The Washington Monument

(By: Jackson Schultz)

Address:   15th Street between Independence and Constitution Avenues, Washington D.C.
Hours:   9:00am - 5:00pm daily
Cost:   $1.50 per ticket
Contact Number:   (800) 967-2283
Website:   www.recreation.gov

The Washington Monument is 555 feet tall. It was built between 1848-84. It was built as a tribute to President George Washington's military leadership during the American Revolution. The monument, made of marble, granite, and sandstone, is the world's tallest stone structure, and the highest structure in Washington D.C. At one time it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Robert Mills designed the monument in the 1830's. Construction began with the laying of the cornerstone on July 4th, 1848. The U.S. Civil War delayed the monument's construction, which took place during two time periods: 1848-56 and 1876-84. There is a horizontal line of different colored marble 150 feet up the monument, indicating where construction resumed in 1876. The Washington Monument officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888.

Today, more than 80,000 visitors enter the Washington Monument each year.

I am excited to go to Washington D.C. and actually get to put my hands on the Washington Monument.