Deep beneath the streets of Wheaton, Maryland lies a mechanical marvel that’s become an unexpected tourist attraction. The Wheaton Metro Station escalator stretches an incredible 230 feet, making it the longest in the Western Hemisphere.
Thousands of commuters ride this moving staircase daily, but many visitors come just to experience this engineering wonder that’s become more than just a way to get from point A to point B.
1. Record-Breaking Length That Rivals Skyscrapers
Standing at the top of the Wheaton escalator gives you that same stomach-dropping feeling as peering down from a tall building. The 230-foot journey plunges riders deep underground at a 30-degree angle, taking a full 2 minutes and 45 seconds to complete.
That’s enough time to send a text, read a few emails, or simply marvel at the engineering beneath your feet. For comparison, this single escalator is longer than the Washington Monument is tall!
2. Architectural Wonder Hidden Underground
Most architectural marvels reach for the sky, but this one burrows deep into the earth. Built in 1990, the escalator was an engineering necessity due to the station’s unusual depth of 115 feet below street level…