After a cable broke in the elevator that takes visitors to the top of the Washington Monument, the 555-foot marble attraction was closed in August 2016. Now, some 37 months later, it is slated for reopening at 9 a.m. on September 19, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
The most recent repairs to the Washington, D.C., attraction included modernizing the elevator control system and replacing the temporary screening building, which was constructed after the September 11 attacks in 2001. According to a 2019 NPS brief on the project, the “new glass and steel facility will offer full ballistic and blast protection and includes queuing space for 18-20 visitors at a time, screening equipment, an accessible restroom for National Park Service and U.S. Park Police staff and a security office.”
This isn’t the only time the Washington Monument has been closed for repairs: After a 2011 earthquake cracked the monument’s marble in more than 150 spots, it was closed for three years and given a $15 million renovation, reports CNN.
Tickets are required to visit the monument, and from September 19 to October 18, they will be offered free on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Washington Monument Lodge. For visits on or after October 18, a select number of same-day tickets will be available at the Washington Monument, and tickets can also be reserved online as of October 10 at 10 a.m. (These tickets are also free, but a “processing” fee of $1.50 is charged per advance online booking.) The monument—which is a centerpiece of the National Mall, along with the Lincoln Memorial—will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
