There’s an elevator to the top of the Washington Monument, and it’s absolutely worth taking. There are windows near the top of the obelisk, and the views are spectacular!
Our visit to the Washington Monument was part of a package deal on the bus tour around the downtown area, and it didn’t disappoint. Many of the museums and monuments now require reservations, and this was one of them. We arrived early on a beautiful day, but there was something that bugged us while waiting. It was Lantern Flies ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_lanternfly ). Many thousands of Lantern Flies. They are an invasive species that has run rampant in the DC area. Imagine waiting in a queue beset by flying cockroaches! It got to the point where folks in line stopped saying something before brushing bugs off your back or head.
Once we had passed through security and stepped off elevator we had one of those ‘WOW’ moments. The view from the top of the monument is perfect. There are windows on all four sides of the obelisk, and it really helped build a mental image of the layout of the National Mall area.
The gallery below includes pictures we took of the views as well as photos of some posters that show the names of some of the prominent buildings.
