The Washington Monument
Clearly the most visible memorial in D.C., the Washington
Monument rises 555 feet above the Mall. It is not only the tallest
structure in D.C., it is the tallest stone monument in the world. The
color of that marble, however, changes part way up the monument. When
construction resumed after the Civil War the marble was mined from a
different part of the quarry.
Until the Eiffel Tower was built, it was the tallest structure in the world.
There are 898 steps to the top of the monument, and 193 memorial
stones line the inside of the monument as gifts from the 50 states and
many foreign governments. The steps are closed to the public, who
instead use an elevator. The monument’s elevator travels 500 feet in
just under 70 seconds.