Washington Monument Lodge

Washington Monument Lodge

Quick Facts

Amenities

7 listed

Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Public Transit, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Ticket Sales, Water - Drinking/Potable, Wheelchair Accessible

The Washington Monument Lodge is one of the oldest surviving visitor service buildings on the National Mall and reflects more than a century of changing approaches to public access at the monument. The lodge is located at the base of the hill on the east of the Washington Monument, along 15th Street NW between Madison and Jefferson drives.The building was conceived in the late nineteenth century as a combined waiting room and comfort station for visitors to the newly opened Washington Monument. Designed by architect William M. Poindexter, the lodge was completed in 1888 and opened to the public in January 1889. It was constructed using marble and granite rubble left over from the construction of the monument itself. These materials were laid in a random-coursed ashlar pattern, visually and symbolically linking the lodge to the monument it serves.

Originally, the Monument Lodge contained a waiting room, a keeper’s room, an archive room, and separate public men’s and women’s toilets. As visitation increased, the facility was expanded and adapted. The restrooms were enlarged between 1911 and 1917, and again in 1931, and the waiting room underwent renovations in 1910–1911 and 1943 to better accommodate growing crowds. In 1948, an outdoor concession stand was added to the west façade which was replaced in 1963 with a larger enclosed concession area.

Today, the Monument Lodge continues its long tradition of visitor service, functioning as a comfort station, food-vending area, and retail space, while also playing a key operational role in monument access. A limited number of same-day tickets for the Washington Monument are distributed daily at the lodge, with the ticket window opening at 8:45 a.m. During peak visitation periods, particularly in spring, summer, weekends, and around holidays, lines often form well before opening, the supply of tickets may be exhausted quickly. Visitors seeking day-of tickets are advised to arrive early and be prepared for waits during high-demand seasons.