For Immediate Release
July 23, 1999

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

The FBI announced today that tours offered to the public at the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Headquarters building, Washington, D.C., will be canceled for an indefinite period. The cancellation of public tours will enable FBI personnel to complete security enhancements initiated as a result of unconfirmed threats to the FBI Headquarters building.

Tours have been offered to the public at FBI Headquarters since 1937. Security concerns have necessitated the brief cancellation of FBI Headquarters tours during World War II, "May Day" observances during the early 1970's, national rioting during 1968, and during the Desert Storm conflict in 1991.

The FBI is aware of the inconvenience that the cancellation of the tours will pose for those who wish to visit FBI Headquarters. However, the safety of visitors to FBI Headquarters remains the paramount concern of the FBI and was the primary consideration for implementation of today's action. Tours will resume upon completion of the security enhancements.