WASHINGTON - Congressman Adam H. Putnam (FL-12) welcomed constituents from the 12th Congressional district who are visiting Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of President George W. Bush.

“On January 20, 2005, George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney will be inaugurated for a second term as President and Vice President of the United States, and constituents will be able to participate in all of the Inaugural celebration activities, including the Inaugural parade tour and Inaugural balls. Visiting Washington, D.C. can be an overwhelming adventure. My staff and I will make every effort to make your visit more enjoyable and unforgettable,” said Putnam.

While in Washington, constituents are encouraged to stop by Congressman Putnam’s office, located at 1213 Longworth House Office Building, for a cup of coffee or fresh Florida orange juice.

“I would also encourage constituents to take in the great monuments and sites of our nation's Capital while there are here. Never before has Washington, D.C. provided so much to do in so many places - and at such an appropriate time. Culture, heritage, nationally acclaimed theater, musical concerts, festivals, world-renowned shopping, and inspiring monuments and museums offer ideal touring choices. Not only are Washington, D.C.’s sightseeing options big in number, they nearly all offer free admission,” said Putnam.
Be prepared for more restricted security guidelines. Security regulations allow a search of all the contents on a person; therefore, avoid bringing large book bags and backpacks. Please arrive about ten to fifteen minutes before your scheduled tour time.
“I also hope you will take the time to visit the Florida House, Florida’s ‘embassy’ in our nation’s capital. Their helpful staff will ensure that your stay in Washington, D.C. lives up to your expectation,” said Putnam. “Florida House is owned by the people of the state of Florida and is an extraordinary resource for all ages visiting Washington, D.C.”
Our capital city offers many wonderful attractions for visitors of all ages.  I hope the information provided below will help you plan your trip.  Please let us know how we can make your visit more enjoyable. 

Floridians who are planning to visit Washington, D.C. may contact Congressman Putnam’s office at 202-225-1252 or through his website at http://www.adamputnam.house.gov for further assistance. Please enjoy the Inauguration and your visit to Washington, DC! 

Popular Tour Sites

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
http://www.whitehouse.gov
The White House was recently reopened for self-guided, public tours Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can only be made through the office of a Member of Congress. In order to obtain reservations, you must first assemble a party of ten visitors, including children regardless of age, and chose the exact dates you plan to visit Washington, D.C. Requests may be submitted to congressional offices up to six months in advance of your visit. The reservation will be confirmed approximately thirty days before the date of your visit. All visitors aged 14 and above will be required to submit their name, date of birth, social security number and country of origin to the congressional office with which you schedule the tour.

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: all bags, including purses; food and beverages of any kind; strollers; cameras and video recorders of any type; tobacco products; personal grooming items; pointed objects, including pens and knives of any size; guns and ammunition; fireworks; electric stun guns; mace and pepper spray. The United States Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. No coat or package check facilities are provided. Individuals who arrive with any of the prohibited items will be denied access to the White House. All necessary medications must be identified and remain in the custody of an adult chaperone for the entirety of the tour.

All visitors should call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 to determine if any last minute changes have been made in the tour schedule.

The United States Capitol Building
http://www.aoc.gov
Free public tours are conducted Monday - Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Summer hours, May 1st-September 15th, are extended until 8:00 p.m. Capitol Guides suggest that visitors meet on the east side of the Capitol for tickets early in the day. Tickets are handed out beginning at 8:15 a.m. The tours begin in the Rotunda and are conducted every fifteen minutes. For information, call 202-225-6827. Gallery passes are also available from my Washington office. Metro: Capitol South.

The Supreme Court
1st St. & Maryland Ave., NE
http://www.supremecourtus.gov
Open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, no weekends or national holidays. Lectures on the first floor of the courtroom are taking place every hour on the half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (when the Court is not sitting). Tickets are not required for groups less than 50. Tickets are required for groups over 50 and should be ordered a month ahead of time. For information, please call 202-479-3211. Metro: Union Station.

The Bureau of Engraving & Printing
14th St. & C St., SW
http://www.moneyfactory.com
See currency being printed at the rate of 7,000 sheets per hour on a 40-minute guided tour. Tours are free, but space is limited and given every fifteen minutes on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are required May-August. Open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. For information, call 202-874-3019. Metro: Smithsonian.

