Capitol Tours

Capitol tours are free and open to the public.  The Capitol Visitor Center is open to visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Inauguration Day.  Tours of the U.S. Capitol are conducted from 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  Visitors with official business appointments may enter the Visitor Center as early as 7:15 a.m.

Walk up tours are offered, but passes may also be reserved up to 3 months in advance at http://tours.visitthecapitol.gov.

Groups of 10 or more are required to create a login and password to arrange a tour at http://groups.visitthecapitol.gov/.

When traveling by bus, please note possible passenger loading and unloading locations. Due to security concerns buses are only able to drive within a certain radius of the Capitol. See Capitol bus map here.  The closest drop-off location to the House of Representatives is at Garfield Circle on First Street and Maryland Avenue SW.  Groups of more than 20 people should plan to arrive at the bus drop-off location at least 45 minutes prior to the scheduled tour start time.

Disabled visitors, or seniors with mobility issues, may take a passenger shuttle to the Visitor Center Entrance which runs every 20 minutes from the corner of First Street and Maryland Avenue, SW (near the U.S. Botanical Gardens). Visitors needing shuttle service are encouraged to contact the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services at (202) 224-4048 prior to the day of the tour.

The following items are strictly prohibited during tours of the Capitol. For a complete list of prohibited items, click here.

• Aerosol containers
• Sharp or pointed objects (knives, knitting needles, letter openers)
• Bags larger than 14” high, 13” wide, and 4” deep.
• Cans and bottles, full or empty
• Food or beverages of any kind

In addition to the items listed above, the following objects are prohibited inside the House of Representatives and Senate galleries.  You will have an opportunity to check items so you can enter the Galleries while visiting the Capitol.

• Battery operated electronic devices (excluding medical devices)
• Cell phones
• Cameras and video cameras
• Creams, lotions, and perfumes
• Strollers

Constituents can pick up Gallery passes from Congressman Hoyer’s office located at 1705 Longworth House Office Building.  You must have a Gallery pass if you would like to see the House or Senate in session.

When taking the Washington D.C. Metro to Congressman Hoyer’s Office, use the Capitol South stop, located on the Orange and Blue lines.

Click here for a map of Capitol Hill.

A short video is available for students to watch before visiting the Capitol at visitthecapitol.gov. The video is also available here.