DC Metro User's Guide: Finding an Entrance to the DC Metro
This pylon marks the entrance to Fort Trotten station.
In the DC Metro system, knowing roughly where a station is located and finding the entrance can half the battle. However finding the elevators and escalators that lead to the station platform, purchasing a ticket, and getting to the proper platform for your train can be a bit of a challenge as well.
Fortunately, DC's Metro makes the task of finding its stations fairly easy. Large pylons mark each of the entrances to stations. They are readily visible, printed with a large Metro 'M', and the name of the station printed along the pylon side. Colored stripes painted around the top of the sign indicate the lines which service the station.