LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Washington Monument: World
built 440 days ago
The Washington Monument officially opened in 1888, and over 10,000 people climbed the 893 steps to the top in the first six months it was open to the public. Imagine that climb in the southern summer without air conditioning. At 555 feet, 5-1/8-inches, the Monument was the world’s tallest structure until the construction of the Eiffel tower; today it’s still the tallest in Washington, D.C., and it’s a lot more comfortable to visit than it was in the 19th century. A modern elevator whisks more than 800,000 tourists to the top in under a minute, and they are kept comfortable with the help of a Trane air conditioning system.
Source:
The Washington Monument was designed by Robert Mills in 1838, to follow the form of an Egyptian obelisk. It rises 555 feet and 1/8 inch above the city and is the largest masonry structure in the world.
Source:
In February 1885, the Washington Monument was formally dedicated, and three years later it was opened to the public, who were permitted to climb to the top of the monument by stairs or elevator. The monument was the tallest structure in the world when completed and remains today, by District of Columbia law, the tallest building in the nation's capital.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
World