Big Ben bonged for the last time on Aug. 21 after an announcement that London's famous bell will be silenced until 2021 while its home, Elizabeth Tower, undergoes a multi-million dollar renovation.
The London clock tower isn't the only tourist attraction to close for major repairs in recent years.
Eiffel Tower
One of the most famous structures in the City of Light is undergoing a 15-year, $321 million overhaul, Curbed reported. Workers will update the tower's elevators and twinkling lights and reinforce it against weather and possible terror attacks.
According to The Guardian, the Eiffel Tower is repainted every seven years, and the process takes 20 months and requires 60 tons of paint.
Sydney Opera House
This iconic Australian performance venue's Joan Sunderland Theatre is undergoing its largest upgrade since it opened in 1973. According to The Telegraph, the construction will serve to upgrade acoustics and increase flexibility of the stage and seating areas.
As a result, the theater will be closed for more than half of 2017. Renovations are expected to wrap up in 2020 or 2021.
The renovations will cost more than $150 million.
Forbidden City
Thanks to many generous donations, Forbidden City's Yang Xin Dian, or Hall of Mental Cultivation, is having its first renovation in more than a century.
Work on the famed Chinese palace should be completed by 2020.
Washington Monument
Businessman and philanthropist David Rubenstein is spending $2 to $3 million on renovations to the elevator inside the prominent figure in Washington, D.C.
The monument is closed to visitors until at least 2019, according to The Washington Post.
Machu Picchu
Peru's "New Wonder of the World" is in the midst of a $36.7 million upgrade.
Changes include hiring a staff of guides and guards, adding an exit ramp and additional security measures, installing on-site toilets and more. Work will continue until about 2019.
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