Washington Monument closes indefinitely to the public

Fireworks explode over the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, as seen from Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

The Washington Monument will remain closed indefinitely to the public to protect staff and visitors from COVID-19, the National Park Service (NPS) said Saturday.

The monument closed on Jan. 11 as part of security measures around President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

NPS said they would be keeping an eye on the public health conditions in the D.C. area and other indoor attractions’ operating status to determine when it would be safe to reopen.

Along with the Washington Monument, all indoor attractions managed as part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks — such as the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site and tours of the Old Post Office Tower — have also been closed.

Updates to the monument’s operating status will be posted online and to the National Park Service’s social media pages.


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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.

Zeke Hartner

Zeke Hartner is a digital writer/editor who has been with WTOP since 2017. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Political Science program and an avid news junkie.

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