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The Washington Monument is a large, pre-War obelisk at the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed to honor George Washington.

Background

The Washington Monument is a memorial completed on December 6th, 1884, commemorating the first President of the United States, George Washington.

The battered remains of the monument are still standing, towering above the ruins of the old capital city and the battle-torn Mall. The Washington Monument can be seen from nearly anywhere in the Capital Wasteland; at 555 feet tall, it is the tallest structure in the D.C. area.

The Washington Monument has been claimed by the Brotherhood of Steel. They are guarding the tower, as it is an outpost and it contains the signal transmitter for Galaxy News Radio. Although the Brotherhood are leveled characters, they may be killed off by the more numerous super mutants.

Layout

When you enter the monument, you will notice two caved-in doors on either side of you, and an elevator in front of you. You can only go to the elevator, which prompts a loading screen. At the top there are some machines, which are used to relay the Galaxy News Radio signal.

Outside the barricade to the northwest, a lone but well-armed paladin guards a checkpoint containing a stockpile of several Brotherhood-owned ammunition boxes and health items. Just beyond the checkpoint to the west, the north side of the reflecting pool has been mined. At least eight frag mines have been laid down to protect that approach. The defenses are not without cause, as up to five vicious dogs frequent the area and often skirmish with the paladin, sometimes setting off the mines as they advance.

To the southwest another well-armed paladin will usually be found patrolling the perimeter outside the walls.

Related quests

Notes

  • You can use the monument as a home of sorts because it contains a usable bed (though resting in it doesn't give a well-rested bonus) and dropped items don't seem to disappear.
  • The Brotherhood insignia is stenciled on the two entrance doors. After passing between them, and the broken doorway beyond, the Lone Wanderer can jump from the second bench, over the broken wall to the left, to reach an area between the perimeter walls and monument walls. Around to the back of the monument (west) is an ammunition box, a missile launcher and three missiles.
  • The Washington Monument is one of the three buildings that can be seen from almost anywhere in the Capital Wasteland, the others being the MDPL-13 power station and Tenpenny Tower.
  • The monument is guarded by the Brotherhood of Steel's 2nd Monument Defense Detachment, led by Paladin Berrings.
  • The bronze statue of George Washington which originally stood to the left of the elevator has disappeared, with only its plinth left behind.
  • The security terminal outside the monument reads "secuity" when being looked at.
  • After your first visit to the monument, the Brotherhood of Steel will no longer guard the gate, but will patrol the rear.
  • The top of the monument is one of the highest locations in the game, and through the cracks, you can see past the Capitol Building.

Appearances

The Washington Monument appears only in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes

  • The actual Washington Monument is built almost entirely of masonry; there is no steel framework in the interior.
  • The actual Washington Monument is much farther back from the Capitol Building in real life. It is surrounded by grass in an open field rather than by buildings on the Mall.

Bugs

  • PCPC Sometimes, fast traveling from the top of the monument will cause the elevator to stay on the top floor, upon re-entering the Monument you are in a room with blacked out hallways and only the elevator is accessible. Entering it causes you to go down to the bottom floor and then have to go all the way up again. [verified]
  • PCPC If discovered before the "Galaxy News Radio" Quest, Brotherhood of Steel Paladins patrolling the area will be hostile to the player. [verified]
  • PCPC The button panel inside the elevator does not shake with the elevator as it "travels". This is because it is not parented. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 If Galaxy News Radio is played while installing the Virgo II dish, Three Dog while sometimes mention that Project Purity has already been completed, and that it has been two weeks since it started decontaminating water. [verified]

See also

Gallery

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