Meeting place of the United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government
General Information
Tours of the U.S. Capitol can be scheduled in advance on the Capitol Visitor Center website or through the office of one of your senators or your representative. Same-day passes are usually available at the Information Desk on the lower level. The last tour of the day is at 3:20 p.m
Head southeast on Scott Cir NW toward Rhode Island Ave NW. Exit the traffic circle onto Massachusetts Ave NW. Turn right onto 9th St NW. Turn left onto K St NW. Continue onto Columbus Circle Northeast. Continue onto Massachusetts Ave NE. Turn right onto 2nd St NE. Turn right onto East Capitol St NE.
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of Congress at the eastern end of the National Mall on Capitol Hill, the origin point of the district's street-numbering system. The original building was completed in 1800, partly destroyed in the 1814 burning of Washington, restored within five years, then enlarged with a massive dome and wings for the House (south) and Senate (north).
Visiting
- Capitol Visitor Center: opened December 2, 2008 below the East Front, with a single security checkpoint, 580,000 square feet on three floors, a food court, and exhibits, including an 11-foot model of the Capitol dome
- Tours: free tours are booked through the Visitor Center or a congressional office; check requirements before you go
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "United States Capitol", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