The Pentagon
1400 Defense Pentagon
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pentagon/tour.html
The Pentagon is currently closed
The Pentagon, the world’s largest office building, and the center for our nation’s defense, offers ninety-minute free public tours Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. For more information, please call 703-695-1776. Metro: Pentagon.

The Department of State
2201 C St., NW
http://www.state.gov
The headquarters for American foreign policy offers free public tours by reservation only Monday - Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:45 p.m. Strollers are not permitted and the tour is recommended for children age twelve and older. For more information, please call 202-647-3241. Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU. 

The Kennedy Center
2700 F St., NW
http://www.kennedy-center.org
The Kennedy Center offers free guided tours Monday - Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The Kennedy Center also features gift shops, restaurants and private reception areas. For tour information, performance reservations and ticket prices call 202-467-4600. Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU.

The Library of Congress
10 1st St., SE
http://www.loc.gov
The Visitor’s Center, located on the west ground level of the Jefferson Building, is open to the public Monday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and a twelve minute film showcasing the library is shown continuously. Free public tours are conducted at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and additionally at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, call 202-707-8000. Metro: Capitol South.
 
Monument and Memorials

Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org
Arlington National Cemetery is America's largest national burial ground with more than 600 acres of landscaped hills. See the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Amphitheater, the Custis-Lee Mansion and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft. Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider is every hour on the hour and every half hour during the summer months. Arlington National Cemetery is open daily October through March from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and April through September from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information, please call 703-692-0931. Metro: Arlington National Cemetery.

The Korean War Memorial
National Mall
http://www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm
The Memorial is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. year-round. Metro: Smithsonian.

The Lincoln Memorial
National Mall
http://www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm
The memorial is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. year-round. For more information, please call 202-426-6822. Metro: Smithsonian.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial
National Mall
http://www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm
The memorial is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. year-round. For more information, please call 202-426-6822. Metro: Smithsonian.

FDR Memorial
National Mall
http://www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm
The memorial is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. year-round. For more information, please call 202-426-6822. Metro: Smithsonian.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
National Mall
http://www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm
The memorial is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. year-round. For more information, please call 202-634-1568. Metro: Smithsonian.

The Washington Monument
National Mall
http://www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm
The monument is open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. seven days a week, and hours are extended from 8:30 a.m. to midnight Memorial Day through Labor Day. You may obtain tickets to the monument ahead of time by calling 1-800-967-2283. Tickets are $1.50 each plus a fifty cent transaction, and can be picked up at will call by the Monument. For more information, please call 202-426-6841. Metro: Smithsonian.

The U.S. Navy Memorial
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
http://www.lonesailor.org/
The memorial is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and also on Mondays from April 1st until November. For more information, please call 202-737-2300. Metro: Archives.
 
Museums and Galleries

Folger Shakespeare Library
201 E. Capitol St., SE
http://www.folger.edu
The Folger Library is open to the public Monday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and public tours are available at 11 a.m. Monday - Friday, and 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, please call 202-544-7077. Metro: South Capitol or Union Station.

Ford's Theater
511 10th St., NW
http://www.fordstheatre.org
The theater where President Lincoln was assassinated is undergoing a restoration project. It is currently open for theatre performances, but the museum on the lower level and the Petersen House are closed through January 2003. For more information, please call 202-426-6924. Metro: Metro Center.

The National Gallery of Art
6th St. & Constitution Ave., NW
http://www.nga.gov
The gallery is open to the public Monday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information, please call 202-737-4215. Metro: Archives.

The Smithsonian Institution
http://www.si.edu
The museums are open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The locations are as follows:
• Anacostia Museum
2405 Martin Luther King Ave., SW
• Arts and Industries Building
900 Jefferson Dr., SW
• Freer Gallery of Art
Jefferson Dr. and 12th St., SW
• Hirschhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
Independence Ave. & 7th St., SW
• National Air & Space Museum
Independence St. and 7th St., SW
• National Air & Space Museum Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center
14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA
• National Museum of African Art
8th and G Streets, NW
• National Museum of American History
14th St. & Constitution Ave., SW
• National Museum of Natural History
10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW
• National Portrait Gallery
8th & F Streets, NW
• Renwick Gallery
Pennsylvania Ave. & 17th St., NW
• Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)
1000 Jefferson Drive, SW
For more information about the Smithsonian Institution, please call 202-357-2700. Metro for most of the Smithsonian museums: Smithsonian.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
http://www.ushmm.org/visit
The museum is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. You may obtain tickets ahead of time by calling 1-800-400-9373 or logging on to www.tickets.com. For more information, please call 202-488-0400. Metro: Smithsonian.

