/ Source: The Associated Press
The National Park Service says the Washington Monument will reopen to visitors May 12 after being closed for nearly three years due to a 2011 earthquake.
The park service says the remaining scaffolding around the monument will begin to come down this week. Park officials say tours will begin May 12 at 1 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for tours May 13 and beyond can be reserved online beginning April 16.
The monument will be open extended hours from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the summer.
The Washington Monument has been closed for 32 months since being damaged during a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in 2011. Workers have repaired more than 150 cracks in the stone structure. The repair project cost $15 million.
