Constituent Services

Visit Washington DC

Here's some more tour information we think you may find
helpful when planning a trip to Washington:

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: Open daily. October- March: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April- September: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tomb of the unknown soldier, the Amphitheatre, the Curtis-Lee Mansion and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft. Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every hour on the hour during winter months and every half hour during the summer months. Phone: (703) 607-8052. Metro Stop: Arlington Cemetery (Tourmobile Sightseeing transportation available)

BOTANIC GARDENS: First and Maryland Avenue, S.W. Open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Group tours are available with 14 days advance reservations and are given at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday- Friday. Phone: (202) 225-8333. Metro Stop: Federal Center S.W.

BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING: 14th and C Streets, S.W. Public tour tickets distributed at the 15th Street side of the building. See how U.S. currency and stamps are printed. Tours Monday- Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. September through May, leaving every 10 minutes. Additional hours 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. June through August. Closed weekends and federal holidays. Call for late December schedule. Limited Congressional tours available (2 per day) with 6 to 8 weeks advance notice. Phone: (202) 847-3019. Metro Stop: Smithsonian

CAPITAL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM: 800 3rd Street, N.E. Permanent and rotating Ahands-on@ exhibits, crafts, and performing groups. September-May open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; May-August open daily 10:00a.m.-5 p.m. Admission free. Information: (202) 675-4120. Metro Stop: Union Station

CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART: 17th and New York Avenue, N.W. Wednesday-Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed holidays. Information: (202) 639-1700. Metro Stop: Farragut West

DUMBARTON OAKS: 1703 32nd Street, N.W. Entrance at 31st Street and R Street, NW. Gardens open daily, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Art museum open Tuesday through Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Both are closed on federal holidays. Admission to gardens- Adults: $5. Wednesday, Senior Citizens- admission free. Group tours: (202) 339-6409. Information: (202) 339-6401

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: CLOSED TO PUBLIC TOURS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY: 201 East Capitol Street, Shakespeare exhibits and performances. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed holidays. Information: (202) 544-4600. Metro Stop: Capitol South

FORD'S THEATRE AND LINCOLN MUSEUM: 511 10th Street between E and F Streets, N.W. Open daily (except Christmas) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (202) 426-6924. Metro Stop: Metro Center

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL: Westbain Drive. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight. Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom, Smithsonian

GEORGETOWN: West of Rock Creek Park. Old Stone House, oldest standing house in Washington.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, S.W. (Old 15th Street between Maine Avenue and Independence Avenue) Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed Yom Kippur and Christmas. Free tickets are available in limited quantity on a first-come, first-served basis for same-day passes. The box office is on the 14th Street side of the museum and opens at 10 a.m. Groups 10 and larger should make reservations 1 year in advance. Visitors may order up to 10 passes in advance by calling (800)400-9373 or accessing ProTix through the Museum's website at www.ushmm.gov ProTix charges a $1.75 service fee per pass and a single $1.00 handling fee for each order. Allow at least two hours to visit the museum. Metro Stop: Smithsonian

INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM: 800 F Street, NW. Museum open 10a.m.-8p.m. April-October; 10a.m.-6p.m. November-March. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission Prices- Adults: $14 Seniors: $9 Children K-12: $8 Children under 5: Free. Group discounts and information: (202)393-7798. Advance ticket sales (202)654-9060. Metro Stop: Gallery Place-Chinatown (Green/Yellow lines) or Metro Center (Red/Orange/Blue lines)

JEFFERSON MEMORIAL: South Bank of the Tidal Basin. Open 24 hours daily. At the Swan Boathouse you can rent a paddle boat to cruise the Basin. Metro Stop: Smithsonian

JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: New Hampshire Avenue at Rock Creek Parkway, N.W. Regular public tours are conducted by Friends of the Kennedy Center volunteers daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tours leave every 20 to 30 minutes and last approximately 45 minutes. Visitors should go to the Tour Lounge, Parking Level A. Limited Congressional tours available every day except Sunday with up to 3 months advance notice. Phone: (202) 416-8340. Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom (There is a free shuttle bus which takes visitors from the station to the center).

