Tours
Please consider including a visit to Capitol Hill on your trip to Washington. Take a few moments to stop by Senator Tester's office, Suite 311 of the Hart Senate Office Building, located just a few blocks from Union Station.
Senator Tester and his staff are happy to offer Montana constituents passes to the Senate gallery. The gallery is open whenever the Senate is in session and passes are always required.
PLEASE NOTE: Children under the age of six are not permitted in the galleries. All electronics including, but not limited to, cameras, video recorders, key chains with electronic functions, cell phones, Blackberry devices, as well as strollers, must be checked before entrance to the Gallery.
Inauguration Tickets
Constituents may request Inauguration tickets through Senator Tester's office.
The 58th Presidential Inauguration is overseen by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Senator Tester's office is given only a certain number of tickets. We will place your request in the queue in the order it is received, and you will be notified by email if you will be receiving tickets. A request for tickets is not a guarantee of receiving tickets.
Please note that availability is limited. Therefore, you may only request up to four (4) tickets. We will update you in December on the status of your request.
If the Senator's office is able to honor your request, tickets must be picked up in person from our DC office (311 Hart Senate Office Building) between January 17-19 during the hours of 9am -5pm ET. You will not be able to access the Senate Building the day of the Inauguration, so you must have tickets in hand by 5pm on January 19. The person who placed the request for tickets must show proper identification to pick up them up. Tickets cannot be mailed or sold and cannot be replaced if lost.
Neither the Senator's office nor the JCCIC has jurisdiction over Official Inaugural Balls or the Inaugural Parade. Those and other activities are handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC).
If you have any question about the Inauguration, please feel free to visit the website for the 58th Inauguration at: http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/
To request a ticket please complete this form.
Capitol Tours
Senator Tester's office is happy to schedule staff-led tours of the United States Capitol for families and groups from Montana. These tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays) and 2:00 p.m. Complete the online Tour Request Form and we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm whether a tour is available during your stay. Staff-led tours are not available on weekends or federal holidays.
Public tours of the United States Capitol are available Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The building is not open on Sundays, but is open on national holidays. Groups leave each half hour from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Free, timed-tickets are distributed each day at 8:15 a.m. These tickets are good only for that day and often run out within a few hours, so it is important to get to the booth early. Tours begin next to the Garfield traffic circle on the southwest corner of the Capitol complex near the corner of Independence Avenue and First Street, SW, across First Street from the Botanic Gardens. Look for the Visitors Screening Facility kiosk; the guide service members wear red shirts with the Capitol logo on the pocket. More information is available on the Capitol Tour Line at (202) 225-6827.
*Please note that visitors to the Capitol are not permitted to bring any of the following items: aerosol sprays, liquids of any kind (including water bottles), unsealed food, oversized suitcases or backpacks, knives of any kind, razors, mace, pepper spray, matches, or lighters. However, Capitol police are authorized to make exceptions if the prohibited item is deemed to be necessary and required to serve child care, medical, or other special needs.
Directions to Senator Tester's Office
Senator Tester's office is located in Suite 311 of the Hart Senate Office Building. The most convenient entrance is located on the north side of the building on C Street, NE.
Click here for a map of the Capitol Complex.
Public transportation can save both time and money in Washington. Metro schedules and fares may be found at http://www.wmata.com/. You can also get more information by calling the Metro customer information hotline at (202) 635-6434.
To reach Senator Tester's office from the Union Station Metro (Red Line), exit Union Station and walk across the plaza (Columbus Circle) toward the ring of state flags. Cross the street encircling the plaza and continue south on First Street, NE. At C Street, NE turn left. The Hart Senate Office Building is the second office building you will reach.
From the Capitol South Metro (Blue and Orange Lines), follow First Street approximately 3 blocks (you will pass the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court on your right) until you cross Constitution Avenue, NE. Turn right and the Hart Senate Office Building will be the second building on your left.
White House Tours
Senator Tester's office can assist you in requesting a tour of the White House. All tours are self-guided and tour officers are positioned throughout the White House to help answer questions and provide information.
In order to best accommodate your request, please submit your Tour Request Form as soon as possible, at least three weeks in advance of a visit, and preferably closer to three months in advance. Please note that tours fill up very quickly in the spring and summer months and during holidays. Therefore, submitting a request before the deadlines above does not necessarily guarantee a request will be accepted by the White House.
Please indicate the days and times that you are available for a White House tour.
The White House receives approximately 80,000 tour requests a day from all 535 Congressional Offices. Please keep in mind that tours that are requested as far as 90 days in advance still have the chance of being denied due to volume.
Tours are typically 45 minutes long. Tours are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Specific times for tours cannot be requested.
