Loading Page...

How many steps are in the Washington Monument to the Top?

The Washington Monument has reopened after three years of renovations, but there's still one place that visitors can't see: its 896-step staircase. Why would you want to see a windowless stairwell when there's a newly modernized elevator that can shuttle you to the monument's observation deck?



People Also Ask

The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the ...

MORE DETAILS

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.


MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

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.


MORE DETAILS

A: (1) Eiffel Tower, 1,063 feet; (2) Space Needle, 605 feet; (3) Washington Monument, 555 feet.

MORE DETAILS

“Whatever changes have occurred here would be much, much more subtle.” The monument sits about 15 to 20 feet above sea level and has sunk about 2 inches into the ground since it was completed in 1884.

MORE DETAILS

The Washington Monument opened to the public in 1888. The 1893 Rand, McNally travel guide to Washington noted: “A staircase of 900 steps wends its way to the top, around an interior shaft of iron pillars, in which the elevator runs; few people walk up, but many people descend that way.”

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Today, visitors to Washington DC can tour the monument and visit it day or night, including climbing to the top of the obelisk. Although it is free and open to the public, guests need to get tickets in order to tour the monument.

MORE DETAILS

Total weight of the Robert Mills-designed monument in tons. The enormous size of the obelisk – so great that the site originally selected for it couldn't safely carry its weight -- is borne by a 16,000 square-foot foundation that weighs almost 37,000 tons and is nearly 37 feet deep.

MORE DETAILS

The Washington Monument is taller than the Statue of Liberty. The Washington Monument is 554 feet 7 inches while the Statue of Liberty has a height of 305 feet. The Washington Monument is located in Washington, D.C., on the National Mall.

MORE DETAILS

The Gateway Arch is one of the newest monuments in the National Park system, and at 630 feet, it is certainly the tallest! The Arch is 75 feet taller than the Washington Monument and over twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS