On this day, October the 9th, in the year of 1888, The Washington Monument, the obelisk monument dedicated to the first President and founding father of the United States of America George Washington, opened to the general public.

Even though the monument was completed in 1884, it opened in 1888 due to the installation of an elevator, an alternative to its 897 steps (Britannica).

Today, The National Mall (the park which houses The Washington Monument) is visited by tens of millions of people each “normal” year (Trust for the National Mall).