How many steps to the top of Washington Monument?
The 897 steps have been closed to visitors since 1976, first because of vandalism to the 193 commemorative stones set into the interior walls, and since for safety; everyone now rides the lift, which takes about 70 seconds. Guided stair descents were offered for a while afterwards and were also discontinued. The monument was the tallest structure in the world when completed in 1884 and remains the tallest stone structure. The colour change about a third of the way up marks the 23-year pause in construction caused by the Civil War, when the quarry supplying the marble had changed.
The numbers
- Steps
- 897
- Reaches
- the observation level at 152 m — stairs closed to the public
- Public access
- Not climbable by the public
- Where
- Washington DC, United States
- Height climbed
- 152 m — 499 ft
- Average rise per step
- 169 mm
This count describes a stairwell the public cannot use. Published step figures for famous structures very often refer to service or emergency stairs — worth knowing before planning a visit around one.
Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.
How it compares
Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.
| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Tower | 1,103 | the Sky Deck at 220 m | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Gateway Arch | 1,076 | the observation area at the top of the arch, via the emergency stairs — no public access | Not climbable by the public |
| Berliner Fernsehturm | 986 | the sphere at 203 m, via the emergency staircase — no public access | Not climbable by the public |
| Washington Monument | 897 | the observation level at 152 m — stairs closed to the public | Not climbable by the public |
| Space Needle | 848 | the observation deck at 158 m | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Ulm Minster | 768 | the highest viewing platform at 143 m, in the world's tallest church steeple | Open to climb |
| Eiffel Tower | 674 | the second floor, at 115 m — the highest point the public can reach on foot | Open to climb |
Common questions
- How many steps to the top of Washington Monument?
- 897, reaching the observation level at 152 m — stairs closed to the public.
- Can the public climb Washington Monument?
- Not climbable by the public.
- How high is that climb?
- 152 m, about 499 ft, which averages 169 mm per step.
Related pages
- Monuments All 12 here
- How many steps up Statue of Liberty (pedestal)? 215 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Statue of Liberty (crown)? 377 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up Arc de Triomphe? 284 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Lincoln Memorial? 57 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Christ the Redeemer? 220 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up The Monument to the Great Fire of London? 311 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey? 350 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Bunker Hill Monument? 294 steps · open to climb
Sources
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place