Congressman Charles Bass

Our nation's Capitol has a great deal to offer for those who are planning a visit, including a variety of educational tours and historical sightseeing. Tours of the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, the Library of Congress, and the Kennedy Center can all be arranged and coordinated through our office. For questions or more information, please call my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-5206.

The White House
Tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Requests must be submitted at least a month in advance, and are approved or denied through the White House Visitor's Center. Once our office submits the tour request, the Visitor's Center handles the scheduling and authorization, and therefore our office cannot guarantee tour approval. Our office will be notified by the Visitor's Center approximately two weeks before your requested date whether or not your tour has been approved or denied.  If you are interested in a White House tour during your visit to Washington, D.C., please complete the webform, which will be submitted to our tour coordinator.  Tours can be requested up to six months in advance, and as previously mentioned, must be requested at least a month in advance of your travel date.

The U.S. Capitol
The Capitol tour lasts approximately an hour, and although they are available Monday through Saturday, the schedule fills up very quickly, so it best to schedule a tour at least three weeks in advance. It is not guaranteed that your requested date and time will be available, so it is suggested that you have a few times available for you or your group to take the tour. Staff-led tours can accommodate up to 15 people in a group. If you have a group larger than 15 people, you can arrange a tour through the Capitol Visitor's Center.  Please complete the tour webform to request a Capitol tour through my office.  You can also arrange tours yourself directly through the Visitor's Center online reservation system here. 

The Capitol Visitor's Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The Visitor's Center has many resources and exhibits dedicated to the teaching of our nation's history to the thousands of visitors the Center receives each week. Exhibition Hall is home to the only exhibition in the world that is solely dedicated to the history of the United States Congress and the Capitol. This Hall features videos, models, original artifacts, and two theaters to give visitors a fully interactive experience during their time in the Visitor's Center. If you have any questions about your visit to the Capitol, or need any additional information to plan your visit, please feel free to contact my Washington Office at (202) 225-5206.  For a map of the Capitol complex, please click here.

The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress offers docent-led tours of the Thomas Jefferson Building Monday through Saturday, at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. tours are not offered on Saturdays, however). The tour lasts approximately an hour, and during this time you will learn about the building's architecture, artwork, and the history contained within the Main Reading Room. Tours do not need to be arranged in advance, but our office offers that service to constituents who are visiting and interested in taking a tour. You also have the opportunity to do a self-guided tour through the Great Hall and Exhibitions. For more information, please feel free to contact my office or visit the Library of Congress' website.

The Bureau of Printing and Engraving
Tours at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving are available from the first Monday in March through the last Friday in August, and are first-come, first-served. Tickets are distributed at Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street), and the ticket booth opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Lines form very early, especially during peak visiting times (such as the Cherry Blossom Festival in April and Spring Break), and tickets are given out very quickly, so make sure you plan accordingly if you are planning to take a tour. From September until February, tickets are not required in order to take a tour.

Tours run every 15 minutes from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. in March. April through August tours run every 15 minutes from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m., 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. and from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with advanced reservations held for large groups between 11:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (door closes at 3:00) in March, and from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (door closes at 7:00), April through August.  The Tour and Visitor Center is closed on weekends, Federal holidays, and the week between Christmas and New Years Day.

If you would like our office to arrange a tour for you during your visit to Washington, please contact my office. Tours arranged through Congressional offices run Monday through Friday, May through August at 8:15 a.m. or 8:45 a.m. Tours also can be arranged every 15 minutes from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. For more information, please feel free to contact my office or visit The Bureau of Printing and Engraving's website. 

The Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center is our nation's performing arts center and welcomes millions of visitors each year. A tour of the Center provides visitors with the history of the building and also showcases an exhibit dedicated to the life of John F. Kennedy. Tours of the Kennedy Center are available every 10 minutes and are free to the public. The tour desk is located on Level A and tours are given by the tour guides within the Center. If you have any questions, please feel free to visit The Kennedy Center's website.