The Washington Monument will reopen to the public on May 12, after it closed due to damaged sustained from the 2011 East Coast earthquake.
The remaining scaffolding will begin to come down this week and there will be a re-opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on May 12. After the reopening ceremony, public tours will start up again at 1 p.m.
“We are delighted to be in the homestretch with the repairs to the Washington Monument almost complete, and we look forward to the re-opening on May 12 so we can once again welcome visitors to this iconic monument to our nation’s first President,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a release. “We are grateful for David Rubenstein’s generous donation that funded half of the $15 million repair bill. David’s support of the national parks and the work of the National Park Service sets a high standard for park philanthropy nationwide and is appreciated by every visitor who will learn something about President Washington or simply enjoy the view from the top.”
When the Monument does reopen, it'll have extended operating hours—from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.—for the duration of the summer. During the 2011 5.8 earthquake, the Washington Monument suffered over 150 cracks to its structure