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL: Independence Avenue and Daniel French Drive, S.W. Open 24 hours daily.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: Jefferson Building, First Street and Independence Avenue, S.E. Tours are offered Monday through Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should make tour reservations. Phone: (202) 707-5458. Metro Stop: Capitol South

LINCOLN MEMORIAL: West Potomac Park at the foot of 23rd Street, N.W. Open 24 hours daily. Book store is open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Phone: (202) 426-6895.

MOUNT VERNON: Sixteen miles south of Washington, D.C., at the south end of the George Washington Parkway. Home of George Washington. Open daily to the public April- August at 8 a.m., September- March at 9 a.m. Entrance gates close March - October at 5 p.m., November - February at 4 p.m. Admission fee; special prices for group tours. Information: (703) 780-2000

NATIONAL AQUARIUM: 14th Street, between Constitution Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Tanks of fish, frogs, alligators, and sharks. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except Christmas-Last admission at 4:30). Admission is $3.50 for adults and $1.00 for children 2 to 10 years old. Phone: (202) 482-2825. Metro Stop: Federal Triangle

NATIONAL ARBORETUM: 24th and R Streets, N.E. 444 acres of flowering trees and shrubs. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: (202) 475-4815.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES: 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are on display. Open daily at 10:15 a.m-1:15 p.m. Phone: (202) 501-5205. Metro Stop: Archives

NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW. Open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:45 to 4:30 p.m. From May 1 through Labor Day the nave (main) level remains open until 9 p.m. on weeknights. Gardens open daily til dusk. A donation of $3.00 per person is suggested. Congressional tours are held at 9 a.m. Monday and Wednesday. To book a group tour, call (202)363-3611. Phone: (202)537-6200

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART: Constitution Avenue, between 3rd and 7th Street, N.W. The main building and I.M. Pei's magnificent east building house the nation's art treasures and are connected by an underground concourse. The National Gallery encompasses all aspects of the visual arts. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phone:(202) 737-4215. Metro Stop: Archives, Judiciary Square

OCTAGON HOUSE: 18th and New York Avenue, N.W. Architectural exhibits. Served as President James Madison's White House following destruction of the real White House by the British in 1814. The Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812 signed here. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Mondays. Admission- Adults: $5 Students: $3 Information: (202) 638-3105. Metro Stop: Farragut West

PENTAGON: NO PUBLIC TOURS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION GROUP: Free admission. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except the Castle which opens at 9 a.m. and the National Museum of African Art which closes at 5:30 p.m. Closed Christmas. For information call (202) 357-2020. Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue/Orange lines) or Archives-Navy Memorial (Green/Yellow lines)

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum-- 2405 Martin Luther King Avenue, S.E.
Arts and Industries Museum-- 900 Jefferson Drive, S.W.
The Freer Gallery of Art-- Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, S.W.
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden-- Independence Avenue at 7 Street, S.W.
National Air and Space Building-- Independence Avenue and 7th Street, S.W.
National Museum of African Art--950 Independence Avenue, S.W.
National Museum of American Art-- 9th and G Streets, N.W.
Museum of American History-- 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Museum of Natural History-- 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
National Portrait Gallery-- 8th and F Streets, N.W.
Renwick Gallery-- Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, N.W.
Freer and Sackler Gallery-- 1050 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)-- 1000 Jefferson Drive, S.W.

