Inside the monument you will ride an elevator up to the top of the monument where there is a small museum and observation deck. While it may not appear that way from the outside, there are actually small windows at the very top of the monument that allow visitors to get an incredible view of the city.
East Coast Road Trip
A road trip of America’s East Coast works great because most of the major cities are located so close to one another and are an easy commute by car, train or plane. Amtrak provides frequent service from Boston, MA to Washington, DC.
While historic cities such as Richmond, Charleston and Savanah are all located to the south of Washington, DC, south of Washington the major cities are considerably more spread out and it is more difficult to get from city to city. For this reason, for many, Washington represents the southernmost city on an East Coast Tour of America. A visit to Washington and a tour of the Washington Monument are a great addition to any tour of America’s East Coast.
Additional Information
The Washington Monument
2 15th St NW
Washington, DC 20024
202-426-6841
www.nps.gov/wamo
