We definitely enjoyed seeing the Washington Monument from the outside: up close, far away, whatever...it's iconic history is easy to appreciate. However... We purchased tickets to visit the inside, specifically to see the INTERIOR of the monument. We'd heard that the Park Service was still giving tours down the staircase at 10:30 and 12:30 and booked our tour time accordingly.... more

The Washington Monument is a must see when you visit DC.Besides the history and the architecture the view can't be beat.From the top you can see all of Washington from the Capitol to the Licoln Memorial and surounding areas.Get your tickets early,go visit a nearby museum while you wait your turn. more

Splurge on the $1.50 fee and book a day and time to visit. The "in-person" tickets are gone early everyday but you can pre-book weeks in advance. The building is very interesting but it can take 30 min to get up to the top with all the waiting in line and another 30 min to get back down with in... more

What a great monument! What a great view of the city! Definitely buy tickets to go up ahead of time. While it's a bummer to pay the courtesy fee...which amounts to a few dollars per ticket...it sure beats getting up early and standing in line first thing in the morning for a freebie. Plus, buying a ticket ahead of time... more

Booked tickets in advance which were sent to UK - was so glad I did, especially as we were staying outside D.C. Brilliant views from the top of the tower. Park Rangers were very helpful as well. Fascinating views of the different bricks on the inside of Monument when the lift slows down coming down from top. Definitely not to... more

First, get tickets ahead of time. It's worth the extra fee to not have to stand in line on a hot day or in the rain. We had tickets at 3:00 and I was a little frustrated that when we showed up at 2:30, they had not yet admitted all of the 2:00 people. They were running about 30 minutes... more

Got the advanced tickets-about $2 each-so we didnt have to go early in the morning-we actually ordered them enough in advance that they mailed them to our home. Fifteen minutes before we were due to go up, the monument was struck by lightning so they closed it down until they could evaluate any damage. A ranger suggested we try back... more

It was just over $2 each ticket (after S&H) charge to purchase the tickets ahead of time. But it was well worth it to not have to stand in line early in the morning. The web site did not make it clear, if you were to pick up the tickets at a Will Call window, or what. But they were... more

You have to get tickets for the Washington Monument. You can get them on line and pay $1.50 per ticket but it is well worth it during tourist season to be assured you get to go up in it. The views are spectacular. You can see every major tourist attraction for this building. more