US Capitol / Capitol Visitor Center050

When Congress is in session, US residents can obtain US Capitol tour passes by visiting their State Representative's office, located just across Independence Avenue from the Capitol, or their Senator's office, located just across Constitution Avenue. Tours can also be arranged directly through the US Capitol Visitor Services using an online reservation system. The free tours begin with a 13-minute orientation film and last approximately one hour.

If you haven't booked in advance, a limited number of timed passes are handed out on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9am at the tour kiosks on the East and West Fronts of the Capitol or at the Information Desks on the lower level of the Capitol Visitor Center. Lines can get pretty long, especially in nice weather, so you'll need to get there MUCH earlier - send a parent in advance at 7am. And make sure you call the recorded information line, 202.225.6827, before you go, as tours are sometimes suspended due to special events or security measures.

The Galleries of the Senate and House of Representatives Chambers are also open to the public whenever either body is in session. In addition, the House of Representatives is open when the House is out of session, Mon-Fri 9am?4:30pm. Visitors may obtain gallery passes from the office of one of their Senators or their Representative. Passes are required to enter the gallery whether or not the body is in session.

The new Capitol Visitor Center, which opens December 2, 2008, offers 580,000 square feet (almost three quarters the size of the Capitol itself) of welcoming, educational space underground on the east side of the Capitol. Visitors will find orientation theaters, a 530-seat restaurant, two gift shops, an Exhibition Hall that highlights a treasure trove of rarely seen historic documents from the National Archives and the Library of Congress, artifacts from around the country, and an 11-foot-tall touchable model of the Capitol dome. Above ground the historical landscape has been spruced up with 85 new trees, the restoration of historic fountains, lanterns and seat walls, and the addition of skylights, water features and granite pavers across the East Front Plaza.