We have been waiting since we moved here to go in the Washington Monument. My oldest son has just been chomping at the bit to do it. If you ask him what his favorite place in DC is, he would answer with this landmark. I have to admit, the fact that it just hangs out in my backyard is still probably the coolest thing. Its something you see on tv, in movies, documentaries, even in books that I read as a child {The Bobbsey Twins in Washington D.C.}. Then, you move to where it is and its just there for you to see whenever you want. As you may or may not know the monument was damaged in the earthquake that occurred here a couple years ago. We’ve watched it being repaired in various ways, the coolest for the kids being when they put all the lighted scaffolding up. It seemed like it had been up there forever. But the time finally came….
We purchased our tickets online and way in advance. This was mostly because everyone and their brother wanted to get in during the first few days of it opening, which I completely understand. You may a very small fee, like two dollars a ticket, when you would usually visit completely free. Visiting the monument during the summer without purchasing before hand could go either way. If you’re looking to get in for free I would show up early to the gift shop because they are first come, first serve. I personally like the convenience of purchasing online for the exact date and time I want. The visit is not a long one, but you have to show up early to get in line because they go by groups and load you into the monuments “waiting room” of sorts, near the elevators inside. The kids loved it, even Phillip. You look out the windows, there are old pieces of the monument to touch and various other historical things to read and check out. On the way back down you get to check out all the donated placemarkers that line the inside of the monument. There’s also a “Stair Way Tour” you can take, which is on Mr. Air Force’s and my bucket list.
If you are going with kids I definitely recommend picking up the Junior Ranger booklet. We try to get these wherever we go. It provides an education experience and the kids usually get a patch or pin marking the occasion.
For more information on the Washington Monument visit the National Park Service’s website on it or leave questions here for me to answer.
If you are looking for tips for being a tourist with kids, check out my Five Tips post, here.
