Washington Monument
Security
### Security

[thumb\|upright\=1\|A low\-profile [ha\-ha](/wiki/Ha-ha "Ha-ha") wall surrounds the monument.](/wiki/File:Buildings_in_Washington%2C_D.C._01907_%28cropped%29_ha-ha_wall_2.JPG "Buildings in Washington, D.C. 01907 (cropped) ha-ha wall 2.JPG")
In 2001, a temporary visitor security screening center was added to the east entrance of the Washington Monument in the wake of the [September 11 attacks](/wiki/September_11_attacks "September 11 attacks"). The one\-story facility was designed to reduce the ability of a terrorist attack on the interior of the monument, or an attempt to seize and hold it. Visitors obtained their timed\-entry tickets from the Monument Lodge east of the memorial and passed through metal detectors and bomb\-sniffing sensors prior to entering the monument. After exiting the monument, they passed through a turnstile to prevent them from re\-entering. This facility, a one\-story cube of wood around a metal frame, was intended to be temporary until a new screening facility could be designed.[National Park Service and National Capital Planning Commission. "Visitor Screening Facility, Washington Monument Between 14th and 17th Streets, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW and the Tidal Basin." Executive Director's Recommendation. NCPC File Number 6176\. March 6, 2014, pp. 5, 7](http://www.ncpc.gov/DocumentDepot/Actions_Recommendations/2014March/Washington_Monument_Visitor_Screening_Facility_Recommendation_6176_March2014_.pdf) . Retrieved March 7, 2014\.

On March 6, 2014, the [National Capital Planning Commission](/wiki/National_Capital_Planning_Commission "National Capital Planning Commission") approved a new visitor screening facility to replace the temporary one. The  facility will be two stories high and contain space for screening 20 to 25 visitors at a time. The exterior walls (which will be slightly frosted to prevent viewing of the security screening process) will consist of an outer sheet of [bulletproof glass](/wiki/Bulletproof_glass "Bulletproof glass") or [polycarbonate](/wiki/Polycarbonate "Polycarbonate"), a metal mesh insert, and another sheet of bulletproof glass. The inner sheet will consist of two sheets (slightly separated) of [laminated glass](/wiki/Laminated_glass "Laminated glass"). A  airspace will exist between the inner and outer glass walls to help insulate the facility. Two (possibly three) [geothermal heat pumps](/wiki/Geothermal_heat_pump "Geothermal heat pump") will be built on the north side of the monument to provide heating and cooling of the facility. The new facility will also provide an office for National Park Service and United States Park Police staff. The structure is designed so that it may be removed without damaging the monument.[Neibauer, Michael. "Here's Where You'll Queue to Visit the Washington Monument." *Washington Business Journal.* March 7, 2014](http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/03/heres-where-youll-queue-to-visit-the.html) . Retrieved March 7, 2014\. The [United States Commission of Fine Arts](/wiki/United_States_Commission_of_Fine_Arts "United States Commission of Fine Arts") approved the aesthetic design of the screening facility in June 2013\.[National Park Service and National Capital Planning Commission. "Visitor Screening Facility, Washington Monument Between 14th and 17th Streets, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW and the Tidal Basin." Executive Director's Recommendation. NCPC File Number 6176\. March 6, 2014, pp. 15–16](http://www.ncpc.gov/DocumentDepot/Actions_Recommendations/2014March/Washington_Monument_Visitor_Screening_Facility_Recommendation_6176_March2014_.pdf) . Retrieved March 7, 2014\.

A recessed trench wall known as a [ha\-ha](/wiki/Ha-ha "Ha-ha") has been built to minimize the visual impact of a security barrier surrounding the monument. After the [September 11 attacks](/wiki/September_11_attacks "September 11 attacks") and another unrelated terror threat at the monument, authorities had put up a circle of temporary [Jersey barriers](/wiki/Jersey_barrier "Jersey barrier") to prevent large motor vehicles from approaching. The unsightly barrier was replaced by a less\-obtrusive low  granite stone wall that doubles as a seating bench and also incorporates lighting. Designed by the famed landscape architect [Laurie Olin](/wiki/Laurie_Olin "Laurie Olin"), the installation received the 2005 Park/Landscape Award of Merit from the [American Society of Landscape Architects](/wiki/American_Society_of_Landscape_Architects "American Society of Landscape Architects").[Washington Monument](http://www.theolinstudio.com/flash#/projects/type/washington-monument)  (from the [OLIN](/wiki/OLIN "OLIN") website)\[[https://www.asla.org/awards/2008/08winners/236\.html](https://www.asla.org/awards/2008/08winners/236.html) Monument Security] (from the [American Society of Landscape Architects](/wiki/American_Society_of_Landscape_Architects "American Society of Landscape Architects") website, ASLA awards 2006\)


Are there any other monuments or landmarks in the US that have implemented similar security measures?