Who is on top of the Washington Monument?

Built to honor George Washington, the United States' first president, the 555-foot marble obelisk towers over Washington, D.C. George Washington was perhaps the one indispensable man among the founders. You can't get to the top of the Washington Monument without a ticket. Learn how to get them here!



Perched at the very tip of the Washington Monument is a small, pyramidal capstone made of aluminum. When it was placed on December 6, 1884, aluminum was considered a precious metal as valuable as silver because it was extremely difficult to extract and process. The capstone stands 8.9 inches tall and weighs 100 ounces. Inscribed on the east side of the aluminum tip are the Latin words "Laus Deo," which translates to "Praise be to God." In addition to its symbolic value, the capstone serves a functional purpose as part of the monument's lightning protection system; it is surrounded by several small gold-plated copper lightning rods that were added later to protect the masonry from strikes. Despite the fact that aluminum is now a common and inexpensive material, this original 19th-century capstone remains in place 555 feet above the ground, serving as a historic testament to the technological and architectural achievements of the era in which the monument was completed.

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The pyramid was supposed to serve as a lightning rod, and since Frishmuth had already done some plating work for the monument, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called on him to fashion the topper as well. They requested a small metal pyramid, preferably made from copper, bronze, or platinum-plated brass.

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Touring the Washington Monument The nonstop elevator ascent to the top floor 500 feet above the ground takes approximately 70 seconds. Once at the observation deck, you are free to explore at your leisure. The 500' foot observation deck has windows on all four sides.

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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 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.”

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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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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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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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Though there is no admission fee for the Washington Monument, there is a $1.00 service charge per ticket to cover reservation service; these fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.

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At completion, it was the world's tallest building, until the Eiffel Tower was completed four years later in Paris in 1889. It is still the tallest building in Washington, D.C.

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“We were able to determine about 3/8 of an inch had been melted off from the very top.” That means the original 1884 measurement, completed with much less sophisticated equipment, was within ¾ of an inch of the findings from the newest survey, using the original brass markers as a base point.

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