Washington Monument tickets

How do Washington Monument tickets work in 2026?

Every visitor aged 2 and over needs a free timed ticket. Book it in advance on Recreation.gov for a $1 fee, or line up for a free same-day ticket at the Washington Monument Lodge.

The National Park Service recommends booking online, and warns that demand far exceeds supply in spring, summer and fall, when tickets often sell out right after release. Create your Recreation.gov account in advance and log in before the release time, the NPS advises. The call center at 877-444-6777 sells from the same stock and has no extra tickets.

The walk-up window at the Lodge, a small stone building on 15th Street between Madison and Jefferson drives, opens at 8:45 a.m., and the NPS says to expect a line long before. One person aged 16 or over may take up to six tickets. A note of caution: one paragraph on a Recreation.gov page says walk-up tickets are unavailable “until further notice”, while the NPS page and the rest of Recreation.gov describe them as normal. Treat walk-ups as subject to availability.

Once booked, tickets cannot be changed, and they can be cancelled only until 2 p.m. the day before; the $1 fee is not refunded. The Lincoln Memorial Undercroft works the same way, with a $1 advance fee, but its tickets come out at 11 a.m.

When are Washington Monument tickets released?

At 10 a.m. Eastern, 30 days before the date of your visit, and then again the day before. Recreation.gov gives 3 p.m. for the day-before release.

Recreation.gov's own example: tickets for 30 June go on sale on 31 May at 10 a.m. Count 30 days back from your date: for 5 December 2026 the release was at 10 a.m. on 5 November. One block on Recreation.gov says the next-day tickets open at 10 a.m. rather than 3 p.m., so log in a little before 10 a.m. the day before as well, and stay for the 3 p.m. batch if nothing shows.

Missed both? The free walk-up line is your third try, on the morning itself.

When is the Washington Monument closed in 2026?

On Christmas Day, Independence Day, part of 3 July and one maintenance day a month. Three closure days are left on the NPS list for 2026: 11 November, 26 November and 25 December.

The two official sites do not match this month. The National Park Service lists the November maintenance day as 11 November, while Recreation.gov showed a notice that the monument is closed on 5 November 2026 for scheduled maintenance. Check Recreation.gov for your day before you go; it shows the ticket times that are actually on sale.

The monument may also close for high wind or thunderstorms, and tickets for the affected entry times are then voided. The rest of the year it opens daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the last ticket is for 4 p.m. and entry stops at 4:30 p.m.

What happens on the day of your Washington Monument visit?

Arrive up to 30 minutes before your ticket time, wait on the benches inside the circle of flags, pass security in a small group, then ride the elevator to the 500-foot level in about 70 seconds.

Use the restroom first: there are no restrooms or drinking fountains inside, and the nearest are at the Lodge. Weapons, pocketknives included, strollers and bulky items are not allowed; wheelchairs are. The National Park Service also says the visit involves heights, enclosed spaces, crowding and elevators, so think about that if any of them bother you.

At the top, the observation level at 500 feet has windows on all four sides, and you take a short stair down to the museum level at 490 feet to board the elevator back. The monument itself is 555 feet 5 1/8 inches tall, finished in 1884 and dedicated on 21 February 1885. Book a late slot in winter and the light starts to go while you are up there: entry stops at 4:30 p.m., and sunset in early December is at about 4:46 p.m.

Can you still walk up the stairs in the Washington Monument?

No. Visitors go up and down by elevator; the only stair you use is the short flight from the 500-foot observation level to the museum level at 490 feet.

The main stairwell is not open for climbing or walking down. The last walk-down tours we found were a limited program in 2014, down the monument's 896 steps, and no current program is listed by the National Park Service. Wheelchair users can take the elevator from 500 feet to 490 feet instead of the stair.

For the view without the ticket chase, our guide to the best memorials at night shows where to stand to see the monument doubled in the Reflecting Pool.

Can you get Washington Monument tickets with a tour?

Yes, with one. The 10-stop night tour offers an upgrade at checkout to a reserved, self-guided entry to the Washington Monument, valid for the next available day after your tour.

The details matter, per the listing: the attraction assigns the date and time, which you cannot choose or change; the operator sends the ticket on WhatsApp on the day of your tour; and upgrade tickets are non-refundable once issued. The same upgrade can instead cover the National Air and Space Museum or the National Museum of African American History and Culture. On the night itself, the 10-stop tour passes the lit Washington Monument on the way between its ten stops.

Prefer to see it from the ground at night? The sunset walking tour ends at the lit Washington Monument after 2 hours on foot. Sharon (Sep 2026): “It was great watching the city turn to dusk and seeing the sites lit up in their full glory.” For the rest of a DC evening, see our guide to DC at night.

A 3-hour night tour with ten stops and a guide, with reserved Washington Monument entry as an upgrade at checkout.

★ 4.6 · 3 hours · from $68

Explore the 10-stop night tour → Tour details

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