Capitol Children's Museum
800 3rd Street, NE
http://www.ccm.org/
This is a hands-on museum where children and adults can learn, explore and have fun. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer and Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. For more information, please call 202-675-4125. Metro: Union Station.

Corcoran Gallery of Art
17th Street and New York Avenue, NW
http://www.corcoran.org
The Corcoran is open every day except Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday evenings until 9:00 p.m. Tickets are needed for some exhibits. For more information, please call 202-639-1700. Metro: Farragut West.

The Newseum
http://www.newseum.org
The Newseum is in the process of relocating and is closed for renovation until 2004. For more information, call 703-284-3544.

Phillips Collection
1600 21st St., NW
http://www.phillipscollection.org
The Phillips Collections is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. Weekend admission is $7.50 for adults and there is no charge for people under 18. For special exhibitions, the admission charge is $10 for adults, nothing for those under 18. Walk-in tours are available on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 p.m., at no charge. Metro:

National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, NW
http://www.nmwa.org
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; on Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. Admissions charges are as follows: Adults: $5.00; Seniors (60 and over): $3.00; Students with ID: $3.00; NMWA members and youth 18 and under are admitted free. For more information, call 202-783-5000. Metro: Metro Center.

Spy Museum
http://www.spymuseum.org
The Spy Museum is home to the world's largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. The museum is open 10 am to 8 pm April through October and 10 am to 6 pm November through March. The last tickets are sold one hour prior to closing. Tickets are $11 for Adults, $9 for Seniors (age 65+) / Military & Intelligence (U.S. or International with valid I.D.), $8 for Children (grades K-12 or ages 5-18), and Children under 5 are free. For advance tickets, log on to ticketmaster.com or call 800-551-SEAT. For more information on the museum, please call 202-EYE-SPY-U. Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown
 
Landmarks and Parks

Mount Vernon
At the south end of the George Washington Parkway, eight miles south of Alexandria.
http://www.mountvernon.org
The 30-acre estate is the home and burial place of George Washington. Mt. Vernon is open to the public daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. March, September, and October. November through February hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. April through August hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission charges are: Adults $9.00, Senior Citizens $8.50, Children 6-11 years $4.50.For more information, please call 703-780-2000. Metro: Not within walking distance. One nice way to arrive is by tour boat leaving from Old Town Alexandria.

United States Botanic Garden
245 1st St., SW
http://www.usbg.gov
The gardens are free and open to the public daily from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and from June - August until 9:00 p.m. Group tours are available with advance reservations. For more information, please call 202-225-8333. Metro: Federal Center SW.

Octagon House
18th and New York Avenue, NW
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc22.htm
The Octagon House contains architectural exhibits. It served as James Madison's White House following the destruction of the real White House by the British in 1814. The Treaty of Ghent was signed here, ending the War of 1812. It is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Octagon House is closed Monday. For more information, please call 202-638-3105. Metro: Farragut North or Farragut West.

Washington National Cathedral
Massachusetts & Wisconsin Aves., NW
http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/
The observation gallery offers a magnificent view of Washington. The Cathedral is open Sunday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free guided tours are conducted from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tours are not offered during services. Donations are accepted. For more information, please call 202-537-6200. Metro: Not within walking distance.

The National Zoological Park
3001 Connecticut Ave., NW
http://natzoo.si.edu
The zoo’s grounds are open to the public daily from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and the animal buildings are open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. from May 1 until September 15. From September 16 until April 30, the zoo’s grounds are open from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and the animal buildings are open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. For more information, please call 202-673-4800. Metro: Cleveland Park Station

Old Post Office Building and Pavilion
1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
The building is open to the public daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. September through April and 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. April through September. For more information, please call 202-606-8691. Metro: Federal Triangle

Union Station
15 Massachusetts Ave., NE
http://www.unionstationdc.com
The mall is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with separate hours for individual restaurants. For more information, please call 202-289-1908. Metro: Union Station