Visiting Washington

Please note: My office will not be able to receive requests for any tours given after November 30, 2016. Additionally, after October 31, 2016, my office will not be able to receive any tour requests for the White House, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  Please contact Senator Donnelly’s office (click here) or your representative in the U.S. House (click here) for assistance.

Due to my retirement, my office will not be able to process requests for 2017 Inauguration tickets. Please direct these requests to Joe Donnelly’s office (click here) or your Representative (click here). 

If your family is planning a trip to the nation’s capital, my office is more than happy to help make the most of your visit. Washington, D.C. is home to numerous museums, galleries, memorials, theaters, parks and gardens.

My office may be able to help coordinate tours for your group at the following locations:

  • The United States Capitol and the Capitol Visitor’s Center

Below is information about these popular D.C. attractions. Click on the name of the attraction for more information. To fill out a Tour Request Form, please click here.

**For White House tours, please note that while every effort will be made to accommodate your request, due to limited availability and heightened security, you should notify my office of your tour request AT LEAST three months in advance.**

  • imo/media/image/WHITE.jpg

    The White House »

    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
    Closest metro: Metro Center (Blue, Orange and Red lines)

    The home of the President fields tour requests from hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.  The tour includes such celebrated rooms as the East Room, the State Dining Room, the Red, Green and Blue Rooms and the president's Library.  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. Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted).  There are no tours of the White House on Sundays or Mondays.
    Tickets are required for a self-guided White House Tour.  You can request White House tickets through Senator Coats’ office by submitting a tour request form.  Tickets are very limited and there is no guarantee that a tour request will result in tour tickets.  Requests can be made up to six months in advance and no less than two months in advance.  Once you submit your request through my office, you will receive an email asking for additional security information.  Once we receive your information, we will submit a tour request to the White House Visitors Office.  As per White House policy, we will not hear back from the tour office until 1 to 2 weeks prior to your visit.  Once we receive word on the status of your tour, we will be in touch with the information provided to us by the White House.  For groups larger than 10 people, tickets must be obtained from the White House Visitor Office.  ***Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellations.  For more information, contact the 24-hour Visitor Office information line at 202-456-7041.

    The home of the President fields tour requests from hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The tour includes such celebrated rooms as the East Room, the State Dining Room, the Red, Green and Blue Rooms and the president's Library. 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. Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). There are no tours of the White House on Sundays or Mondays.Tickets are required for a self-guided White House Tour. You can request White House tickets through Senator Coats’ office by submitting a tour request form.

    Tickets are very limited and there is no guarantee that a tour request will result in tour tickets. Requests can be made up to six months in advance and no less than two months in advance. Once you submit your request through my office, you will receive an email asking for additional security information.

    Once we receive your information, we will submit a tour request to the White House Visitors Office. As per White House policy, we will not hear back from the tour office until 1 to 2 weeks prior to your visit. Once we receive word on the status of your tour, we will be in touch with the information provided to us by the White House. For groups larger than 10 people, tickets must be obtained from the White House Visitor Office. 

    ***Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellations. For more information, contact the 24-hour Visitor Office information line at (202) 456-7041. 

    Click here to request a White House tour through Senator Coats’ office.

    All tours are enhanced if visitors stop by the White House Visitor Center before or after their tour. The Center is located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, NW, and open daily from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 

    Message from the White House Visitor’s Office: 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. Please be aware that 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.

  • imo/media/image/CAP.jpg

    The United States Capitol and the Capitol Visitor’s Center »

    The Capitol Visitor Center is located at First Street and East Capitol Street, NE
    Closest metro: Union Station (Red Line) or Capitol South (Orange or Blue Line)

    Senator Coats’ staff conducts tours of the U.S. Capitol for Hoosiers Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For security reasons, staff-led tours are limited to groups of 15 people or less. Please make all staff-led tour requests at least two weeks in advance using our tour request form. The Capitol Guide Service conducts tours for groups of 16-40 people. Contact the Capitol Guide Service Information Record at (202) 225-6827. The Capitol is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

    If you have further questions about your tour request, please contact Senator Coats’ office at 202-224-5623.

  • imo/media/image/LOC.jpg

    The Library of Congress »

    101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C.
    Closest metro: Capitol South (Orange or Blue Line)

    Free 30-minute tours leave from the Visitor Center in the Thomas Jefferson Building at 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. (101 Independence Ave., SE). Groups of 10 or less can schedule a tour through Senator Coats’ office. If your group is larger than 10 people, please contact the Library of Congress Tour Office at least four weeks in advance. You can reach the Library of Congress tour office at (202) 707-5000 ext. 0919. The Library of Congress is closed on federal holidays.

  • imo/media/image/SUPREME.jpg

    The Supreme Court »

    1st Street and East Capitol Street, NE, Washington, D.C.
    Closest metro: Capitol South (Orange or Blue Line)

    When the Court is in session:
    Court sessions begin the first Monday in October and continue two weeks per month through April. Courtroom seats are available to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited viewing of the courthouse is available but subject to the court hearing schedule. Call the Supreme Court for information.

    When the Court is in recess:
    On days when the court is not in hearing oral arguments, 20-minute public lectures occur every half-hour on the hour beginning at 9:30 a.m. The last lecture is at 3:30 p.m. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-seated basis. 
    The ground floor of the building, which is the public exhibit, is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

    Limited reservations available for congressional tours are available Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. when the Court is not sitting. Groups of six or less may request this tour through Senator Coats’ office. Tour requests for larger groups must be made in advance through the Supreme Court. For group tour information, call (202) 479-3300. For court hearing information, call (202) 479-3030.

  • imo/media/image/ENGRAVE.jpg

    The Bureau of Engraving and Printing »

    14th and C Streets, SW, Washington, D.C.
    Closest metro: Smithsonian (Blue Line)

    See how U.S currency is printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Over 70 billion dollars in cash is produced in this building every year. Congressional tours for groups up to 10 people may be requested up to three months in advance through Senator Coats’ tour request form.

    Tours occur every 15 minutes Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are required for all tours beginning the first Monday in March through September on a first-come, first-served basis. The ticket booth is located on Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th St.). Only same day tickets are offered. The ticket booth opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday and closes when all day and evening tickets have been distributed. Evening tours are available from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. May through August only. No tickets required October through February. The building is closed on federal holidays, weekends and the week from December 25 through January 1.

    For more information call the Bureau at (866) 874-2330.