Washington Monument DC

Visiting the Washington Monument in DC

The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States.

Located almost due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 554 feet 7 11/32 inches (169.046 m) tall. It was the tallest structure in the world from 1884 to 1889.

Facts about Washington Monument

The Washington Monument, one of Washington, D.C.’s, most iconic structures, as well as its tallest, opened to the public 125 years ago, on October 9, 1888.

This towering tribute to America’s first president took a century to plan and construct and wasn’t completed until the nation’s 21st president was in office. Additionally, the monument ended up looking much different than the architect’s original design.

After completion in 1884 it was the world’s tallest man-made structure, though it was supplanted by the Eiffel Tower just five years later. It remains the world’s tallest masonry structure.

Address: 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024