Bureau of Engraving & Printing Washington, DC

Western Currency Facility Fort Worth, TX

For updated opening and closing information for the Washington, D.C. tour, please call the tour office at (202) 874-2330 (local) or 1-866-874-2330 (toll-free).
For the Western Currency Facility Tour and Visitor Center, call (817) 231-4000 (local) or 1-866-865-1194 (toll-free).

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) operates two facilities - one in Washington, D.C., and one in Fort Worth, TX. Tours are offered at both facilities.

You'll see millions of dollars being printed during a tour of the BEP. The tour features the various steps of currency production, beginning with large, blank sheets of paper, and ending with wallet-ready bills!

As the U.S. Government's security printer, the BEP is responsible for the design, engraving and printing of all U.S. paper currency. A world leader in printing technology, the Bureau also produces postage stamps, White House invitations, Treasury obligations and other U.S. securities.

Currency production methods have changed drastically since the BEP was established in 1862. At that time, just six people separated and sealed notes by hand in the basement of the Treasury building. The Bureau moved to its present site in 1914. The Fort Worth, Texas facility was created to meet increased currency production demands - it opened its doors in 1991.

Though new printing, production and examining technologies have brought us into the 21st Century, the Bureau's engravers continue to use the same traditional tools that have been used for over 125 years - the graver, the burnisher, and the hand-held glass.