An amazing must see and experience! the experience is everything! they even had happy hour at the capital! I had a blast.

Jordyn Pittman is a phenomenal tour guide! Very knowledgeable and personable, would highly recommend her to anyone planning a visit.

We took a tour of the US Capitol and it was by far my favorite tour of the trip. We requested a tour with our state representative and got a private tour with the sweetest tour guide. I'm not sure if everyone gets to go into the house gallery, but our guide got us passes to go to the gallery. It was so cool to see a place that is only ever shown on TV! We loved everything about this tour and I would definitely go again. read more

Go to the Visitors Center to take a tour of the Capitol. Itself is a fantastic building to look around in. This isn't the main Capitol building but there's still lots of cool stuff. It has a film about Congress. There's also lots of historic statues. Head to the east side of the Capitol. In front of this side of the Capitol is the large Visitors Center. The entrance is free admission but the entrances are timed. It's best to order a ticket online. You can also go inside to order a ticket for the next tour. It has a line before you enter the Capitol. These are free. Inside this building are lots of interesting things you should check out before entering the actual Capitol. The most important things to look at are all the state statues. In the Capitol are lots more, but these are the older ones. This is where they are taken to be repaired or replaced. It has a video to watch before entering the Capitol. This is kind of boring and tells you a lot about what you already know. You then head into the Capitol and a tour guide will be waiting for you. read more

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Robbie Walsh was an excellent guide on a tour of the US Capital. He is personable and highly knowledgeable!! Thank you

The one cool thing about US Capitol Visitor Center is that it is larger than the Capitol itself. However you do not realize this because it is all out of site. It is very interesting, especially since you have probably been here, but not even noticed. The center is massive, like I stated before. Once you go in you finally see this. It's a grand space, lots of room everywhere. Once you make it through security make your way to coat check. Trust me on that. Then take a minute to take in your surroundings. Take your time and check the place out. This may be a visitor center and the starting point of a tour, but it is also an impressive space to check out. It is fairly simple to make your way through here. My purpose was to take the Capitol tour, so I made my way to the desk with my reservation to get checked in. It's best to do this as soon as you can, you may get lucky like I did and get scheduled for an earlier time slot for the tour. After that, and until the start of your tour, you can just look around. Other things to notice here are that there are two gift shops to visit. There is also a cafe on premise if you are hungry. If you are not here to visit or do a tour there are appointment desks for both the Senate and House. After your tour, and when you are finished in here, you can exit to outside, or you can take the tunnel to the Library of Congress. Saves you from going outside. read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Plaque for the heroes of Flight 93. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

For security reasons, it's complicated to get to the tour and we nearly missed it. The capitol visitor center (CVC) is located on the east side of the building facing the mall and Washington monument and that's where you need to go. But things change so be sure to check it out. Call your US Representative's office to help you with tickets. Although, now you reserve them yourself on line. Your Rep might be able to help. Ours let us visit his office. You'll wander through the underbelly of the Capitol and see the hive. Then you can take a selfie by their door or with them if they are free. The building is beautiful and the tour is informative. Then head next door to the Library of Congress. It's an architectural wonder and you can see Jefferson's beautiful office. read more

A few weeks before our trip, I signed up for tour tickets on their website and got the tickets within a day. You do have to print a page out to hand into the check in counter on day of, so please be aware. It seems a bit hokey, but I think it's a great way to see some art/American history. It's also possible to peek in if congress was in session. Pros: - Super organized! At our 9am time slot, a holiday Monday, it seemed like there were about 100 or so people in our group alone. This was divided up into about 5 smaller groups with a tour guide - Headphones are given to everyone so you can hear your tour guide without them having to yell - Our tour guide was delightfully funny. I forget his name, but he would pepper in jokes that made us laugh. I felt like we were the only groups laughing every now and then. - Beautiful art/statues. The rotunda was amazing to look at - Coat check available for free! - They are open every day except Christmas I think. You can check the website to be sure. - It's connected to the Library of Congress through a tunnel, so it's easy to walk over and visit without having to go through another security line Cons: - The wait to get through security can be a bummer. But they do try their best to get you through security as fast as possible. I suggest not bringing much, just a small bag. Would I come again? Sure, why not read more

