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The towering symbol that honors the nation's first president reopened to the public on Monday, nearly three years after an earthquake cracked and chipped the 130-year-old stone obelisk.

After fences were dismantled and construction equipment removed, the Washington Monument drew a cross section of Americans who wanted to be among to first visit the newly reopened historic site.

For many of them, it was their first chance to see the 555-foot-tall monument's interior and the nation's capital from its highest point.

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Soldiers of a military band perform during the reopening ceremony of the Washington Monument on May 12, 2014 in Washington D.C.

'I've seen pictures of it, but I've never been here to see it,' said Brandon Hillock, 22, from near Salt Lake City, visiting after a two-year Mormon mission in Virginia.

'It's really cool to come here and experience what this is all about and the history behind it.'

Engineers have spent nearly 1,000 days on an extensive analysis and restoration of what was once the tallest structure in the world. A 5.8-magnitude quake in August 2011 caused widespread damage. It shook some stones loose and caused more than 150 cracks. From massive scaffolding built around the monument after the quake, engineers and stone masons made repairs stone by stone.

Now, new exhibits have been installed at the top, and visitors can once again ride an elevator to look out over the National Mall. The National Park Service is offering extended hours through the summer for daytime and evening visits. Tickets can be reserved online, but they're already booked into June.

Kourtney Butler of Miami just graduated from Howard University, but the monument has been closed and under construction for most of her four years living in Washington.

'I wanted to get a chance to see it," she said. "I really like the monuments and the national mall. I think I've been to all the Smithsonian museums and art exhibits. So it was the last one I hadn't seen.'

Kristopher Lewis of Augusta, Georgia, and his wife, Mary Lewis, were visiting Washington for a conference.

'I played in front of the monument when I was in the eighth-grade band, so I wanted to come back and see it,'Mary Lewis said.

For Kristopher Lewis, it was his first visit. Looking up, he said he felt patriotic.

"There's so many amazing historical sites in Washington, D.C., and just to be able to go up to the top of the monument and to look around and see all the city from that vantage point, not to mention the history of the monument itself, I think will be wonderful,' he said.

Grand opening: The Washington Monument has been closed for three years

Preparing to meet its public: The Washington Monument will reopen to visitors later today

This giant 555ft-tall (169m) obelisk stands almost at the heart of Washington DC.

Built between 1848 and 1884 in tribute to George Washington, the first US president, it has been shut to visitors for the last 32 months – thanks to the cracks that emerged in its stonework as a result of the earthquake that struck the city on 23 August 2011.

The 5.8-magnitude quake was followed by a series of tremors that were as strong as 4.5 on the Richter scale.

These problems were compounded by Hurricane Irene, which swept into Washington DC four days later – adding to the architectural stress on the near two-century-old edifice.

Visitor access to the observation deck – which sits at 500ft and offers widescreen views of America's bureaucratic hub – was closed off immediately after the earthquake.

Public tours will begin again today (12 May) at 1pm local time (6pm in the UK) – after a short ceremony to mark the Monument's return.

Some 150 cracks appeared in its masonry, mainly as a result of the initial earthquake. 

Washington Monument reopens after earthquake damage

The necessary repairs have cost $15million (£9million).

Half of this sum has come from public funding, with another $7.5million (£4.5million) provided by US billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein.

Rubenstein says that he offered the donation after realising how much the Washington Monument means to a lot of Americans.

'It became clear to me that the Washington Monument symbolises many things for our country – the freedoms, patriotism, George Washington, leadership,' he said.

Cracking up: Damage caused to the Monument by the earthquake is visible in this image from June 2013

'It has been moving to see how many people are affected by it.'

Although it is now an unmistakeable part of the Washington DC landscape, the Monument's construction was not without its issues.

Its 36-year gestation was a drawn-out affair, with delays – caused by a lack of funding, as well as the interruption of the American Civil War – leaving it, at one point, half finished.

This start-stop process is visible in the two shades of stone that make up the obelisk.

Builders returning to the project in 1879 were unable to source granite of the exact same hue as the blocks which make up the Monument's lower third – and were forced to continue construction with material of a slightly darker colour.

Despite its woes over the last three years, the future of the Monument was never in doubt.

'It's structurally sound and not going anywhere,' Bob Vogel, Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks emphasised in September 2011.

By the time it was completed, the Washington Monument was the tallest structure on the planet – although it would lose that title to the Eiffel Tower within four years.

It is still the world's tallest stone structure.