Do you need a reservation to go up in the Washington Monument?

Tickets are required to enter the Washington Monument. Reserve tickets online or get free, same-day tickets at the Washington Monument Lodge on 15th Street near the Washington Monument. Supplies are limited and advance reservations are strongly recommended.



Yes, in 2026, a reservation is strongly recommended and practically mandatory for anyone wishing to take the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument. The National Park Service utilizes a timed-entry system managed through the Recreation.gov portal. Tickets become available exactly 30 days in advance at 10:00 a.m. EST and typically sell out within minutes, especially during the peak spring and summer months. A second, smaller batch of "next-day" tickets is released daily at 10:00 a.m. for those who missed the 30-day window. While a very limited number of "walk-up" tickets are distributed for free at the Washington Monument Lodge starting at 8:45 a.m., queues often begin forming as early as 7:00 a.m., and there is no guarantee of entry. Without a digital or physical reservation ticket, guests are only permitted to explore the exterior grounds and the plaza at the base of the obelisk.

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If you plan on getting same-day tickets to the Washington Monument during Spring/Summer months, expect an early morning. The ticket window opens at 8:45 am, but the line starts to form as early as 7 am. Tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis, so morning times tend to go fast.

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

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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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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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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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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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The restoration began in January 1998 when the monument was closed so that heating and air-conditioning systems could be upgraded. The elevator, which dates from 1959, also was modernized. That project alone cost $1.9 million.

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The two sections closely resembled each other at first, but time, wind, rain, and erosion have caused the marble sections to weather differently, thereby producing the difference in color. A third type of marble is also visible at the dividing line between the two main phases of construction.

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