The Washington Monument is reopening Thursday, after three years of renovations to modernize its elevator and construct a new security screening facility.

The monument was built to honor George Washington. He was the commander of the Continental Army, which he led to victory over Britain and independence for the nation during the Revolutionary War. Soon after he was elected as the United States’ first president. The nation’s capital city, Washington, D.C., where the monument is located, is also named after him.

The Washington Monument

Made of granite and marble, the Washington Monument was designed to look like an Egyptian obelisk. Also, it was the tallest structure in the world until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France.

It is still the tallest structure in Washington.

• Height: 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches

• Completed: 1884

• Location: Washington, D.C.

Capstone

At the top is an aluminum capstone with inscriptions, lightning rods and red aircraft warning lights.

Warning lights

The new elevator takes visitors to an observation deck in 70 seconds. From windows on all four sides, viewers can see not just all of Washington (including the Mall, White House and U.S. Capitol) but also as far as Maryland and Virginia.

Elevator

inside the

monument

If you look closely, the color of the lower part of the monument appears different from the portion above it. The bottom part was built with one type of stone from 1848 to 1854. Construction then stopped for 22 years because of a lack of money and the Civil War. The top part used different types of stones and was built from 1876 to 1884.

Height of

U.S. Capitol

building

Built after

1876

Stone rubble

and mortar

Detail of

lower wall

construction

Built before

1854

Inner

walls

Outer walls

Inside the lower part of the monument the walls are not solid. Stone rubble and mortar fill in space between inner and outer walls of smooth stone.

New security

screening

The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848. A hole was cut into the massive stone block, and a zinc box filled with historic items was put inside.

Comparing size

of monuments

The Liberty Bell

The bell once hung in the tower of Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and

U.S. Constitution were adopted.

• Height: 3 feet

• Completed: 1752

• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Liberty Bell

Washignton

Monument base

Mount Rushmore

The likenesses of four U.S. presidents, including Washington, are carved into granite on the side of a mountain in the Black Hills. Nearby, an even larger statue to honor the Native American Crazy Horse is under construction.

• Height: 60 feet (each head)

• Completed: 1941

• Location: Black Hills, South Dakota

Behind Lincoln’s head is the “Hall of Records”: a hidden room containing copies of a number of important U.S. documents.

George

Washington

Thomas

Jefferson

Abraham

Lincoln

Theodore

Roosevelt

Built after 1876

The Statue of Liberty

The giant statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States. The body was constructed using a steel I-beam frame covered in copper sheets 3/32 inches thick — about the same thickness as two U.S. pennies put together.

• Height: 305 feet (from base to torch)

• Completed: 1886

• Location: New York City

The torch is a symbol that “lights the way to freedom showing us the path to liberty,” according to the National Park Service.

I-beams

inside

statue

Source: National Park Service

The Washington Monument

Made of granite and marble, the Washington Monument was designed to look like an Egyptian obelisk. Also, it was the tallest structure in the world until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France.

It is still the tallest structure in Washington.

• Height: 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches

• Completed: 1884

• Location: Washington, D.C.

Capstone

At the top is an aluminum capstone with inscriptions, lightning rods and red aircraft warning lights.

Warning lights

The new elevator takes visitors to an observation deck in 70 seconds. From windows on all four sides, viewers can see not just all of Washington (including the Mall, White House and U.S. Capitol) but also as far as Maryland and Virginia.

Elevator

inside the

monument

If you look closely, the color of the lower part of the monument appears different from the portion above it. The bottom part was built with one type of stone from 1848 to 1854. Construction then stopped for 22 years because of a lack of money and the Civil War. The top part used different types of stones and was built from 1876 to 1884.

Height of

U.S. Capitol

building

Built after

1876

Stone rubble

and mortar

Detail of

lower wall

construction

Built before

1854

Inner

walls

Outer walls

Inside the lower part of the monument the walls are not solid. Stone rubble and mortar fill in space between inner and outer walls of smooth stone.

New security

screening

The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848. A hole was cut into the massive stone block, and a zinc box filled with historic items was put inside.

Comparing size

of monuments

The Liberty Bell

The bell once hung in the tower of Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were adopted.

• Height: 3 feet

• Completed: 1752

• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Liberty Bell

Washignton Monument base

Mount Rushmore

The likenesses of four U.S. presidents, including Washington, are carved into granite on the side of a mountain in the Black Hills. Nearby, an even larger statue to honor the Native American Crazy Horse is under construction.

• Height: 60 feet (each head)

• Completed: 1941

• Location: Black Hills, South Dakota

Behind Lincoln’s head is the “Hall of Records”: a hidden room containing copies of a number of important U.S. documents.

George

Washington

Thomas

Jefferson

Abraham

Lincoln

Theodore

Roosevelt

Built after 1876

The Statue of Liberty

The giant statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States. The body was constructed using a steel I-beam frame covered in copper sheets 3/32 inches thick — about the same thickness as two U.S. pennies put together.