STATE DEPARTMENT: CLOSED TO PUBLIC TOURS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

SUPREME COURT: 1st Street and Maryland Avenue, N.E. Tours are available Monday- Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the court is not in session. When the Court is in session tours are only given on Thursdays and Fridays. To see the Court in session, wait in two lines outside the building. The lines start forming at around 8:30 a.m., so get there early! No tours are given during August. Public lectures are conducted in the courtroom from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. when the Court is not in session. Phone: (202) 479-3000. Metro Stop: Capitol South and Union Station

TOURMOBILE SERVICE: The National Park Services operated guided tourmobiles that travel from Capitol Hill to Arlington Cemetery and points in between with unlimited reboarding privileges the day of ticket purchase; call for rates. Tourmobile operates daily 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Information (202)554-7950 or 628-4844

TREASURY DEPARTMENT: 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Paper money and both real and counterfeit coins on display Monday- Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday morning only, tours are 10:00, 10:20, 10:40, and 11:00 a.m. Admission is free. Information: (202) 622-2000. Metro Stop: Metro Center

UNION STATION: Massachusetts Avenue and North Capitol Street, N.E. on the Senate side of Capital Hill. Rail Station newly refurbished in turn-of-the-century motif. Open Monday- Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday Noon to 6 p.m. Information: (202)371-9441. Metro Stop: Union Station

UNITED STATES CAPITOL: PUBLIC TOURS HAVE RESUMED. Timed tickets are given out beginning at 9:00 a.m. from a kiosk on the Southwest corner of the Capitol grounds (at the corner of Independence Ave and First Street, SW). Tours begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m. Call 202.225.6827 for further information. Visit my office or a United States senator's office for passes to the House of Representatives and Senate galleries. Metro Stop: Capitol South (Blue/Orange lines) or Union Station (Red line)

UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY: 34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Ninety-minute tours are available on alternating Monday evenings, weather permitting. April 1- September 30 at 8:30 p.m. October 1- March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Reservations are needed at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Phone: (202)762-1467.

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL: Near the Lincoln Memorial. Henry Bacon Drive and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Always open. Constructed of black granite to honor all Americans who served in the Vietnam War. As a special tribute to those who did not return, the names of more than 58,000 who gave their lives or who remain missing are inscribed on the Memorial's walls in chronological order. Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom

WASHINGTON MONUMENT: On the Mall at 15th Street, N.W. Open daily. April 1- Labor Day from 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. and mid-September- March 31 from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tickets required 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., April 1- Labor Day and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., mid-September- March 31. Tickets are free and available at the booth located on the west side of 15th Street, N.W., on the Mall. First-come, first-served at other times. Phone: (202)426-6839. Metro Stop: Smithsonian

THE WHITE HOUSE: Congressionally arranged tours of the White House are available to groups of 10 or more ONLY. The requests must be submitted AT LEAST SIX WEEKS IN ADVANCE and may require security information.  Please call our office if you meet these requirements and are interested.

WOLF TRAP FARM PARK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: Virginia. Washington/Dulles Toll road near Vienna. The nation's first National Park for the performing arts. Wolf Trap offers opera, symphonic music, pop concerts, rock, folk, jazz, and ballet. Concerts are given all winter in The Barn, which has 350 indoor seats. The Filene Center has approximately 7,000 indoor/outdoor seats. Phone: (703) 255-1860.

NATIONAL ZOO: 3000 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Grounds open every day except Christmas. April 15th to October 15th: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., animal rooms open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; October 16th to April 14th: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., animal rooms open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise posted. Admission free, parking fee. Phone: (202)673-4800 or 673-4717. Metro Stop: Woodley Park-Zoo

RECORDED MESSAGES: Dial-a-Park (202) 619-7275 --- Dial-a-Museum (202)375-2020


TIPS ON TOURING CAPITOL HILL

HOUSE AND SENATE GALLERIES: Passes are needed for the House and Senate galleries to observe debate on the floor of Congress. These can be obtained from our Washington office. Children must be at least 6 years of age to be admitted in the Senate gallery. In the House, children under 10 are allowed in the gallery if accompanied by an adult. Both galleries are open between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., but may open earlier or close later depending on when the House and Senate are in session.

TRANSPORTATION: Parking is limited in Washington. Taxis, and the Metro subway are available every day for transportation to and from Capitol Hill. Visitors are encouraged to use Metro rail system and other forms of public transit.

Please visit our office when you are in Washington so our staff can help make your visit a more enjoyable one.