Can you still go to the top of the Washington Monument?

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.



Yes, you can still go to the top of the Washington Monument in 2026. The observation deck at the 500-foot level is open to visitors via an elevator ride that takes roughly 70 seconds. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary (Semiquincentennial) on July 4, 2026, the monument is a central site for "Freedom 250" festivities and special light projections. To visit, you must secure tickets via Recreation.gov; these are released 30 days in advance at 10:00 AM EST and often sell out within minutes. A small number of free, same-day walk-up tickets are available at the Washington Monument Lodge starting at 8:45 AM, but these require joining a queue very early. The monument may occasionally close due to high winds, extreme heat, or safety alerts. From the top, you can see all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains on a clear day, making it one of the most coveted views in D.C.

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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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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. The observation deck provides views out two windows on the north, south, east, and west sides of the pyramidion.

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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. 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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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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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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Built to honor George Washington, the United States' first president, the 555-foot marble obelisk towers over Washington, D.C. George Washington was perhaps the one indispensable man among the founders. You can't get to the top of the Washington Monument without a ticket. Learn how to get them here!

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Facing increased criticism from black leaders and concerns that the water was polluted, Congress voted to ban swimming in the Tidal Basin in 1925. Swimming has never been allowed in the Reflecting Pool, but there were segregated, whites-only swimming pools near the Washington Monument during the late 1920s.

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The pyramid was supposed to serve as a lightning rod, and since Frishmuth had already done some plating work for the monument, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called on him to fashion the topper as well. They requested a small metal pyramid, preferably made from copper, bronze, or platinum-plated brass.

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CLAIM: Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed using her power to remove the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial in the wake of George Floyd's death. AP'S ASSESSMENT: False. Mayor Bowser's office confirmed that the mayor did not call for the removal of the Washington Monument or Lincoln Memorial.

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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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The monument is closed on December 25, Christmas Day and July 4, Independence Day.

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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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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.

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Public Self-Guided Tours The first, and most frequent way, is on a walk-through tour. These self-guided public tours are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Visitors move from room to room at their own pace; once inside the White House, most take about 15 to 20 minutes.

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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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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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The New & Improved Washington Monument From the observation deck, you can see nearly 25 miles into the horizon in every direction, including landmarks like the U.S. Capitol, the White House, Arlington National Cemetery and the Washington National Cathedral.

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