Washington Monument elevator down for an hour days after reopening

The elevator inside the Washington Monument briefly went down on Saturday, days after the monument reopened after a three-year renovation, but it is once again up and running, the National Mall National Parks Service (NPS) tweeted. 

“The elevator was down for about an hour, but came back online; no evacuation via the stairs was necessary,” the National Mall NPS tweeted Saturday. 

“We apologize to our visitors who were inconvenienced. Normal operations have resumed and tours are running on schedule,” it added.  

The elevator was down for about an hour, but came back online; no evacuation via the stairs was necessary. We apologize to our visitors who were inconvenienced. Normal operations have resumed and tours are running on schedule.

— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) September 21, 2019

{mosads}NPS spokesman Mike Litterst told The Hill in a statement that the elevator’s service was interrupted around 1 p.m. 

“Staff were able to successfully resolve the issue and visitors at the top were returned to the ground floor via the elevator,” he added. 

The Washington Monument reopened Thursday after three years of repairs. The 555-foot monument closed in September 2016. 

Between 2014 and 2016, the elevator broke down multiple times. 

It was previously shut down for three years after being rattled by an earthquake in 2011.