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Representative Donald M. Payne

Representing the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey

Visit Washington Attractions

U.S. Capitol/Capitol Visitor Center (CVC)
Library of Congress
School Tours
Bureau of Printing & Engraving
The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
The White House
Supreme Court
Mount Vernon
National Cathedral
Other Attractions

Congressional offices receive a very limited amount of tickets for these tours, therefore, advance notice is required. Once you submit your request for tours, my office will send you brochures, maps of the city and a "Welcome to Washington" guide to the Capital City's parks, monuments, museums, theaters and special attractions that will assist you in planning your visit. Be sure to stop by my office and let us know how we can make your stay more enjoyable.

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Tour Availability

Please note that all tours MUST be requested at least ONE MONTH in advance. Public tours are still available for last minute visits.

Acceptance or denial for a tour is handled completely by the venue. All venues offer tours on a first come, first serve basis. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing allows scheduling up to 1 year in advance and The White House allows scheduling up to 6 months in advance. For best chances of success, please schedule your tours as early as possible.

Particularly due to the historic Obama Presidency, there has been a renewed interest in touring our nation’s capital. All venues have been impacted. The White House has been inundated with tour requests from throughout the country, and a very limited number of spots are available each day.

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Tour Notification

Please give our tour coordinating team enough time to book all of your tours – we kindly request that you hold all follow-up calls until three weeks prior to your requested tour date. Notification of tour confirmations have been known to take up to one week prior to the tour date, particularly from the White House. Rest assured that as soon as the Tour Coordinator receives confirmation of your tours, you will be notified immediately.

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Self-Scheduled Tours

Keep in mind that each tourist location is open to the public and there are still opportunities to take the same tours without scheduling them through my office.

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Tours in DC

U.S. Capitol/Capitol Visitor Center (CVC)

Your visit to the historic U.S. Capitol begins as you enter the Capitol Visitor Center. With its soaring spaces and skylight views of the Capitol dome, the Visitor Center welcomes you on a journey of discovery. The Capitol is home to the U.S. Congress and its two legislative bodies, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Through films, exhibits, and tours, you will learn about how Congress works, how this magnificent building was built, and how citizens can participate in this extraordinary experiment called representative democracy. Learn more about visiting the Capitol.

For your convenience, it is now possible to book your own tour of the U.S. Capitol/CVC.

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Bureau of Engraving and Printing

For updated opening and closing information please call the tour office at (202) 874-2330 or toll-free 1-866-874-2330 or visit the Bureau's website.

Public Tours during peak season (March - August)

Visits to the BEP during peak season require tickets, which can be acquired at no cost.

Free tickets are required for all tours from the first Monday in March through the last Friday in August, on a first-come, first-served basis. The ticket booth is located on Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street). The BEP offers same day tickets only. The Ticket Booth opens at 8:00 a.m. - Monday through Friday, and closes when all tickets have been distributed. Lines form early (some days as early as 5:30 a.m.) and tickets go quickly, most days’ (especially during the first two weeks in April ~ Cherry Blossom/Spring Break) tickets are gone by 8:30 a.m. Please plan accordingly.

Public tours during non-peak season (September - February)

No tickets are required for visits during the non-peak season.

You may line up at the Visitors' Entrance on 14th Street. The tour lasts approximate 45 – 50 minutes from the time you enter the building until the end of your tour.

Public Tour Times: 9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (every 15 minutes)

Extended Summer Hours (April - August): 2:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. (every 15 minutes) & 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (every 15 minutes)

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Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

No reservations are required for the Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center offers Congressional tours at 9:30am and 4:30pm, Monday – Friday. It is located at 2700 F Street, NW.

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Library of Congress

If the Library of Congress Visitor's Office is unable to accommodate your congressional tour request for the Library of Congress, the venue offers general public tours at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Saturday tours are offered at the same times, except for 3:30 p.m.

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Mount Vernon

Congressional tours for Mount Vernon are offered only from April to October. Nonetheless, Mount Vernon is open seven days a week, every day of the year. An admission fee is collected at the Main Gate. For more information, please call 703-780-2000.

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National Cathedral

No reservations are required for the National Cathedral. The venue offers its congressional tours on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. The National Cathedral is located on the corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues. The tour fee is $3 per adult, $2 per senior citizen, and $1 per child.

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Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, EXCEPT federal holidays. Between July 1 and September 2008, the Courtroom will be closed and no Courtroom lectures will be available. However, the building will remain open to the public and at times, the doors to the Courtroom may be open so that visitors can see inside the room. Visitors will still have access to the Great Hall that features marble busts of the Chief Justices. The ground floor offers small topical exhibits, a collection of portraits and busts of Associate Justices, a film on the work of the Court, one of two self-supporting staircases, a cafeteria, and gift shop.

The Supreme Court is located on First Street, SE, directly across from the Capitol Building and next to the Library of Congress.

To obtain updated information on visiting the Court, including any schedule changes, please call 202.479.3211.

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White House

The White House allows our office to schedule requests up to 6 months in advance. Due to the popularity of the venue, White House tours fill up fast. Please schedule tours as early as possible for best chances of success.

If the White House is unable to accommodate your tour request, the White House Visitors Center remains open, and you are encouraged to visit this informative resource, located across the street from the White House at the corner of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. You should allow between 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours to explore the exhibits.

Please note that a tour denial from the White House Visitors Office is not due to security reasons. The White House Visitors Office does not process security information until after a tour of the White House has been granted.

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School Tours

Please be advised that the Capitol Guide Service fills up on spots for schools tours quickly. Schools are encouraged to request tours by November of each year, even though our office will not be able to schedule tours until approximately one month in advance of the tour date. These guidelines are set by the Capitol Guide Service and are not in our office's control.

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Additional Questions

Rest assured that we will be as creative and persistent as possible in order to secure tours for you. Should you have any further questions, please contact the Tour Coordinator at 202-225-3436.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with me, you may call the Scheduler in my DC office.

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