Washington Monument Facts The Monument is built of free-standing masonry which means there is no cement holding the blocks together. The original elevator ride took 8-10 minutes (A common myth is that the elevator ride was deemed unsafe for women & children when it opened to the public). There are 896 steps to the top of the Washington Monument.

Interesting Facts. 01 The Washington Monument stands 169 meters tall. 02 The monument’s surface area covers 43 hectares. 03 The monument weighs 82,422 tons. 04 An estimated 800,000 people visit the monument every year. 05 The monument cost $1.41 million in the 19th century, or $30 million today.