In the Washington D.C.
area a multitude of tours can be arranged for 5th Congressional
District Constituents.
We are best able to
accommodate tour requests over the phone.
To arrange a tour, please call
our Washington, D.C. office at 202.225.4755. Please be
aware all tours are on a first come, first serve basis, and tend to fill-up
quite fast. We suggest you plan accordingly, especially during more popular tourist
seasons.
Tour Opportunities available through the Offices of
Congressman Keith Ellison:
The United States Capitol:
The United States Capitol requires a minimum of 7 days
prior to tour date to schedule a tour.
The United States Capitol
tour is a staff-guided tour, lasting approximately 45 - 60 minutes. Tour groups are escorted throughout the
Capitol, visiting the Crypt, the Old Supreme Court Chamber, the Rotunda,
National Statutory Hall, and the House of Representatives Gallery (time
permitting).
All guided tours of the U.S.
Capitol are free of charge and are available to all constituents. The U.S. Capitol is open Monday through
Friday during normal working hours.
Tours are not conducted on weekends or Federal holidays.
The White House:
The White House requires a minimum of 30 days prior to
tour date to schedule a tour, and is accepted up to six months in advance of
tour date.
Public tours of the White
House are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
(excluding federal holidays), and are scheduled on a first come, first served
basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage
you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours
are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current
tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note
that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.
Pentagon:
The Pentagon requires a minimum of 14 days prior to
tour date to schedule a tour.
Pentagon tours last
approximately 90 minutes, and cover nearly one and one half miles of the
Pentagon facility. Tours consist of more
than twenty pages of script that cover twenty items of interest, including: the
Department of Defense and each of its branches of service, and numerous
displays, highlighting significant moments in military history.
The tours program is a joint service operation
consisting of 30 hand-picked, active duty personnel from the National Capitol
Region's military ceremonial units. All
guided tours of the Pentagon are free and are available to schools, educational
organizations and other select groups by reservation only. Tours are conducted
Monday through Friday during normal working hours. Tours are not conducted on
weekends or Federal holidays.
Supreme Court:
The Supreme Court offers a limited availability of
Congressional tours.
Tours of the Supreme Court
building are available from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
(excluding federal holidays), and last approximately 45 - 60 minutes.
The Supreme Court offers a variety of
educational programs. Exhibits, which are changed periodically, and a theater,
where a film on the Supreme Court is shown, are located on the ground floor.
Lectures in the Courtroom are typically given every hour on the half-hour, on
days that the Court is not sitting, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and concluding at
3:30 p.m.
The business of the
Court or unforeseen factors such as inclement weather may affect public access
to the building, requiring changes in the Courtroom lecture schedule and/or the
building's hours of operation.
The Library of Congress:
The Library of Congress offers
Congressional tours starting at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
and 3:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Tour times are also available on Saturday
at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing:
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing requires a minimum
of 30 days prior to tour date to schedule a tour.
Public tours of the Bureau of
Engraving are self-guided tours, available during normal business hours, Monday
through Friday (excluding federal holidays). Tours are scheduled on a first
come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested
date.
On the tour, you will 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!
Please note that in the event
that the Department of Homeland Security threat level is elevated to Code
Orange, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing will be closed to the public
unless otherwise noted.
Please understand the Office of
Congressman Ellison does not have control over the tours granted by these
institutions, while we will do everything possible to accommodate your group
not all tour requests will be granted.
Additional sites your group may want to visit while in
the D.C. area (please note our office does not schedule tours for these
institutions):