Visiting Washington

Welcome!

If you would like assistance making your request, please don’t hesitate to request a tour by clicking on the button on the side of this page. For a description of the different tour types and their restrictions please scroll down.


  • Assistance Request

    The White House

    Please be aware that due to high demand, the White House accepts only a small percentage of tour requests made by Congressional offices. Preference is given on a first come, first serve basis. Tour requests can be placed up to 5 months in advance, and must be made at least 1 month in advance of the requested date(s). Tours are offered from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Fridays and7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays. Please only indicate the days you are absolutely free during this time. I will need the following information to submit your tour request to the White House Visitors Office.

    - The full names of all group members, including middle initial
    - Dates of birth for all group members
    - Social Security numbers for everyone 14 and older
    - Day phone number in Vermont
    - Evening phone number in Vermont
    - Phone number where you can be reached in D.C. (i.e.: cell or hotel phone)

    If your tour is not approved, you may be interested in exploring the White House Visitor Center. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and features many exhibits on the White House, including an explanation of its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video.

  • Assistance Request

    The Capitol Building

    Senate Gallery passes may be either picked up in person by visiting our Washington, DC office or mailed to your house before your trip to DC.

    Guide-led tours are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. If you would prefer a staff-led tour, please indicate that in the additional information section on the tour request form. If we cannot secure a tour for you there is a standby line in the Capitol Building where you can claim tickets that people have not picked up.

  • Assistance Request

    The Supreme Court

    Requests can be made to reserve one or more seats in a Congressional Courtroom Lecture, given at 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, on days when the Supreme Court is not hearing oral arguments. Due to high volume, we can only make this request for groups of six (6) people or less.

    For groups larger than six (6), or anyone unable to secure a reservation, public lectures are available every hour on the half-hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday on days when the Supreme Court is not hearing oral arguments. These are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

  • Assistance Request

    The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

    Requests can be made to reserve a place on a Congressional tour. These tours are available at 8:15 a.m., 8:45 a.m. and every 15 minutes from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday during the months of May through August.

    For groups of 10 or more, tours run every 15 minutes from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Group tours MUST be scheduled in advance with the Tour Scheduler at (202) 874-2330 or 1 (866) 874-2330.

    Public tours are also available every 15 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The content of the two tour options is the same. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is closed to all tours on weekends as well as federal holidays.

  • Assistance Request

    Library of Congress

    Three Congressional tours are available for reservation to groups of less than 10. These tours are offered at8:45 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tours for groups of 10 or more are offered at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and can be arranged on the Library of Congress’ website. Unreserved public tours are also available on a first-come, first-serve basis every hour on the half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m.or 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

  • Assistance Request

    FBI Education Center

    The Center includes two floors of exhibits on FBI history, the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, Intelligence, International Operations, Training, Laboratory Services, Criminal Justice Information Services, a Hall of Honor, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, Cyber, Weapons of Mass Destructions, Critical Incident Response, Public Corruption, Civil Rights, Organized Crime, White Collar and Violent Crime, Art Theft, and Technology. The Center provides a rare look inside the FBI, as told from the point of view of the men and women who work the cases. Part of the Education Center experience is a film about gun safety and a once a day live demonstration of historical and modern firearms used by the FBI. 

  • Assistance Request

    Kennedy Center

    Tours head out every 15 minutes from the Tour Desk on the A Level of the Kennedy Center starting at 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. If your group has between 20 and 60 people, our office can schedule a tour for you. Group tours leave every half hour.