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Citysearch

The Scene – How patriotic is this place? At 555 feet, it's the dominant building on the skyline of the nation's capital, rising above the National Mall on a direct axis between the Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial. Its base is surrounded by American flags, which flap crisply in the wind from their hilltop location. It's the prime viewing spot for Washington's famous Fourth of July fireworks. – – The Facts – The massive restoration of the obelisk began in 1998 and included repairing and polishing the marble exterior, expanding the observation deck and…