Tour Statuary Hall

The Old House Chamber, now called Statuary Hall, is one of the most historic rooms of the U.S. Capitol. The House of Representatives met in this space from 1807 to 1857, when the present House Chamber was completed. Many noteworthy Representatives worked in this space, including John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Abraham Lincoln (before he became President). Less than a decade after the House vacated the Old Hall, Congress passed legislation designating the abandoned chamber as National Statuary Hall. Each state was invited to submit two statues for display in the Capitol. Some of these statues remain in the current Statuary Hall.

A Curator’s Tour of Statuary Hall

National Statuary Hall, one of the oldest—and most popular—spaces in the U.S. Capitol, originally functioned in the U.S. House of Representatives as the House’s chamber. Now, it displays statues from around the country. In this video, House Curator Farar Elliott describes the historical significance of figures in the collection.

Press Conferences in Statuary Hall after the State of the Union Address

Former Director of the House Radio-TV Gallery, Tina Tate, provides historical background on the technical requirements and logistical operations for the television coverage of Members’ responses in Statuary Hall following the State of the Union Address.

Resources

• Statuary Hall: The Transformation of the Old Hall of the House
  Review this online exhibit about the changing uses of one of the most historic spaces in the Capitol.


• The Creation of National Statuary Hall
  Read the story behind the decision to designate the Old Hall as National Statuary Hall.


• The National Statuary Hall Collection
  Find the two statues from your state and take a look at all of the statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection from the Architect of the Capitol.


• Historical Highlights on Statuary Hall
  Read short essays about Statuary Hall's role in House History.