Visiting Dc
The Washington, D.C., area has many historical and cultural sites that explore our nation's history and rich traditions. Please see the documents below for more tips and information.
My office can assist with scheduling tours for the White House, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the U.S. Treasury Department.
Please fill out the Tour Request Form to request a tour for the dates you wish to visit. Please also note that some tours require a request with at least three-months’ notice.
I have provided a comprehensive Tour Attractions Document that can help you decide what to see and what places to visit during your trip.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20535
Limited tours available, tours must be arranged through my office. Please contact my office at least one month in advance to request a tour.
Home of America's premier law enforcement agency, the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Building was closed to public tours in 2002. In place of a building tour, the FBI Education Center is designed to educate the public about the work of today’s FBI. The center contains numerous exhibits about the Bureau’s history, its investigation for the September 11 terrorist attacks, the training for Special Agents and FBI personnel, and also about some of the Bureau’s most high-profile cases throughout its history. When staffing and time permits, tours may also include a live demonstration of the historic and modern firearms used by the FBI.
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C.
Hours and Admission
8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Saturday
No admission charged. Tours scheduled by congressional offices occur Monday-Friday at 9:45am, 11:45am and 1:45pm. Public tours of the library are also offered Monday-Saturday and no reservation is needed. Contact my office for further reservation information.
Home of the Congressional Archives, the Library of Congress consists of three buildings: the Adams, the Thomas Jefferson and the James Madison.
The Jefferson Building is named after the 3rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, who, in 1814, sold his personal library of 6,487 books to the LOC to rebuild the library’s collection that was destroyed when British troops burned the Capitol during the War of 1812. The LOC is the most ornate of the buildings and is home to the spectacular Reading Room.The lobby on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the is remarkable; the Great Hall is constructed of white Italian marble, with a stucco ceiling accented with a twenty-three karat gold leaf. A tour of this building won't leave you disappointed!
U.S. Capitol
(202) 226-8000 - Automated visitors' information line
Hours and Admission
8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Saturday (including most federal holidays)
No admission charged
My office offers staff-guided tours at 10:00 and 2:00 every weekday, though we are more than happy to adjust those times to your schedule. With at least 21 days’ advance notice, we are also able to reserve passes on Saturdays.The U.S. Capitol Guide Service also offers tours.
You can book a tour online at Visit The Capitol or you can pick up same-day tickets in the Capitol Visitors Center. Tours operate Monday-Saturday, 9 AM to 3:30 PM. Please be aware of security guidelines and prohibited items in the U.S. Capitol.
In advance of a Capitol tour, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society's website offers a wealth of information about the Capitol's art and exhibits such as the National Statuary Hall Collection, murals within the Capitol corridors painted by Allyn Cox, and the large 12' x 18' paintings within the Rotunda to complement your tour.
Another resource with information about the architecture, art and grounds of the U.S. Capitol is the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) website. The AOC is the steward responsible for the maintenance, operation, and preservation of many of our nation’s most recognizable landmarks of democracy and government including the U.S. Capitol and its grounds, the U.S. Supreme Court, Library of Congress and the U.S. Botanic Gardens.
U.S. Supreme Court
1 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C.
Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
Closed weekends and federal holidays. No admission charged.
You can visit the Supreme Court building and tour portions of the interior without a reservation. My office can schedule a congressional reservation (for up to six people), offered only at 12:30pm with check-in at 12:15pm.
The tour includes a 30-minute lecture held in the Supreme Court Chambers, on days when the Court is not in session. The same lecture is offered to the general public every hour on the half-hour, 9:30am-3:30pm Monday-Friday. However, court business may conflict with the schedule, so please check the tour telephone line for updates. Contact my office for additional information.
The cornerstone of the U.S. Supreme Court building was laid in 1932 and the building was completed in 1935. It was the first time in our country’s history that the nation’s highest court had its own building. It is worth noting that the construction was done for less than what Congress funded, so money was returned to the Treasury. Initially, the Court met in the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City, and later in Chambers located in the U.S. Capitol. The Court is in session October-April. Courtroom seats are available on a first come first served basis, every hour on the half-hour.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.
The White House Visitors Office 24-Hour Hotline at (202) 208-1631
Every President since John Adams has lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the most famous addresses in the world. The White House is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public. President George Washington oversaw construction of the building, but never resided in it. The White House survived a fire set by British troops in 1814, and another fire in the West Wing in 1929. The White House has six levels (including a two-story basement) and covers approximately 55,000 square feet, including 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms, with 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases and three elevators. While it’s now known as The White House (officially given by Theodore Roosevelt in 1901), it has also been known as the President’s Palace, the President’s House, and the Executive Mansion.
The White House offers self-guided tours through a reservation system available to congressional offices. Reservations are required to tour the White House. My office can assist in securing a tour reservation for your party. A visit to the White House Visitors Center, located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, is also a great stop and will greatly enhance your tour experience.
Hours and Admission
White House public tours are typically available Tuesday – Thursday from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM; and Friday – Saturday, 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM, excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. All White House tours are free of charge.
Requesting a Tour
Please submit
your tour request through the Tour Request Form
on my website. Public White House tours must be booked at least seven (7) days
in advance and no more than 90 days in advance. It is highly recommended that
you submit public tour requests as early as possible within that time frame as there is limited
availability, particularly during the busy tourist seasons in the spring and
summer months.
Once your request is submitted, the White House will send you a secure RSVP link to submit security information online for the tour reservation. Please complete this ahead of the deadline listed as the link will close at the deadline and cannot be reopened. All guests, regardless of age (to include infants, toddlers, and minors) must RSVP before the deadline. Additionally, each guest 18 and older must present a valid, government-issued photo REAL ID upon arrival for their tour.
Tour Parameters
Tours of the
White House include the public rooms in the East Wing and the Residence. That
includes the Vermeil Room, the Library, the China Room, the Blue Room, the Red
Room, the Green Room, the State Dining Room, and a view of the White House
Kennedy Garden. Secret Service Officers are stationed along the tour route and
are available to answer questions about each room’s history, art, furnishing,
current uses, and beyond. You may wish to download the WH Experience app,
developed by the White House Historical Society, to enhance your visit.
