LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Washington Monument
built 364 days ago
The Washington Monument is the most prominent feature of the DC skyline. It is the 555-foot (185-meter) high, white-marble obelisk at the top of a slight rise in the center of the Mall. It is best viewed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the western end of the Mall where an inverted image appears in the large reflecting pool. You can ride an elevator to the 500-foot observation deck any day from 9 AM until 4:45 PM. Tickets are available at a kiosk near the base of the monument or they can be reserved in advance via telephone or on the Internet. Tickets are free at the kiosk, but cost $2.00 when reserved in advance.
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The Washington Monument is the nation's foremost memorial to George Washington and one of the world's most recognizable structures. In recent years... the grounds were not befitting the Monument, or the Washington Mall of which it is an integral part. In 2002, the Department of the Interior and National Park Service chose Olin Partnership to permanently solve the landscape issues by restoring its rightful significance and grandeur while integrating the new necessary perimeter security provisions.
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Excavation for the foundation of the Washington Monument began in the spring of 1848. The cornerstone was laid as part of an elaborate Fourth of July ceremony hosted by the Freemasons, a worldwide fraternal organization to which Washington belonged. Speeches that day showed the country continued to revere Washington. But his virtues are stamped on the heart of mankind. He who is great in the battlefield looks upward to the generalship of Washington. He who grows wise in counsel feels that he is imitating Washington.
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Weighing 90,854 tons, the Washington Monument stands 555' 5-1/8" tall. The walls of the monument range in thickness from 15' at the base to 18'' at the upper shaft. They are composed of white marble from Maryland and Massachusetts, underlain by granite, the whole supported by interior ironwork. A slight color change is perceptible at the 152' -level. A flight of 897 steps rises to the observation area in the pyramidion. Inserted into the interior walls are 192 carved stones presented by individuals, societies, cities, States, and nations of the world.
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The Washington Monument is open to the public daily, from 9am to 4:45pm. Tickets to the memorial are free of charge. However, a time pass is needed to take an elevator ride to the top of the monument. While these tickets are free, a service charge of $1.50 for the call (1-800-967-2283) and a shipping and handling fee of $.50 will be charged. Reservations can be made daily, between the hours of 10am and 10pm. It is suggested that visitors who have already taken the elevator ride to the top of the monument, and experienced the vast view, visit the memorial at night.
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The Washington Monument is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. It is open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extended summer hours are 8 a.m. to midnight. The monument is closed on December 25. Address all inquiries to the Mall Operations Office, 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Washington D.C. 20242.
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Washington Monument