from: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dc/032109_natl_cathedral_offers_tour

Nat'l Cathedral Offers
Tour to the Top
(Created On: Saturday, 21 Mar 2009, 5:55 PM EDT)

Karen GrayHouston

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Hundreds of tourists and curious D.C. area residents were offered a rare opportunity Saturday to see breathtaking views from top of the Washington National Cathedral.

 It is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and second largest in the United States. Its central tower is 676 feet above sea level, the highest point in the District of Columbia.

 Three guided tours took people up 333 steps, 30 stories high for a visual experience that is unparalleled. The climbers were treated to a demonstration by members of the Washington Ringing Society, who showed how they ring the bells in the bell tower.

 The $10 tour was well worth it for a chance to climb spiral staircases and take in panoramic views of the city. The cathedral will offer the tour again in May.

 Cathedral Facts and Figures

 * The Space Window on the south aisle of the Cathedral contains a piece of lunar rock.

* There is a sculpture of Darth Vader on top of the Cathedral’s west tower.

* The Cathedral’s central tower is the only place in North America to house both peal and carillon bells.

* The Cathedral labyrinth is a medieval design based on the one in the floor of the nave at Chartres Cathedral in France.

* The Great Organ was expanded multiple times during construction to serve the growing Cathedral.

* The Cathedral is home to one of the few old growth forests still standing in the nation’s capital, Olmsted Woods, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.

 The Cathedral by the Numbers

 * Weight of the entire Cathedral: 150,000 tons

* Heaviest single stone: 5.5 tons

* Height of Cathedral’s center tower: 30 stories tall

* Total cost of building the Cathedral: $65 million

* Total years of construction: 83

* Number of stained glass windows: 231

* Number of gargoyles: 112

* Number of angels: 288