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"All things are difficult before they are easy." John Norley
Having gone to college at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois, where the area is known as Little Egypt, the school mascot is the Egyptian Saluki Dog, and the school year book is called the Obelisk, I have become fascinated with Egyptian culture. So, anytime that I see an Obelisk-like structure, I'm attracted to it...the Washington Monument is no exception.
Fashioned after the obelisks of ancient Egypt, the Washington Monument, a memorial to our founding father, George Washington, soars 555 feet above the Capitol skyline. It is one of the tallest free-standing masonry constructions in the world! This impressive white marble monument took 50 years to complete because of fundraising problems, the Civil War, and political in-fighting. If you look closely, you'll be able to see two different shades of white color in the marble due to the delay.
A fast elevator literally "whisks" (72 seconds) people to the top for a breathtaking view of DC, Maryland, and Viriginia. Once, you could walk the 800+ steps; that is now forbidden.
Starting in 1998 and finishing in 2,000, the Washington Monument was renovated by repairing the exterior masonry and mortar, refurbishing the elevator, installing a new climate-controll system, and polishing the 193 carved commemorative stones (gifts from the 50 states, foreign countries, and various organizations as well as individuals. The most impressive stone was given by Alaska, and it is solid Jade!)
Free tickets are available at the Kiosk on 15th Street.
Open:
April 1 to Labor Day
Daily: 8:00 am-11:45 pm
Labor Day-March 31
Daily: 9:00 am-4:45 pm
Note: photograph from brochure because mine did not turn out5s* Leave a Comment
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Located on the National Mall is this tall obelisk, a monument dedicated to the first President of the United States.
Viewed from all directions around D.C., the Washington Monument truly is a magnificent sight. The obelisk reaches a height of 550 feet and is surrounded by 50 American flags.
I didn't get a chance to visit inside the monument as you need to arrive very early to snag one of the few entrance tickets given out. Leave a Comment
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Go visit the Washington Monument and take a walk along the reflection pond. There are many beautiful monuments in this area to check out. Make sure you bring your camera and lots of batteries because will will take a lot of photos in this area. I love the way the Washington Monument reflects in the pond. Leave a Comment
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I have been to the top of the Washington Monument, but I don't have pictures. This photo was taken from a plane coming in to National Airport about in 1958.
The monument is now open again . It is open all year except Christmas 9:00am - 5:00pm and is free, but you will need a ticket.
Free tickets are distributed for that day's visit from the kiosk on the Washington Monument grounds at 15th Street and Madison Drive on a first-come first-served basis. Hours for the ticket kiosk are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, but tickets run out early.
If you can call the reservation number between 10 am and 10 pm to get tickets, you will be charged $1.50 per ticket plus a 50 cent handling fee per order.
Note, no food, drink, or large bags are allowed in the monument.
Two hour parking is available for the monument off of Constitution Avenue near 15th Street but it is limited. Long term parking is available along Ohio Drive under the 14th Street bridge.
You can get there on metro, or you can take the Tourmobile with unlimited on-off. Leave a Comment
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Though Congress first approved a monument for George Washington in 1783, work was not begun until 1848. Construction of the monument suffered many delays including 1855-1857 when the "Know-Nothing Party" took over the site, and for another 15 years starting in 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War. During the Post-Civil War years, the area around the monument was dubbed "Murderers Row" due to the deserters, escapees, and other low life that made camp here.
Finally at the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1876, congress appropriated money, and work resumed in 1879. To this day, visitors can see the line separating the original 150 feet of the monument from the remainder of the monument constructed after 1878. Finally in 1884, the tip of the monument was completed, 500 feet above the ground. Leave a Comment
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However, the nation's first centennial in 1876 renewed interest in the national pride, and thus, completing the monument. That year, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill for the government to fund the completion of the structure. It was the Army Corps of Engineers who took over the project, seeing it through to completion in December of 1884.
