Visiting DC

Washington, DC is a beautiful city. If you are thinking about visiting Washington, my office would be delighted to set up some tours for you. We recommend calling our office in advance, but we are happy to accommodate any visiting group from Pennsylvania's 10th district. Space is limited for all tours, but my staff and I will do our best to make your trip to Washington enjoyable.

The following is a list of many of the tour sites in town. One of the best tours we can arrange is a tour of the U.S. Capitol. Please contact Sloan Giampa in my office at least a week in advance to schedule one. Please include when you will be in town and how many people are included on the tour.

Sloan Giampa
(202) 225-3731
Sloan.Giampa@mail.house.gov

My office can also provide you with information on other interesting places, including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Smithsonian Museums, and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving.

Tours and Places of Interest

The White House

The White House is open 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. Requests should be made at least eight weeks in advance, though the White House will accept requests up to six months ahead of time. 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.

Metro: McPherson Square (Blue and Orange Lines)

The United States Capitol Building

The Capitol is open to the public for guided tours only. Tours will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday (the Capitol is not available for tours on Sundays). The Capitol will be open on all federal holidays except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Visitors must obtain free tickets for tours on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk located along the curving sidewalk Southwest of the Capitol (near the intersection of First Street, S.W., and Independence Avenue; see the map below). Ticket distribution begins at 9:00 a.m. daily. Ticketholders will be directed to the South Visitor Receiving Facility, which is located South of the Capitol; from there they will proceed to the Capitol to begin their tour. Maximum tour size is 40 people.

Our office will also provide staff-led tours of the Capitol Monday thru Friday. Tours should be scheduled at least a week ahead of time. To schedule such a tour, please contact Sloan Giampa.

Due to heightened security surrounding the presidential inauguration, Capitol tours will be suspended from January 18-20, 2009.

Sloan Giampa
(202) 225-3731
Sloan.Giampa@mail.house.gov

Metro: Capitol South (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Supreme Court
1st St. & Maryland Ave., NE

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 (Red Line)

The Bureau of Engraving & Printing
14th St. & C St., SW

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 March-September. Open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. For information, call 202-874-3019.

Metro: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Pentagon
1400 Defense Pentagon

Group tours are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and normally last approximately 60 minutes. The program does not operate on federal holidays and weekends. Tours are available for educational institutions (schools/colleges/universities/Academies), churches, government agencies, or military organizations. Tours can be reserved up to 3 months in advance. A minimum of two weeks notice prior to the proposed tour date is required.

Metro: Pentagon (Blue and Yellow Lines)

The Department of State

2201 C St., NW
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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

Federal Bureau of Investigation
9th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

*THE FBI WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*
The J. Edgar Hoover Building, the headquarters of our nation's premiere law enforcement agency, offers free public tours every fifteen minutes Monday - Friday from 8:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. The 1-hour tour includes crime laboratories, history exhibits and a live firearms demonstration. For information, call 202-324-3447.

Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown (Green, Red, and Yellow Lines)

The Kennedy Center
2700 F St., NW

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 (Blue Lines)

The Library of Congress
101st St., SE

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

Monuments and Memorials

Arlington National Cemetery

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 (Blue Line)

The Korean War Memorial
National Mall

The Memorial is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. year-round.

Metro: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Lincoln Memorial
National Mall

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial
National Mall

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

The World War II Memorial
National Mall

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 202-426-6841.

Metro: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
National Mall

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Washington Monument
National Mall

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

The U.S. Navy Memorial
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

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-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow Lines)

Museums and Galleries

Folger Shakespeare Library

201 E. Capitol St., SE

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: Capitol South (Blue and Orange Lines) or Union Station (Red Line)

Ford's Theater
511 10th St., NW

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 till winter 2009. For more information, please call 202-426-6924.

Metro: Metro Center (Blue, Orange, and Red Lines)

The National Gallery of Art
6th St. & Constitution Ave., NW

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-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow Lines)

The Smithsonian Institution

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 (Closed until summer 2008)
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 use Smithsonian (Blue Line)

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW

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 (Blue Line)

Capitol Children's Museum
800 3rd Street, NE

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 (Red Line)

Corcoran Gallery of Art
17th Street and New York Avenue, NW

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

The Newseum

555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

The Newseum offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. The Newseum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Tickets are $20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors (65 and older), $13 for Youth (7 to 12), and free for Children (6 and younger).

Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow Lines)

Phillips Collection
1600 21st St., NW

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. For more information, please call 888-639-7386.

Metro: Dupont Circle (Red line)

National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, NW

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 (Blue, Orange, Red Lines)

Spy Museum
800 F St. N.W.

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 (Green, Red, and Yellow Lines)

Landmarks and Parks

Mount Vernon
At the south end of the George Washington Parkway, eight miles south of Alexandria.

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

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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

Octagon House
18th and New York Avenue, NW

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 (Red Line) or Farragut West (Blue and Orange Lines)

Washington National Cathedral
Massachusetts & Wisconsin Aves., NW

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.

The National Zoological Park
3001 Connecticut Ave., NW

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 (Red Line)

The Old Post Office 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 (Blue and Orange Lines)

Union Station
15 Massachusetts Ave., NE

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 (Red Line)

Transportation

Metro

The Washington, DC metropolitan area boasts a top notch subway system known as the Metro. It provides a quick, inexpensive way for visitors to get around the capital city and its environs.

Tourmobile Services

Guided tourmobiles run from Capitol Hill to Arlington National Cemetery daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $22.50 for adults and $11.00 for children. For information, please call 202-554-5100.

Amtrak

For more information regarding train schedules and ticket prices, please call 202-484-7540.

Metrorail

For information regarding train schedules and ticket prices, please call 202-637-7000.