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Major Washington Buildings and Museums
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The United States Capitol
Located on Capitol Hill between Constitution and Independence Avenues, the U.S. Capitol offers free public tours every day from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with tours originating in the Rotunda at the center of the Capitol Building. Special tours for the disabled and handicapped also are available. The tour includes visits to the Senate and House Galleries overlooking the legislative chambers. |
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The White House
Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours 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.
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The U.S. Supreme Court
Located at First and East Capitol Streets, N.E., the U.S. Supreme Court is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every hour on the half hour. Courtroom seats are available to visitors on a first come, first served basis when the Court is in session. Twenty-minute courtroom lectures are available to the public every hour on the half-hour when the Court is not in session. |
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The Library of Congress
Located at First Street and Independence Avenue, S.E., the Library of Congress contains more than seventy-five million volumes and is a world-renowned research center for scholars. Free thirty-minute tours leave from Madison Memorial Hall (101 Independence Avenue, S.E.) at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. |
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Union Station
Located on Massachusetts Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets, NE, Union Station attracts more than 40,000 visitors daily to its renovated halls containing an assortment of specialty shops, movie theaters and eateries. The building was closed for restoration in 1978. Ten years and $160 million dollars later, the doors were reopened in 1988 with a gala celebration. It was the largest, most complex public/private restoration project ever attempted in the U.S. Open 24 hours daily. |
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation
Located at Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., the FBI building is one of the most interesting tourist attractions in Washington. The FBI Tour is presently closed. No date has been set for its reopening.. |
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The Pentagon
Located off Route I-395 in Arlington, Virginia, the Pentagon is the world's largest office building and the command center for our nation's defense. 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. |
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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Located at 2700 F Street, N.W., the Kennedy Center is a memorial to our 35th President and a major cultural center for Washington and the nation. Broadway-bound plays, the National Symphony Orchestra, grand opera, great American films, fine dining, and much more invite the visitor. Tours of the Center are conducted daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Rooftop historical tours of the city are also featured. |
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The State Department
Located at 2201 C Street, N.W., the Department of State features displays of fine 18th century furniture and an Americana collection in the diplomatic reception rooms. Public tours are available by reservation only and are offered Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:45 p.m. |
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The National Archives
Located at Eighth Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., the National Archives displays the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, as well as extensive genealogical and census files. Special tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. by reservation only. |
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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Located at 14th and C Streets, S.W., the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces over seventy billion dollars in cash every year. Tours of this favorite tourist stop leave continually from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and last approximately twenty minutes. |
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The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Located at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, S.W., the Holocaust Memorial Museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and tells the story of the holocaust in its three-floor permanent exhibition. Tickets are not required to enter the museum but are required for admission to the main exhibition hall. The tickets are free of charge and are distributed daily from the Museum Box Office on a first come, first served basis beginning at 10:00 a.m. It is recommended you arrive sixty to ninety minutes before the box office opens. The tours are self-guided. Tickets also can be reserved in advance through Ticketmaster for a small service charge by calling 1-800-551-7328. |
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The National Zoological Park
Located at 3000 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., the 168-acre National Zoological Park is a year-round favorite of tourists and residents alike. The zoo is free and open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, with extended evening hours during the spring and summer. |
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