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Can you get to the top of the monument?

What is inside the Washington Monument? Inside the ground floor lobby, there is a statue of George Washington. An elevator provides transportation to the top floor, the 500' observation deck at the base of the pyramidion.



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The nonstop elevator ascent to the top floor 500 feet above the ground takes approximately 70 seconds. Once at the observation deck, you are free to explore at your leisure. The 500' foot observation deck has windows on all four sides.

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This tour is an elevator ride to the top. It is worth it and you will probably never get a nother chance. So make a reservation and go. There is a very limited number of people allowed up the monument each day.

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CAN YOU STILL WALK UP TO THE TOP OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT? There are 898 stairs to get to the top of the monument and you used to be able to walk them. However, the stairs at the Washington Monument are closed to visitors so the only way to get to the top is to get tickets to ride the elevator both ways.

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Touring the Washington Monument The nonstop elevator ascent to the top floor 500 feet above the ground takes approximately 70 seconds.

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His first job was the elevator operator for the monument in the 70s. “The public has not had access to the stairwell since 1976,” he said. In 1971, people could no longer walk up to the top as visitors sometimes fell ill on the way. In 1976, the National Park Service closed the stairs due to vandalism.

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You MUST get in line by 8 am latest for the walk-in tickets On weekends and holidays, all the passes for the day are given out within the first hour. People line up from as soon as 6 am on some days to get the earliest tickets available. For weekdays, you can arrive a little later.

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There are no scalpers generally, as Recreation.gov blocks them (you can also tell because no one sells tickets secondhand), it's just that supply is very very limited, this is an area with millions of tourists and residents and only a hundred or so tickets released per day. Beyond that, it's just luck.

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Despite these developments the aluminum capstone remains in place today and is considered to be in good shape. After the completion of the monument D.C. Building Code was updated to state that the Washington Monument is to be the tallest structure in the city, no future buildings can surpass its 555 feet.

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Park Entrance - Regular Hours Operating Hours The Washington Monument is open daily except July 4 and December 25. Regular Hours 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Last tour begins by 4:00 p.m.

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However, after Washington became president, he scrapped the plans for his memorial, as federal government funds were tight and he didn't want to use public money for the project.

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5 Things You Might Not Know About the Washington Monument
  • Plans for the monument began even before Washington was elected president. ...
  • The original design for the monument was much different than what ended up being built. ...
  • The monument was once the site of a hostage situation. ...
  • The monument has survived an earthquake.


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