To tour the historical areas of the Capitol beyond the Capitol Visitor Center, you must participate in a guided tour.
Advance Reservations
To ensure your ability to participate in a guided tour, advance reservations are strongly recommended. Tour schedules can fill up quickly, so please make your reservation well in advance of your visit.
Same-day Tour Passes
For those that do not have advance reservations, same-day tour passes may be available at the Information Desk located on the lower level of the Visitor Center. During peak visitation periods, such as spring and summer, the availability of same-day tour passes is limited. Therefore, you may experience a wait-time to acquire passes for the guided tour. Please plan accordingly to better ensure your opportunity to tour the United States Capitol.
If same-day tour passes are not available, the Capitol Visitor Center offers other opportunities to learn about the Capitol and Congress, some of which include visits to historic areas inside the Capitol. Please click here to learn more about current offerings.
There are several ways to book a tour of the Capitol.
U.S. residents can go directly through the offices of their Representative or Senators. Many Congressional offices offer their own staff-led tours to constituent groups of up to 15 people, and most can assist you in reserving a general tour. Use the buttons below to locate and contact a Representative or Senate office for a tour.
Tours can also be arranged directly through the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center using an online reservation system. Click the button below to create an account and reserve your tour date and time.
Tour services and organizations with groups larger than 15 participants should use the online reservation system designed for groups to make tour reservations. Student groups may be interested in two inquiry-based student programs at the Capitol that are offered from October through February. Click here to learn more about student programs at the U.S. Capitol.
Guided tours of the historic Capitol begin at one of the Capitol Visitor Center’s orientation theaters with a 13-minute film, "Out of Many, One," which will take you on a journey through our country's struggle to establish the world's first truly representative democracy and introduce you to the magnificent building that houses our Congress. Once inside the historic Capitol, visitors will see the Crypt, the Rotunda, and National Statuary Hall. All tours begin and end at the Capitol Visitor Center.
