Barring an unforeseen elevator malfunction or other act of God, the Washington Monument will soon join the list of D.C. institutions again open to the public, following a long closure during the pandemic.

The monument has been closed for six months and will reopen Thursday, Oct. 1 at 9 a.m., with limited capacity and the now-familiar list of health procedures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

The monument will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week, according to the National Park Service. Unlike during pre-pandemic days, tickets will only be available online, with no walk-up option. Tickets, previously free, now require a $1.50 non-refundable reservation fee (each ticket is good for a group of up to four people.)

Visitors can book tickets starting at 10 a.m. the day before their visit, starting on Sept. 30.

Visitors must wear masks and will be limited eight or fewer per elevator ride. Once at the observation platform, each group will be limited to 10 minutes. The monument will be closed each day from 1 to 2 p.m. to allow for disinfecting.

The monument has been closed for long stretches throughout the past decade, starting with the earthquake in 2011, which caused cracks in some of the monument’s stone. It took two years and $15 million to repair that damage, but upon reopening, the elevator was plagued with problems, causing numerous shutdowns and evacuations.

In 2016, the monument was closed for another three years, to replace the elevator and add security facilities at the entrance. It reopened in September 2019, only to again be shut down by the pandemic.