The Washington Monument was supposed to be 600 feet tall to honor George Washington (who was 6 feet 2 inches). It is not quite that tall because of structural concerns.
To visit, one has to reserve free tickets online (the use the national parks app). I was invited to go up.
The security is like airport security (including no liquids).
The elevator ride up is 70 seconds and my ears popped. The ranger who rode with us told us interesting facts.
The top offers good views all around DC. There is also a small museum.
The ride down is two minutes stopping at times for views of the inside of the monument. When the elevator makes these stops, the lights dim… they should warn people about this… so they don’t panic (when the elevator was built, it was steam powered and women were not allowed to take it because supposedly the steam would be too much for them). The modern elevator is large and pleasant, except for those unexpected moments when the lights dim.