Ever year millions of people come to DC to see the famous sights. The Washington Monument is by far one of the most popular and most photographed sights in DC. But if you really want to see a unique monument, you actually need to hear just south of the Washington Monument to uncover the secret mini second Washington Monument hidden underground.

The mini Monument is actually not a monument but is a central point that is used by surveyors. The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) uses a network of control points across the country to help synchronize the government’s maps.
Flickr/NPS CulturalLandscape
The point near the Washington Monument is known as "Bench Mark A." The NGS has to use extremely stable control points because they act as starting points for any maps and need to be extremely accurate. This control point happens to be a 12 foot tall replica of the monument it sits near.
NOAA NGS

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The monument was placed there in the 1880s. The ground was much lower then and the mini monument was actually above ground for a while, encased in glass. You can see in this photo that at one point you could see the foundation of the monument. It has since sunk below the earth, along with the mini monument.
Public Domain/Matthew Brady
Look for it just south of the Monument but do not open or touch it without speaking to to a Park Ranger.
YouTube/Washington Underground

Check out the video below to see more of the hidden mini Washington Monument!

Check out more hidden DC at these hidden gems!

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