VISITING THE NATION’S CAPITAL - WASHINGTON, DC
Our nation’s capital is beautiful throughout the year and is a popular vacation spot for people around the world. With the museums, parks and monuments, almost all of which is free, a trip to Washington, DC is an enriching historical and cultural experience. If you and your family are planning a trip to Washington and would like a tour of the U.S. Capitol or the White House, please notify us early! Our staff assistant, Ambyr Kinne, will be happy to assist you in planning your visit. Please contact her by email, or telephone (202) 225-7772.
White House Tour
If you are interested in taking a White House tour you must submit a request in writing to Ambyr Kinne.
In the subject line of the email, please indicate: White House Tour Request. In your email, please provide the total number of attendees in your group, the exact dates of your trip to Washington D.C., your address, and a phone number where we can reach you.
Although email is preferable, you may request your tours by phone. Please call Congressman Burgess' Washington D.C. office at (202) 225-7772.
All White House tour requests must now adhere to the following security parameters set by the U.S. Secret Service.
All tour groups should contact their Congressional Offices at least 3 to 6 months in advance of the date on which they wish tour the White House. White House tours are allotted on a first come basis, and you should request your tour as early as possible. There are a very limited amount of tours granted and the likelihood of receiving a tour decreases significantly the closer your request is to the tour date. According to White House policy, no tour requests will be accepted within a 45 day window of your requested tour date, as the window for submitting security information is closed by that time. The more days you are available, the greater chance you might receive a tour. Please note, there is not a required minimum number of visitors per group; our office will be happy to make requests on behalf of a group of any size.
All White House tours are conducted from Tuesday through Saturday from the hours of 7:30am-12:00pm.
All persons are subject to a background check conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, and will have to submit the following information to the Tour Coordinator of the Congressman's Office:
- Name (as it appears on a photo ID)
- Date of Birth
- Country or Origin
- Whether they are a U.S. citizen
- Gender
- City of Residence
- State of Residence
After you have submitted your email, please call my DC office at (202) 225-7772 to provide your Social Security Number (For security reasons, we suggest you do not email this information, but it is necessary in order for us to process your tour request.)
If you are not able to secure a tour of the White House, there is the White House Visitors Center that is open from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., 7 days a week. It is located at the intersection of 15th and E Streets NW.
U.S. Capitol
The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for almost 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.
Your visit to the historic U.S. Capitol begins at the Capitol Visitor Center. The Capitol Visitor Center, the new main entrance to the U.S. Capitol, is located below the East Plaza of the Capitol between Constitution and Independence Avenues. The Visitor Center is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Inauguration Day. For more information please visit http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/.
U.S. Capitol Tours also require advanced notice, but are generally easier to accommodate. Please send a request via email or mail (with the above information) to Ambyr Kinne. For U.S. Capitol tours please specify:
· Name
· Number of people in the group
· Requested Date for the tour (Monday-Saturday)
· Requested Time (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
The Congressional Special Services Office provides information about tours for the disabled by telephone at 202-224-4048 (voice) or 202-224-4049 (TDD). Additional accessibility information is available.
Other Popular Washington, DC Tours
In addition to the White House and the U.S. Capitol, our office can assist you in obtaining tours to the following buildings. These tours also require significant advanced notice – usually two months.
For more tours, please visit the "Touring Washington, DC" segment on the Constituent Services segment of this website.
U.S. Department of the Interior Tour
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), with eight bureaus, is the nation's principal conservation agency, charged with the mission "to protect and provide access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian tribes and our commitments to island communities."
Specifically, the tour takes you to the following destinations:
· Washington Monument
· Jefferson Memorial
· Ford’s Theater
· FDR Memorial
· Lincoln Memorial
· Vietnam Veterans Memorial
· Korean War Memorial
· Arlington Cemetery
· World War Two Memorial
Guests should arrive at 8:30am and report to the Guards Desk at the "C" Street Entrance, the tour leaves at approximately 9:00am. Lunch is a "group" setting and the tour concludes around 3:30pm.
More locations to visit while in Washington:
U.S Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Library of Congress
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Smithsonian Institution
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
National Museum of the Marine Corps
U.S. Supreme Court of the United States
Union Station
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Treasury
Voice of America Studio Tour
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Weather Channel - Local Weather in Washington, DC
