On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, occurred 84 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., damaging the Washington Monument. The National Park Service has temporarily closed the Monument and is assessing the damage to it.

On August 23, 2011, the Washington Monument was significantly damaged by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered near Mineral, Virginia. The seismic activity caused more than 150 cracks in the 555-foot stone structure, with the most severe damage occurring at the "pyramidion" (the pointed top). Large pieces of stone and mortar fell both inside and outside the monument, leading to an immediate evacuation of tourists and the indefinite closure of the site. Video footage from inside the observation deck famously showed visitors being shaken and debris falling as they scrambled for the stairs. Following the quake, a team of "difficult-access" engineers spent weeks rappelling down the sides of the monument to conduct a thorough inspection. It took nearly three years and $15 million in repairs—funded partly by a $7.5 million donation from philanthropist David Rubenstein—to patch the cracks and reinforce the structure against future tremors. The monument finally reopened to the public in May 2014, with new safety measures and a refurbished elevator system, remaining a testament to the unexpected geological power of the East Coast.