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Lying in State of President George H. W. Bush


The public is invited to pay their respects to President George H. W. Bush from 7:30 p.m. Monday, December 3, to 7 a.m. Wednesday, December 5. Please enter through the Capitol Visitor Center.

On Monday, December 3, Tuesday, December 4, and Wednesday, December 5, the Capitol Visitor Center will be closed for normal operations, and all Capitol tours are cancelled.

If you have a tour reservation and would like to reschedule, please visit our website at www.visitthecapitol.gov or contact the Visitor Services Office at (202)226-8000.

On Thursday, December 6, the Capitol Visitor Center will reopen for normal operations 8:30 a.m.

The Frieze of American History

The Frieze of American History in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol contains a painted panorama depicting significant events in American history. The frieze's 19 scenes is the work of three artists: Constantino Brumidi, Filippo Costaggini and Allyn Cox. The frieze is painted in grisaille, a monochrome of whites and browns that resembles sculpture. It measures 8 feet 4 inches in height and approximately 300 feet in circumference. It starts 58 feet above the floor.

America and History America and History The first panel contains the only allegorical figures in the frieze. America, wearing a liberty cap, stands in the center with her spear and shield. To her right sits an…
Landing of Columbus Landing of Columbus Christopher Columbus disembarks from the Santa Maria on a plank, greeted by Native Americans. This is the first of four scenes of Spanish conquest. Brumidi's central figure…
Cortez and Montezuma at the Mexican Temple Cortez and Montezuma at the Mexican Temple The Spaniard Hernando Cortez, conqueror of Mexico, enters the Aztec temple in 1519. He is welcomed by Emperor Montezuma II, who thought Cortez was a god. The calendar stone…
Pizarro Going to Peru Pizarro Going to Peru The Spanish conqueror of Peru, Francisco Pizarro, leading his horse, pushes through the jungle searching for El Dorado, the mythical land of gold. Pizarro eventually captured…
Burial of DeSoto Burial of DeSoto Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto died of a fever while searching for gold in Florida and the territory north of the Gulf of Mexico. To protect his body from enemies, his men…
Captain Smith and Pocahontas Captain Smith and Pocahontas Pocahontas saves Captain John Smith, one of the founders of Jamestown, Virginia, from being clubbed to death. Her father, Chief Powhatan, is seated at the left. This scene is…
Landing of the Pilgrims Landing of the Pilgrims A group of Pilgrims, led by William Brewster, is shown giving thanks for their safe voyage after their arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts. (1620)
William Penn and the Indians William Penn and the Indians William Penn is shown at center with the Delaware Indians at the time of the Treaty of Shackamaxon. This treaty formalized the purchase of land in Pennsylvania and cemented…
Colonization of New England Colonization of New England Early settlers cut and saw trees and use the lumber to construct a building, possibly a warehouse for their supplies. This is the first scene painted entirely by Costaggini.
Oglethorpe and the Indians Oglethorpe and the Indians James Oglethorpe, who founded the colony of Georgia and became its first governor, is shown making peace on the site of Savannah with the chief of the Muskogee Indians, who…
Battle of Lexington Battle of Lexington British troops fire on colonists, who had gathered at Lexington to stop them from going on to Concord to destroy a colonial supply depot. Major Pitcairn, the British officer…
Declaration of Independence Declaration of Independence This idealized depiction shows the principal authors of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, reading the document to…
Surrender of Cornwallis Surrender of Cornwallis General George Washington, on horseback, receives the sword of surrender from Major General O'Hare, who represented Lord Cornwallis after his defeat at Yorktown, the last…
Death of Tecumseh Death of Tecumseh Tecumseh, a brilliant Indian chief, warrior, and orator, is shown being fatally shot by Colonel Johnson at the Battle of the Thames in Upper Canada during the War of 1812.…
American Army Entering the City of Mexico American Army Entering the City of Mexico General Winfield Scott is shown during the Mexican War, entering the capital. Peace came in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which fixed the Mexican-American border…
Discovery of Gold in California Discovery of Gold in California The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill set off the California gold rush of 1849. In this scene prospectors dig for gold with picks and shovels and pan for the precious metal…
Peace at the End of Civil War Peace at the End of Civil War A Confederate soldier and a Union soldier shake hands, marking the reunion of the country after the devastation of the Civil War. A cotton plant and a northern pine tree…
Naval Gun Crew in the Spanish-American War Naval Gun Crew in the Spanish-American War A gun crew prepares to fire a Naval gun in one of the two great naval battles of the Spanish-American War. In the course of helping Cuba win independence from Spain the…
The Birth of Aviation The Birth of Aviation The first flight at Kitty Hawk (December 17, 1903) is depicted, with Orville Wright in the Flyer, which has just left the ground, and Wilbur running alongside to steady the…