Things to do nearWashington Monument

The Washington Monument was conceived as a tribute to George Washington, the nation's first president and commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Construction began in 1848 but was interrupted for more than two decades due to funding shortfalls and the upheaval of the Civil War, which is why a subtle change in the color of the marble is visible roughly a third of the way up the shaft. When it was finally completed in 1884, it stood as the tallest structure in the world, a distinction it held briefly before other towers surpassed it. At 555 feet, it remains the tallest stone structure on earth.

Visitors who ride the elevator to the observation deck at 500 feet are rewarded with unobstructed views of the Capitol building to the east, the Lincoln Memorial to the west, the White House to the north, and the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin to the south. The grounds surrounding the monument are ringed by a circle of American flags, one for each state, which adds a ceremonial quality to the open lawn.

The National Mall stretching away in both directions invites a long walk connecting the monument to neighboring Smithsonian museums, all of which are free to enter. In spring, the cherry trees near the Tidal Basin frame the monument in soft pink blossoms, making the area one of the most photographed landscapes in the country. The Washington Monument endures as a place where the scale of American ambition is made tangible, and where the geography of the capital reveals itself in a single sweeping glance.