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Can't believe they still have a dang chain link wall complexly surrounding this place of the people. It's so frustrating to finally get here and I can't even get close to see this stunning facility. read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I highly recommend doing the tour (or what I call the private tour) with a tour guide assigned by your Congressional leader. Just contact your Congressman's D.C. office and let them know months (or weeks) in advance when you plan to visit - and it's all smooth from there. This will save you plenty of time instead of waiting in line. I met with the guide in my Congressman's office, which is located in one of the three office buildings next to the Capitol. We went through the underground tunnel where the Senators and Representatives go to work from their offices. That included two security checkpoints. We walked around the Visitor Center, which was swarmed with school groups and tourists, but again, because I had the private tour, I was able to get past them all. read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We were not able to get a reservation online for the capitol building. Luckily, we obtained day of tickets here!

This is going to be a five star review because we knew an intern for a congressman and she helped us get passes and quick access. I wasn't really that pumped to take this tour because of all the other great museums and monuments in the area. Our tour guide was fantastic and even though the tour seemed short, we learned a lot. I think we could have asked our guide almost anything about the capitol and he would have had the correct answer. (Get tickets ahead of time or make arrangements to visit your senator or representative office. Some of the office staff are trained to do tours themselves.) read more

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I came here in a group so I'm not sure if you can enter as public or if you have to reserve. You do have to enter through security like TSA. You also tour as a group after the short video in the theater. This is the Capitol. I was lucky to visit this place filled with US government history this year. read more

This is our second visit to Capitol. On our first visit we couldn't see the dome, because it was under construction. On this time, our trip cut short, because the senate and representative section was closed due to the holiday. Even though you have a reservation for your visit, make sure go over there at least 30 minutes earlier. Because, you will be waiting outside to go for security check. And that line is long, it doesn't matter if it is cold or hot outside, you have to wait. There are some prohibited items you can not bring with you. So make sure check US Capitol website for more information. Make sure do not leave your tour guide when you are on the tour. Because it is a Federal building, you might get arrested. Even though our tour guide left half of our group upstairs without leading us, he disappeared. We had to find security and ask him where to go. He even didn't tell us our tour was finished. It was a joke. We are gonna have to arrange another tour here to see and enjoy the tour. read more

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Mary Ellen Bradford was our fabulous tour guide. She was knowledgeable and very passionate about her role, the history and the historical timeline of The Capitol. The tour was wonderful! You'll see a few old or original parts of The Capitol but you won't see the current House or Senate Chambers where they currently conduct business. The Rotunda is beautiful. And if you're a news junkie like me, you'll likely recognize a few correspondents from major news networks roaming the building. The movie they show at the beginning of the tour is great. And don't miss out on visiting the museum. It's only been open for a few months now and a lot of information there to soak in. And I don't know how or why but The Capitol smells really really good! read more

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The Capitol's significance extends beyond its physical presence; it represents the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice for all. A visit to the US Capitol is not just a tour; it's an experience that instills a deep appreciation for the principles upon which the United States was founded. Our guide, Nick Bullock, was personable and well informed on all aspects of the tour and even took time to find out where everyone was from to add notes specific to where we were from. read more

