Sightseeing in Washington

UNITED STATES CAPITOL BUILDING TOURS

What You Need To Know:

If you are interested in a tour of the Capitol Building, please click here to make a reservation.  We recommend you allot at least two hours to explore this inspiring new addition to the Capitol Building.  If reservations for a Capitol tour are no longer available, the CVC is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  A visit to the Center DOES NOT require a reservation.

If you plan to visit the Capitol Building, certain items are prohibited from both facilities.  Please click here to view the list of prohibited items.  There is no storage available on the Capitol complex for prohibited items.  Access will be denied to both facilities if you bring any of these items with you to the Capitol complex.  For school groups: Capitol Building tour reservations must be scheduled by school officials by using the Group Tour Link or calling (202) 593-1762.

The Office of Congressional Accessibility Service provides tours of the Capitol and assists individuals with disabilities.  If your visit requires assistance, please contact the Office of Congressional Accessibility Service at (202) 224-4048.

If you are interested in visiting the Senate or House of Representatives galleries, please stop by my Washington office (Hart 330) for passes.  For your convenience, we recommend calling ahead to find out what time Congress will be in session for the best opportunity to see legislative action.

 

WHITE HOUSE TOURS

I am happy to arrange a White House tour during your visit. 

What You Need To Know:

  • White House tour requests should be submitted four to six months in advance.
  • Tours are conducted Tuesday through Thursday: 7:30 am to 11:00 am; Friday: 7:30 am to 12:00 pm; and Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  These set hours may be changed at the discretion of the White House.
  • Due to the volume of requests we receive, there is a possibility requests may be denied by the White House, even when submitted in a timely manner.  The decision will be made solely by the White House and is beyond our control.
  • On September 4, 2009 President Obama announced that visitor access records to the White House Complex will be made publicly available 90-120 days after the date of visit. This policy includes all guests touring the White House. Please be aware that your full name and the date of your visit will be part of the publicly released records. Your date of birth, Social Security Number and all other information provided will not be released.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For additional tour requests, we encourage you to use this Web form to submit your requests. Please include the dates of your visit, availability and the number of people in your group. If you have any additional questions regarding tours, please contact Cassandra Koehler in my Washington office at (202) 224-5653.