Visit Washington, DC

I am pleased to be able to assist constituents in scheduling tours at several popular attractions in Washington, D.C. You may request your tours through my website by filling out my tour request form, or by contacting my Washington D.C. office.

All tours are free of admission and tickets are distributed first-serve. During peak tour season, March through August, a two or three month advanced reservation is recommended. Please submit your tour requests as soon as you know the dates you will be visiting Washington. While my office can assist you in acquiring tickets, there are no guarantees of availability.

The White House requires an absolute minimum of 30 days to process the required security information. My office cannot process White House tour requests made less than 30 days in advance.
 

Tour Request Form

 

Please keep in mind that most tour locations are open to the public and there are opportunities to schedule tours directly with each site.

 

My office would be more than happy to help constituents schedule the following tours:

The White House

Self-guided tours of the White House are available Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays). Tours are scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis and are free of charge.  Requests can be submitted up to six months in advance and no less than 3 months in advance.

Please be aware that on September 4, 2009, President Obama announced that visitor access records to the White House Complex will be made publicly available 90 - 120 days after the date of visit. This policy includes all guests touring the White House. Should you tour the White House, your full name and the date of your visit will be part of the publicly released records. Your date of birth, Social Security Number, and all other information provided will not be released.
Metro: Metro Center, McPherson Square or Federal Triangle.

United States Capitol

Free, guided tours of the Capitol are conducted Monday through Saturday throughout the year. Tours of the Capitol last approximately an hour and reservations can be made through my office or through the Capitol Visitor’s Center website.  If Congress is in session and you would like to observe from the galleries, please visit my office in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2111 to acquire passes. 
Metro: Capitol South or Union Station.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court building is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the exception of federal holidays.  My office can make reservations for constituents wishing to attend a 45 minute lecture about the Supreme Court and its history.  Lectures take place in the court room on weekdays at 2:00 p.m. when the Supreme Court is not in session. Public tours of the Supreme Court are conducted every hour on the half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. when the court is not in session and do not require reservations.  All visits to the Supreme Court are free of charge.
Metro: Capitol South or Union Station.

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress offers hour-long, docent-led tours of the historic Thomas Jefferson Building.  The Library of Congress offers public tours 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.  Please note there is no 3:30 p.m. tour on Saturdays.  Reservations are not required.  Admission to the Library of Congress is free of charge.
Metro: Union Station or Capitol South

Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center tour highlights the historic events that led up to the establishment of a national cultural center, as well as an interactive exhibit on the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy.  The tour also includes the majestic Hall of States and Hall of Nations and five of the Center's main theaters, including its three grand performance halls (the Concert Hall, Opera House, and Eisenhower Theater).
The Kennedy Center is accessible by the Foggy Bottom/George Washington University Metro Station (23rd and I Streets).  From the metro stop, it is a seven minute walk via New Hampshire Avenue, or you may use the Kennedy Center Show Shuttle free of charge. Signs for the shuttle are located toward the left as you exit the escalator. The shuttle departs every 15 minutes from 9:45 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday.

Public Tours, Monuments, and Other Attractions:

Smithsonian Institution

Free admission. Open daily 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., except the Castle which opens at 9:00 a.m., National Museum of African Art which closes at 5:30 p.m, and the Air and Space and American History museums which close at 6:00 p.m. Extended summer hours determined annually.

National Cathedral

The National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States.  The National Cathedral offers a variety of tours including a garden tour, gargoyle tour, highlights tour and an art and architecture tour.  Guided 30 minute tours of the Cathedral are offered Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.  On Sundays, tours are offered between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is one of the most prominent structures 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.  Admission to the Washington Monument is free, but requires reservations.  Please visit the website to make a reservation.
Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle
 

The Pentagon

Located across the 14th Street Bridge in Virginia. Open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Closed on weekends and federal holidays. An adult must accompany visitors under 16, and visitors over 16 must show a photo ID. Tours lasting 1hour and 15 minutes start every half-hour beginning by the ticket window at the north end of the concourse. Phone: (703) 697-1776.
Metro Stop: Pentagon

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a great place to learn all about U.S. paper currency. The free 40-minute tour of the BEP includes an introductory film and gallery tour of the production process.  The BEP is closed on weekends, Federal holidays, and the week between Christmas and New Years Day.

Congressional tours of the BEP take place Monday through Friday. Reservations should be made at least three months in advance.
Metro: Smithsonian

U.S. Archives

The National Archives is home of the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights which are housed in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.  Advance reservations to visit the National Archives are not required, but are highly recommended during peak tourist season.  Reservations can be made by visiting the website. The National Archives is located at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 9th Street. Admission is free of charge.                                                  
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter.

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier occurs every hour on the hour and every half hour during the summer months.
Metro: Arlington Cemetery.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Holocaust Memorial Museum is a living memorial to the Holocaust and America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history.
Admission to the museum is free of charge, but tickets are required.  Tickets can be obtained at the museum on a first-come-first-served basis or reserved in advance online or by calling 877-80-USHMM.  Please visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website for updated museum hours.
Metro: Smithsonian

If you are unable to find information you are looking for, please feel free to contact my Washington D.C. office or include your questions under the “Comments” section of the Tour Request Form.

My office is happy to help you.