• Height: 305 feet (from base to torch)

• Completed: 1886

• Location: New York City

The torch is a symbol that “lights the way to freedom showing us the path to liberty,” according to the National Park Service.

I-beams

inside

statue

Source: National Park Service

The Washington Monument

Made of granite and marble, the Washington Monument was designed to look like an Egyptian obelisk. Also, it was the tallest structure in the world until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France. It is still the tallest structure in Washington.

Capstone

• Height: 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches

• Completed: 1884

• Location: Washington, D.C.

At the top is an aluminum capstone with inscriptions, lightning rods and red aircraft warning lights.

Warning lights

The new elevator takes visitors to an observation deck in 70 seconds. From windows on all four sides, viewers can see not just all of Washington (including the Mall, White House and U.S. Capitol) but also as far as Maryland and Virginia.

Elevator

inside the

monument

Height of

U.S. Capitol

building

If you look closely, the color of the lower part of the monument appears different from the portion above it. The bottom part was built with one type of stone from 1848 to 1854. Construction then stopped for 22 years because of a lack of money and the Civil War. The top part used different types of stones and was built from 1876 to 1884.

Inside the lower part of the monument the walls are not solid. Stone rubble and mortar fill in space between inner and outer walls of smooth stone.

Stone rubble

and mortar

Detail of

lower wall

construction

Built after

1876

Inner

walls

Built before

1854

Outer walls

The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848. A hole was cut into the massive stone block, and a zinc box filled with historic items was put inside.

Comparing size

of monuments

New security

screening

Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell

The bell once hung in the tower of Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were adopted.

• Height: 3 feet

• Completed: 1752

• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Behind Lincoln’s head is the “Hall of Records”: a hidden room containing copies of a number of important U.S. documents.

Mount Rushmore

The likenesses of four U.S. presidents, including Washington, are carved into granite on the side of a mountain in the Black Hills. Nearby, an even larger statue to honor the Native American Crazy Horse is under construction.

George

Washington

Thomas

Jefferson

Abraham

Lincoln

Theodore

Roosevelt

Built after 1876

• Height: 60 feet (each head)

• Completed: 1941

• Location: Black Hills, South Dakota

The torch is a symbol that “lights the way to freedom showing us the path to liberty,” according to the National Park Service.

The Statue of Liberty

The giant statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States. The body was constructed using a steel I-beam frame covered in copper sheets 3/32 inches thick — about the same thickness as two U.S. pennies put together.

I-beams

inside

statue

• Height: 305 feet (from base to torch)

• Completed: 1886

• Location: New York City

Source: National Park Service

The Washington Monument

Made of granite and marble, the Washington Monument was designed to look like an Egyptian obelisk. Also, it was the tallest structure in the world until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France. It is still the tallest structure in Washington.

• Height: 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches

• Completed: 1884

• Location: Washington, D.C.

Capstone

At the top is an aluminum capstone with inscriptions, lightning rods and red aircraft warning lights.

Warning lights

The new elevator takes visitors to an observation deck in 70 seconds. From windows on all four sides, viewers can see not just all of Washington (including the Mall, White House and U.S. Capitol) but also as far as Maryland and Virginia.

Elevator

inside the

monument

Height of

U.S. Capitol

building

If you look closely, the color of the lower part of the monument appears different from the portion above it. The bottom part was built with one type of stone from 1848 to 1854. Construction then stopped for 22 years because of a lack of money and the Civil War. The top part used different types of stones and was built from 1876 to 1884.

Inside the lower part of the monument the walls are not solid. Stone rubble and mortar fill in space between inner and outer walls of smooth stone.

Stone rubble

and mortar

Detail of

lower wall

construction

Built after

1876

Inner

walls

Built before

1854

Outer walls

The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848. A hole was cut into the massive stone block, and a zinc box filled with historic items was put inside.

Comparing size

of monuments

New security

screening

Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell

The bell once hung in the tower of Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were adopted.

• Height: 3 feet

• Completed: 1752

• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Behind Lincoln’s head is the “Hall of Records”: a hidden room containing copies of a number of important U.S. documents.

Mount Rushmore

The likenesses of four U.S. presidents, including Washington, are carved into granite on the side of a mountain in the Black Hills. Nearby, an even larger statue to honor the Native American Crazy Horse is under construction.

George

Washington

Thomas

Jefferson

Abraham

Lincoln

• Height: 60 feet (each head)

• Completed: 1941

• Location: Black Hills, South Dakota

Theodore

Roosevelt

Built after 1876

The torch is a symbol that “lights the way to freedom showing us the path to liberty,” according to the National Park Service.

The Statue of Liberty

The giant statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States. The body was constructed using a steel I-beam frame covered in copper sheets 3/32 inches thick — about the same thickness as two U.S. pennies put together.

I-beams

inside

statue

• Height: 305 feet (from base to torch)

• Completed: 1886

• Location: New York City

Source: National Park Service

(The above graphic has been updated with a “Capstone” and “Warning lights” label)