Yes vey historical and nice I love how they put a lot of thought into the place the restaurant not so good but I was in a rush love read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - The North Theritwr - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Planning on visiting the US Capitol? It is free to the public and requires passes. You can either obtain them in person or contact your local representative to make a reservation. When my husband and I both came last week to visit the Capitol, we just got our passes in person the day of, so it isn't necessary to make a reservation in advance. Before you begin your tour, you will have to pass through security check, TSA style. Empty your pockets, place your items on the belt to be examined, etc. No need to take off your shoes here though. Please be aware that any food and liquids are not allowed in The Capitol (yes including water but you can bring in an empty bottle and fill it up once inside). Bags larger than 18" wide x 14" high x 8.5" deep are not allowed (a standard backpack is fine to be brought in, in case you are not inclined in measuring your purse or bag prior to your visit). Weapons are not allowed (including pepper spray, so please be aware to remove before coming if you keep one on your keychain), umbrellas, etc. After you get inside, you can walk downstairs to check in for your reservation or get a pass for the tour. Once you get that taken care of, you will be directed to wait in line to view a 10 minute video presentation and then will go upstairs and get into line for your guided tour. From here, this tour will last about 40 minutes. One person will give a tour to a group of maybe 20 people. You are given headphones so that you can hear your tour guide and walk through various points of interest at The Capitol and learn some of the historical significance of these places. For the most part, this tour has light walking but will have to go up and down stairs for a little part. I just wanted to mention that for those that may have trouble. Our tour guide was animated and funny. I enjoyed his humor throughout the tour and his enthusiasm. He tried to get involvement with our group. From the brief video to the end of the tour, it last about 60 minutes. You are more than welcomed to take photos but flash photography is not allowed. Our tour guide did mention that visitors are allowed to sit in on any congressional sessions. You just need to pick up passes for them (in which he did direct those after the tour where they could obtain one, if interested). If you are hungry, there is a cafe on site, on the lower level. Also if you wish to visit the Library of Congress afterwards, you can travel through the underground tunnel. From here, you do not have to pass through the security check again (but if you are planning on walking back to The Capitol Building from the Library of Congress, you will need to go through the security check again, even if you came from The Capitol before). This is a nice little walk that is great during hot and humid months so that you can stay in the air conditioned building or keep warm if you are visiting during the cold winter months. Visiting Washington DC for the first time? The National Mall is a MUST DO during your trip. Be sure to make some time to check out The Capitol and the Library of Congress to learn a little bit of culture about this nation and appreciate the history of how it all began. read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Very cool to take a tour inside this building. It is much larger in person that you would think. The tour begins in a large atrium. You have to go through security screening, which is common for all federal buildings around DC. Tour wait lines can be long depending on the season and weather. You can reach out to your local congress member's office to get prearranged tour time slots. Or else you are at the whim of the regular line time. The tour takes you inside the building to a couple rooms. The crypt, where George Washington was supposed to be interred, but houses statues of various important people from the original 13 colonies. You also get to pass by the Speaker of the House's Capitol office on the way to the old meeting area for Congress. I appreciate that you get headphones to listen to your tour narrator who is so knowledgeable on all the history of the Capitol and all of the artwork. read more

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I took a tour of the building 2 weeks ago. Reservations are highly recommended and can be booked online or through either of your senators or your representative (mine was set up by my representative and led by a member of his staff). Make sure you carefully read the list of prohibited items and give yourself plenty of time to get through security and check in if you have a tour scheduled. The building is beautiful and steeped in history. If Congress is in session during that day, ask for a pass into the Senate or House of Representatives galleries; I was able to visit the House gallery. I need to visit DC again and return here so I can see some of the exhibits and try to get a pass to visit the Senate gallery. read more

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Putting political beliefs aside and reviewing just the building.... this was probably my favorite landmark in dc. The building is beautiful, Even though it is heavily gaurded right now. read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We were too late in getting a tour of the White House because we had to have clearance and some other requirements. So if you want a White House tour you need to register 3 months in advance for security clearance. However, we were lucky enough to get a tour of the US Capitol and it was fun for the kids. The kids enjoyed looking at all the different paintings and statues and the gorgeous dome ceiling of the Capitol. We got to see the Libary of Congress as well. The library is just magnificent and impressive in size and architecture! read more

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Nice visitor center that acts a a security and screening center before taking a Capitol tour. It's what you would expect it to be. There are sculptures, statues, etc. a nice start to what will be the full tour of the United States Capitol. read more

I have been on this tour at least 4 or 5 times over the last 30 years and what struck me was the consistency as I remembered being told similar tidbits of information on previous tours. Like learning that when you stand at one spot in the old Senate Chambers now called the hall of statues.you can easily hear well over 60 feet away and with a room full of people talking. Espionage by our own Congress at it's finest. These tour guides are so knowledgeable you can ask any question about any statue in the hall of statues and they know the answer. The headsets are quality and even with other tours surrounding you, the tour guide is loud and clear. The short movie presentation at the beginning didn't used to be part of the tour but set the stage nicely. We didn't even have tickets ahead of time and on a Friday in summertime waited not more than 5 minutes to join a tour. It's well worth a visit if you are from out of town or even new to the city. I was only bummed that when Paul Ryan walked through the chambers, I was too far away to have him shake my hand...which he graciously did with multiple people on the tour. read more

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Visited as a kid But came back as a resident on the east coast Not many words can describe all of the colossal and historical significance Of the statues and halls read more

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What a cool experience. we arranged a tour through our senator and didn't have huge expectations, but I was very moved by this experience. The film at the beginning is informative and the tour guides definitely know their stuff. read more

