Washington Monument Reopens to Long Lines

On the 270th anniversary of George Washington’s birth, tourists Friday could once again ascend the interior of the marble obelisk that celebrates his life to take in panoramic views of the city that bears his name.

The reopening of the Washington Monument, closed since December 2000, capped a four-year effort to restore the memorial’s marble stones, replace its elevator and refurbish its observation deck. Security has also been increased as part of the $10.5-million project, although efforts to beef up safety measures at the site began in 1998 after the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

The reopening marks the return of one more tourist draw in the nation’s capital, where many attractions closed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Many are open again, with some limits. Tours of the White House, for example, are available only to schoolchildren and restricted to about 800 visitors a day.

At ceremonies Friday to commemorate Washington’s birthday and welcome the public back, officials said the memorial is a renewed symbol of American freedom in the wake of the attacks.

“Our national treasures serve as great reminders of our natural strength,” Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton said.

But seeing the city from atop the 555-foot-high structure may take planning--and patience. Entry times are set in advance and visitors must be in groups of 25; they must pass through metal detectors and have their bags searched.

Even before Friday’s official 1 p.m. opening, long lines snaked around the building. By midmorning, all tickets had been snapped up for the tours available before the scheduled closing four hours later.

Despite the restrictions, officials said they hope the monument will provide further incentive for tourists to return to the city.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said the monument’s opening signals the return of the capital, and the country, to normality.

“What could be more normal than a ride up the Washington Monument?” she asked. “Synonymous with the city itself, it soars magnificently as if to invite back the American people to their capital city.”

The 14-month closure was worth the wait, the delegate said, noting that the building has been a “work in progress” for most of its life. Construction began in 1845 but was not completed until 1884. The reopening Friday ends the third phase of a process that started when the monument was encased in custom-made lighted scaffolding, designed by architect Michael Graves, for the restoration of the masonry.

Restored commemorative stones inside the elevator shaft--once only on view to those climbing the monument’s 897 steps--can be seen from the new elevator, said Stephen Lorenzetti, chief of resource management for Washington-area parks.

The elevator slows during two portions of the ride up, and the glass changes from opaque to clear via an electric charge, giving the effect that the elevator walls simply vanish.

“You can see much more of the monument itself than you would have previously,” park ranger Bob Healy said. “It makes for a much better experience.”

Further changes were made to the observation deck, including larger windows and a new floor, Lorenzetti said. Glass now protects the monument’s walls on the deck.

Lorenzetti said the Park Service plans to replace the temporary security measures with a permanent visitors’ center and screening facility that would connect to the monument by a tunnel. Barricades would be replaced by a recessed walkway.

Students from Anthony Bowen Elementary School in Washington were the first to experience the monument Friday.

Paula Coniglio, 42, a schoolteacher from Rochester, N.Y., said she and friend Chip Doyle, 42, of Arlington, Va., had arrived at 8 a.m. to get tickets. They didn’t mind the wait.

“I’m leaving tomorrow, so I had to come today,” Coniglio said of her first visit to the memorial.

The monument is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis outside the monument. For a fee, reservations can be made online at https://https://reservations.nps.gov or by calling (800) 967-2283. The cost is $1.50 per ticket plus a handling charge of 50 cents per order.