The official dedication ceremony for the memorial occurred the day before Washington's birthday in 1885 with a grand celebration. However, it was not until 1888 that the public was first allowed to step foot inside the monument because work was still being done on the interior. During this time, the stairwell, consisting of 897 steps, was completed. The final cost of the project was $1,817,710.
Some Facts:
* Admission is free
* The view is magnificent at 500 feet high,
but in bad weather the view is not as good.
Average wait in line: 20 minutes per 100
people.
*The average rate of movement is 25 people
every five minutes, and when the line wraps
around the monument, the wait is between
45 minutes to an hour.
* The best time to go is at night when the line
is short. The night view during the summer
is amazing. Leave a Comment
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Even if you haven't been to Washington D.C., I bet you know this obelisk monument from movies, documentaries, etc. For me it was quite a thrill to see it in its real size! Located in the middle of the National Mall, it dominates the skyline to honour George Washington, the "Father of his Country", who apparently was a very tall man himself.
The original design by Robert Mills envisaged it to be a 600 ft Egyptian obelisk on a 100-ft-high circular colonnaded Greek pantheon. In the end, only the simple obelisk was built, and the building process wasn't problem-free. You can actually see the discolorations of the marble that mark the different stages and dormant periods in the building process. It took 40 years from the laying of the cornerstone in 1848 to the opening for the public in 1888. The setbacks in the building process were not caused only by the lack of funds, as many people might think. Prejudice came into play too - you can read this interesting story here.
This monument looks phenomenal when lit at night! But even in daylight it looks great, especially if you view it from the Lincoln Memorial - that's when you can see it reflected in the Reflecting Pool.
By the way, if you're not a native speaker of English, and you're lost among all these memorials and monuments names, try to remember that only this one is called a monument. The other ones are called memorials. This simple tip from Janet came useful, hard to confuse these two words now - thanks, Janet! Leave a Comment
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The Washington Monument is 555feet tall. Its the highest structure in DC and is dedicated to George Washington the first President of the United States of America.
There is a lift which takes you to an observatory at the top and it is free. However tickets are usually obtained in advance from Ticket Master
Tel No. 800-505-5040
Or queue at the monument and the tickets have times on them.The building of the obelisk started in 1848 but took another 37 years before it was completed. A stone to be used in the construction which had been blessed by Pope Pius lX was stolen and this then caused difficulties in the fundraising for the monument and it remained at 152 feet until after the Civil War.
You can see the different colours in the stone work from where the building recommenced. It was finished in 1884. Leave a Comment
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To be able to get inside due to security reasons. They are selling tickets, but they are selling them on a time schedule. Get there very early in the morning to get in line to get your scheduled ticket. Don't worry it is worth your wait!
One of the tallest masonry structure in the world, and dedicated in 1885 in memory to our beloved First US President of The United States of America. Elevator ride takes you to the top for a stunning view.
Open daily 9am-5pm
Closed Christmas and 4th of July. Leave a Comment Phone: 202-426-6841Directions: If you use the metro: SmithsonianWebsite: www.nps.gov/wamo Other Contact: 800-967-2283
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It seems appropriate that the Washington Monument, at just over 555 feet, towers above the nation’s capitol as he was such a giant figure in the formation and early years of the republic so much so that he is known as “the Father of his country“. It was interesting to learn that those present for the laying of the cornerstone in 1848 included two members of Congress who would later serve as President, Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln. As the monument was financed by popular subscription there were delays caused by lack of funds and it was not completed until 1884. There is elevator service and the tours are well organized by “appointment” time. Their brochure says that park rangers (it is operated by the National Parks Service) lead scheduled tours down the 897 steps past 192 memorial stones donated by states, cities, nations, individuals, etc. We took the elevator down as we had just walked from Arlington Cemetery to the Monument.
Admission is free but timed tickets are required. These may be obtained by calling 1-800-967-2283 or on the internet at http://reservations.nps.gov/. There is a $1.50 fee for mailing and handling. The monument is open every day of the year except December 25 8:00 a.m. to midnight (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. September-March). Leave a Comment
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