When did they close the stairs in the Washington Monument?

According to the National Park Service's Mike Litterst, the steps of the Washington Monument were closed for walking up in 1971, and then closed altogether — up and down — in 1976. There were occasional exceptions, such as special ranger-led tours that took visitors past the 190 carved memorial stones inside the shaft.



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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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The monument has been closed for most of the past eight years. An August 2011 earthquake left cracks in the stones near the top of the obelisk. It reopened in 2014, but Park Service officials were forced to close it again two years later after a series of elevator malfunctions.

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Even the Washington Monument is a Rubenstein project. He donated $7.5 million to help the National Park Service repair the monument after it was damaged by an earthquake in 2010.

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His first job was the elevator operator for the monument in the 70s. “The public has not had access to the stairwell since 1976,” he said. In 1971, people could no longer walk up to the top as visitors sometimes fell ill on the way. In 1976, the National Park Service closed the stairs due to vandalism.

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One person (16+ years old) may obtain up to six tickets for an available ticket time. All visitors (including children ages 2+) must have a ticket to enter the Washington Monument. During peak season, tickets run out quickly. Expect a line to form at the ticket window wait long before the ticket window opens.

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

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“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.

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August 2, 1876 Congress appropriates $2 million in federal funds to complete the construction of the Washington Monument. The public funding is contingent upon the transfer of ownership of the monument from The Washington National Monument Society to the federal government.

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The Washington Monument Looks Like an Obelisk Because of Egyptomania. In a technical sense, the Washington Monument isn't an obelisk, because it isn't made from a single piece of stone. That fact makes it no less impressive. Stretching 555 feet in the air, the Washington Monument is the tallest thing in the city.

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