The Day the Washington Monument Couldn't Stand Still: An Oral History of the 2011 Earthquake. After spending the greater part of the last eight years closed to the public, the Washington Monument finally reopened in September of 2019.

The Washington Monument officially reopened to the public on May 12, 2014, following nearly three years of extensive repairs necessitated by the August 23, 2011, earthquake. The magnitude-5.8 quake, one of the strongest to ever hit the East Coast, caused over 150 cracks in the monument’s marble structure and loosened stones at the very top. The $15 million repair project involved a massive scaffolding structure—which was itself an iconic sight in the D.C. skyline—allowing engineers to meticulously patch and reinforce the obelisk. Interestingly, the monument had a second, more recent closure starting in 2016 for a $10.7 million project to modernize the elevator and build a new, permanent security screening center. It finally reopened from that second phase on September 19, 2019. Today, the monument is fully operational, featuring a modernized elevator that whisks visitors to the observation deck in about 70 seconds, offering 360-degree views of the capital that were preserved through these significant restoration efforts.