Tours of the White House are scheduled by the White House Visitor Center earlier than two weeks before the requested tour date. As soon as the White House has confirmed or denied your request, they will update your party.
Once the request is submitted, you will receive an email including an encrypted RSVP link. You will have one week for everyone in your party to RSVP. Every group member's security information must be submitted. The link can be emailed to other members of your group to complete their individual information, or the point of contact can enter the entire group's security information. The White House and Senator Tester's office can track the number of RSVPs completed. After the one week deadline, any incomplete RSVPs will be voided. Completed RSVPs will be passed onto final approval by the White House Visitors Center.
The RSVP security information requires the full name, Social Security number (not required if guests are under 18), date of birth, current city and state of residence, gender, and country of citizenship for each member of the group.
Tour schedules always depend on official events taking place in the White House. Occasionally, the White House may change, reschedule, or cancel tour requests for a given day.
Please be aware 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. In the event that you are confirmed for a White House tour, 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.
Please understand that tour request acceptance or denial is solely at the discretion of the White House Visitor Center.
You can request a White House Tour by completing the Tour Request Form.
An alternative to a formal tour is a visit to the White House Visitor Center, located at the corner of 15th and E Streets, NW. The White House Visitor Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The center features information about many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a 30-minute video presentation. The White House Historical Association also sponsors a gift shop.
Memorials & Monuments
Located on Memorial Drive in Arlington, Virginia
(703) 692-0931
Open daily 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., April through September; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., October to March.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
1850 West Basin Drive, SW
(202) 376-6704
Open 24 hours a day. Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas Day. Admission is free.
Located on Route 50 near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia
(703) 285-2601
Open 24 hours a day. Admission is free.
Located on 14th Street, SW at the Tidal Basin
(202) 426-6841
Open 24 hours a day, except Christmas Day. Admission is free.
Located adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool
(202) 426-6841
Open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Admission is free.
West Potomac Park and 23rd Street, NW
(202) 426-6841
Open daily, except Christmas Day. Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. Admission is free.
Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center
7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
(202) 737-2300 or (800) 821-8892
November to February, open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. March to October, open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Bacon Drive and Constitution Avenue, NW
(202) 426-6841
Open Daily 8:00 a.m. to midnight. Closed Christmas Day. Admission is free.
15th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
(202) 426-6841
The Washington Monument is currently closed for construction.
17th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
(202) 426-6841
Open 24 hours a day. Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. Admission is free.
Popular Attractions
Here is some basic information about several Washington-area attractions. Because tour and security information can change frequently and without notice, we recommend you contact each attraction or visit each website for the most up-to-date information. At locations where it is required, my office is happy to submit requests on behalf of Montana constituents.
Official Tourism Website for Washington, D.C.
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
(202) 488-0400
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed only on Yom Kippur and Christmas Day. Admission is free, but tickets to the permanent exhibit are required.
2700 F Street, NW
(202) 416-8340 or (800) 444-1324
Free public tours offered leave every 15 minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
10 1st Street, SE
(202) 707-8000
The historic Thomas Jefferson Building located just east of the Capitol. It is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Monday through Friday there are docent-led public walking tours at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. On Saturdays, tours begin at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Groups of 10 or more participants must call (202) 707-0919 to reserve a private tour. The Library is closed all Sundays and federal holidays.
7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
(866) 272-6272
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tour reservations are not required. Admission is free.
National Gallery of Art and East Wing
6th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
(202) 737-4215
Open Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Closed Christmas Day and New Years Day. Admission is free.
34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW
(202) 762-1438
Public tours are offered by reservation only on selected Monday evenings from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. Visit website to request a tour.
Smithsonian Institution Museums
Located on the National Mall and at various locations in the Washington, D.C. area.
(202) 633-1000
Open daily, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed Christmas Day. Admission is free.
Supreme Court of the United States
First and East Capitol Streets, NE
(202) 479-3211
The building is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.
100 Maryland Avenue, SW
(202) 225-8333
Open daily 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Public tours offered daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
United States Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
(202) 647-3241
Guided tours are offered Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:45 p.m. The tour is 45 minutes in duration. Reservations are required.
United States Department of the Treasury: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
14th and C Streets, SW
(202) 874-2330 or (866) 874-2330
Monday through Friday, tours leave every 15 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Free tickets are required for public tours during peak season (March through August).
Montana Coffee
Every Wednesday morning the Senate is in session, Senator Tester and Senator Daines host a get-together for Montanans visiting Washington, D.C. It's a great time to enjoy coffee and conversation with folks from across our great state. A tour of the U.S. Capitol departs after coffee at 9:00 a.m.
Please call Senator Tester's office at (202) 224-2644 for more information or to R.S.V.P. for Montana Coffee.
