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U.S. Capitol Building

The Capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. The Senate and the House of Representatives have met here for more than two centuries. Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.

White House

Tour the home of the President of the United States.  The White House has been home to every president except George Washington.  Open Tuesday through Saturday, visitors are welcome from 10 am to Noon.  Tickets must be obtained at the Visitors Waiting Area on the Ellipse the day of the tour from 8:00 am to Noon.  Visitors are requested to go to the East Gate on East Executive Ave to wait in line.  Since the White House is occasionally closed for official events, it is recommended that visitors call in advance.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing
See how United States currency is printed.  Open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Closed weekends, Federal holidays and December 24 through January 3rd.

U.S. Supreme Court Building

The building is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.

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. Courtroom lectures are held 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.

Library of Congress

The world’s largest and most open research library, millions of scholars, readers and tourists visit the Library of Congress annually.  Our country’s national library contains over 75 million volumes.  Tours are conducted every hour on the hour from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday.  The Library asks that groups over 10 people make a reservation for a specific tour.

Other attractions include:

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in Washington, D.C. and one of the city's early attractions.  It was built in honor of George Washington, who led the country to independence and then became its first President. The Monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, stands 555' 5 1/8" tall, and offers views in excess of thirty miles. It was finished on December 6, 1884.

World War II Memorial

The World War II Memorial commemorates the sacrifice and celebrates the victory of "the greatest generation." Friedrich St.Florian's winning design balances classical and modernist styles of architecture, harmonizes with its natural and cultural surroundings, and connects the legacy of the American Revolution and the American Civil War with a great crusade to rid the world of fascism.

Jefferson Memorial

The words of Thomas Jefferson, some written more than 200 years ago, have shaped American ideals. Today, many of these impressive, stirring words adorn the interior walls of his memorial. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial stands as a symbol of liberty and endures as a site for reflection and inspiration for all citizens of the United States and the world.

Lincoln Memorial

"In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." Beneath these words, the 16th President of the United States—the Great Emancipator and preserver of the nation during the Civil War—sits immortalized in marble. As an enduring symbol of Freedom, the Lincoln Memorial attracts anyone who seeks inspiration and hope.

FDR Memorial

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These are the words of our 32nd President, a man who embodied the meaning of the word courage. Despite being stricken with polio at age 39 and paralyzed from the waist down, he emerged as a true leader, guiding our country through some dark times: the Great Depression and World War II. The memorial honors this man, his story, and his era.

Ford's Theatre

Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed on April 14, 1865. A well-known actor, John Wilkes Booth, desperate to aid the dying Confederacy, stepped into the president's box at Ford's Theatre and pulled the trigger.

Learn about how one action altered America's power to reconstruct after the Civil War.