Washington Monument

The Washington Monument: What to Know Before You Go

The Washington Monument is 555 feet and 5 and one-eighth inches tall, which makes it the tallest free-standing stone structure in the world. It was also the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1884, a distinction it held for four years until the Eiffel Tower went up. Knowing these numbers doesn’t quite prepare you for how dominant it looks from the National Mall. From any direction, it’s the vertical anchor of the entire city.

The History Worth Knowing

Construction started in 1848, got stuck for lack of funds in 1854 at about a third of the intended height, sat unfinished for 23 years, and was finally completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The 23-year pause is visible: look carefully at the monument’s exterior and you’ll notice a subtle change in the colour of the marble about a third of the way up, where construction resumed with stone from a slightly different quarry. The elevator took 12 minutes to reach the top when it was installed in 1886. It now takes about 70 seconds.

The 50 American flags surrounding the base are lit 24 hours a day.

Getting In

Tickets for elevator access are free but timed and limited. They must be reserved in advance at recreation.gov, where they become available 30 days ahead. Same-day tickets (a small number released each morning at 9am from the monument’s windows) run out quickly, especially in spring and summer. If you haven’t booked, line up by 8:45am or accept that you may not get up.

The monument is managed by the National Park Service and ranger-led tours run at set times. A ranger talk at the base takes about 15 minutes and covers the construction history better than the elevator ride itself.

The View

From the observation level, you can see the Capitol Building to the east, the Lincoln Memorial to the west, the White House to the north, and the Jefferson Memorial to the south. On a clear day, the view extends to Arlington National Cemetery and across the Potomac. On a hazy summer day, it extends about as far as the nearest office block. Weather matters here. October and November give consistently better visibility than the humid July-August window that most tourists choose.

The windows are small and thick and photographing through them is frustrating. Most people take one photo each way and then just look.

Visiting the Monument Grounds

The National Mall between the monument and the Lincoln Memorial is one of the world’s great pieces of urban open space, and it’s almost always underrated by people who drive past it. Walk it. The World War II Memorial, about halfway between the monument and the Lincoln Memorial, is worth far more than a glance. The memorial has a roll call of battles on the outer wall and a Field of Gold Stars, each star representing 100 Americans killed. The granite surfaces were designed to be touched, and people do.

The reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial was renovated in 2012 and now filters and recirculates water rather than drawing from the polluted Tidal Basin. It reflects the Lincoln Memorial perfectly on windless mornings.

Where to Eat Nearby

Skip the food trucks on the Mall itself (overpriced, mediocre). Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street is about 20 minutes by Metro from the Mall and has been the city’s most beloved lunch counter since 1958. The half-smoke with chilli is the point. Old Ebbitt Grill at 675 15th Street NW, two blocks from the White House, does the city’s best oysters and the interior has been operating since 1856. Both require patience during peak hours; Old Ebbitt can be avoided by going at 11:30am before lunch service fills.

The National Museum of American History and the National Air and Space Museum are both on the Mall and both have cafeteria-style restaurants that are acceptable for a quick lunch. The Air and Space Museum cafe has better natural light.

Getting There

The Smithsonian Metro station (Blue, Orange, and Silver lines) exits directly onto the Mall, about a 10-minute walk from the monument. The Federal Triangle station (same lines) is comparable distance from the opposite end of the Mall. Parking in central DC during tourist season is an ordeal; arriving by Metro is strongly advisable.

Allow a minimum of two hours for the monument visit including queuing, the elevator ride, and a walk around the base. A half-day that includes the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, and the monument is the standard itinerary and works well.