News Release

Washington Monument Closed for COVID-19 Prevention

National Park Service photo

News Release Date: January 23, 2021

Contact: Mike Litterst, 202-306-4166

Washington – The National Park Service announced today that the Washington Monument will close until further notice as a measure to protect staff and visitors from the spread of COVID-19. The monument closed on January 11 for security reasons surrounding the 59^th presidential inauguration.

Today’s public health closure is consistent with local and federal guidance, including the Centers for Disease Control, and was completed in consultation with the National Park Service Office of Public Health, which is led and staffed by commissioned U.S. Public Health Service doctors and public health professionals. The National Park Service will monitor public health conditions in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as the opening status of other nearby visitor attractions, and reopen the Washington Monument and other indoor park facilities as soon as it deems it is safe to do so. 

With the closure of the Washington Monument, all indoor attractions managed as part of National Mall and Memorial Parks, including Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site and the tour of the Old Post Office Tower, are now closed as a COVID-19 mitigation measure. Outdoor memorials on the National Mall remain open, as do public restroom facilities. For a complete list of closures and changes to operating posture on the National Mall visit https://www.nps.gov/nama/tempclosure.htm

A reopening date has not been determined at this time. Updates will be provided on the National Mall and Memorial Parks website (nps.gov/NAMA) as well the park’s Twitter and Facebook pages (@NationalMallNPS).
 

-NPS-