Washington Monument

                    The Washington Monument is an obelisk-shaped building in Washington, D.C. that was built to honor the first President of the United States of America, George Washington. This 555-foot-tall obelisk is the tallest building in the District of Columbia - by law, no other building in D.C. is allowed to be taller.

                   The exterior of the Washington Monument was completed on December 6, 1884; it was opened to the public on October 9, 1888 (after the interior was completed). The giant obelisk contains 36,491 blocks and weighs 90,854 tons.

                Inside the Washington Monument is an elevator and a 897-step stairway. There is an observation deck at 500 feet. At the top of the monument there is a nine-inch tall aluminum pyramid (when the monument was built, aluminum was newly-discovered, scarce, and very expensive). Lightning rods at the top protect the monument from lightning strikes.