Congressional offices can request a limited number of Congressional Reserved Tours for residents of their congressional district. Although generally these tours are the same offered as the public tours, because they are reserved in advance, these tickets assure a specific time for the tour to be given, avoiding lines for general tour admittance. 

While requesting a reserved tour early increases the chances of receiving a tour, it does not guarantee the tour will be available as these popular tours are limited in space availability and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. A final decision on availability is quite often not known until just a few weeks prior to the date of the tour.

Please be assured that I will inform you of availability as soon as possible, and that my office will make every effort to make sure that your visit is enjoyable.

Reserved Tours

Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP)

·       Tours begin before the general public tours at 8:15, 8:30 and 8:45 a.m., Mondays thru Fridays, except on federal holidays.

·       Extended Summer Hours (May-August) include reserved tours for 4:00, 4:15, 4:30 and 4:45 p.m.

·       BEP tour policies are subject to change without public notification. If the Department of Homeland Security level is elevated to CODE ORANGE, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is CLOSED to the public.

·       Reservation requests should be made at least six weeks in advance.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

All Tours Currently Suspended for Extensive Renovations

Kennedy Center

·       Tours are given Mondays thru Fridays at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. The 4:30 p.m. tour ends at the Millennium Stage in time for the 6 p.m. free performance.

·       There are no tours on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day.

·       Reservations may be requested up to two months in advance.

Library of Congress

·       Tours are given Mondays thru Fridays at 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

·       There are no tours on federal holidays.

·       Tour includes a special greeting by a member of the Visitors Service Office Staff, a guided tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building, and an introduction to the American Treasures exhibition.

·       Reservation requests should be made at least six weeks in advance.

Mount Vernon

·       These reserved tours are only offered from April 1 through October 31. During that period, these tours are available 7 days a week at 8:45 a.m. by advanced reservation.

·       This is a guided walking tour of the Mount Vernon Estate, which provides an in-depth introduction to Mount Vernon and concludes with a ceremony at Washington’s Tomb.

·       Regular admission fees apply and admission tickets must be purchased at the main gate before the tour begins. The Mansion is not part of the guided tour, but visitors may tour the Mansion either prior to or at the conclusion of the guided tour of the Estate. 

·       At least 2 days notice should be made.

Supreme Court

·       Limited to 4 persons per group. Tours are given Mondays thru Fridays at 2 p.m. on days the Court is not sitting.

·       The tour consists of a lecture in the Courtroom, followed by a tour of other areas of the building, as available.

·       Due to official Court business, congressional reserved tours are subject to cancellation.

U.S. Capitol

·       Limited to a maximum of 15 people.

·       Tours are conducted Mondays thru Fridays between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.

·       There are no tours on federal holidays.

Washington National Cathedral

·       Limited to families or small groups fewer than 15 people.

·       No advance reservation is necessary other than obtaining a ticket for this tour from my office – this special tour option is available as long as the desired date and time falls within the following operation guidelines: Tours are early-morning tours offered only at 9 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, except on Ash Wednesday, Independence Day federal holiday, the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve (or the Monday/Wednesday before Independence Day holiday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve), and the entire month of January.

·       Occasionally there are special events at the Cathedral that will prevent the Cathedral from offering this tour, with very little “lead time.”

·       Tours are free, but the Washington National Cathedral requests donations.

White House

·       Limited to groups of 10 or more. Even if you do not have that many in your party, you may still submit your request to my office as we will attempt to combine smaller groups to create groups to meet the White House 10 or more group requirement. 

·       Tours can be requested at a minimum of one month prior to the tour date and a maximum of six months in advance.  However, since the White House determines what groups will receive the limited tour on a first come, first-served basis for all requests it receives, the earlier the request is submitted the better the chances that the tour will be granted. 

·       Please note that although an advance reservation is required, my office does not receive notification from the White House whether a tour will be granted or not until approximately one month before the tour date.

·       In addition, for groups granted a tour, the White House security procedures require visitors to provide the following information for clearance:

ü       In advance, the name, date of birth, and country of origin for each individual member of the group must be provided

ü       In addition, in advance, the Social Security number for all individual members of the group aged 14 and above must be provided.

ü       On the day of the tour, individual members of the group 15 years of age or older will be required to present photo identification with the information exactly matching the name previously submitted for clearance. Individuals whose identification does not exactly match the name or data cleared for entry may be denied admittance.

Please submit your tour requests by:

·       Web Form to submit request online.

·       Or by Mail:

          Congressman Dave Obey

          Attn: Tour Coordinator

          401 5th Street, Suite 406A

          Wausau, WI  54403

·       Or by Fax:  (715) 842-4488