We visit the capitol today with the guided tours! Our tour guide was very informative and gave out great information and insight about our capitol! I highly recommend the tour guide Johthan! I removed a star because it tells you to be there 30mins early but they didn't start lining us up until our ticketed time and we started it about 10mins late! read more

US Capitol is surprisingly visitor friendly. Just follow the signs or ask one of the red jacketed guides. The House and Senate Gallery visits were well worth the experience especially if there is a debate or vote going on. We arrived in DC without passes to either the House or Senate Gallery passes. It was easy enough to pick passes from our senator's office. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon office gave us both House and Senate Gallery passes. Electronics, liquids and many other items are prohibited at both galleries. Just read abouthe prohibitions at the back if the pass. The passes are good for the calendar year. The passes were not collected during entry. Save them for a souvenir or pass (no pun intended) them along for a friend or family member to use. read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Capitol Done - the painting is larger than a basketball court! - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wow was this disappointing. After just completing an awesome DC by Foot walking tour of the outside of the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress we were escorted to the visitor center for the Capitol's tour with the Capitol's own tour guides. Hint - if you are in the LoC and you made it through their security line there is a short cut underground via a tunnel to the Capitol visitor center and a very short security line. No need to go back outside. After watching the intro movie which was OK we were herded to lines to pick up our headsets and tour guide. Granted the place was jammed given it was Easter weekend so that made it a real zoo and hard to hear even with the headset but that was not the problem. The big negative was our tour guide who was more interested in impressing us with his knowledge of geography and his command of many foreign languages. He gave minimal info on the history and the building itself. On top of that he kept reminding us every 2 minutes that we had to hustle to get out of there before they closed. A real waste of time! I just wish I remembered his name... read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - End of the day tour. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Now that the restoration work on the U.S. Capitol is completed, you can truly appreciate the buildings original beauty and stately design. The US Capitol Visitor Center is a spectacular extension of the US Capitol and serves as the gateway (both for security and check in) that impresses just as well. I attended an Association of the United States Navy Association (AUSN) Awards event on the evening of March 9, 2017 - the US Capitol Visitor Center was closed to the public and the event attendees had private access to the whole center. Such an honor to experience this place first hand behind closed doors and participate in the AUSN events which were held all throughout the Visitors Centers Grand Foyer. The hors d oeuvres and drinks served were simply Devine and delicious! The attendees included Congresswoman Pelosi, several Flag Officers and one of my Junior Officers who was presented with AUSNs Junior Officer of the Year Award! This is a must visit while you are in DC! Beautiful beautiful icon of our Great Nation! read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - March 9, 2017 @ The US Capitol - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I entered the US Capitol Visitor Center during my trip to DC and tour of the Capitol. From the visitor center you can go and see the visitor gallery for the House and Senate, although you need tickets. Please note there to get them you need to contact your congressman. In the visitor center there are two gift shops, which have interesting items to take back home for memories. I bought two items here which were a poster of the Apotheosis of George Washington and i also got a statuette of Lady Freedom, which is a replica of the statute both inside the visitor center and on top of the Capitol Dome. There is also a restaurant located in the visitor center which is also pretty good...a bit expensive but good. read more

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Good sinks, great sinks, high quality pressure and very nice temperature, would use again

It was amazing!!! The tour guild, Derrick, was so funny but also gave us information about the capitol. Would do again

This is a "newly" built/renovated Visitor Center. I think they opened this new Visitor Center in 2008. I came back for a second time and liked my trip. However, I do miss my first visit here pre-2008. I have had much more freedom back then. We started the guided tour from the main floor and then went down to the basement level. After the guided tour, people were free to explore. I was able to sit in a Senate hearing briefly. I was also able to come outside and stand on the front steps/balcony area. Now during my recent trip, the security is much tighter. On its website, there is a long list of items that you are not permitted to bring inside. No (opened or unopened) food or beverage. So check the list before your visit. Also they now make you watch a 20-minute short film before your official guided tour here. Then the guided tour was about 40 to 50 minutes long. We only covered 3 rooms during my recent visit: basement level, Rotunda, and the main room with all of the statues. After the tour, we were all taken back to the waiting/outside area of theater room. So no more wandering around on your own. Bummer! Door opens at 8:30am on weekdays. I think they open on Saturdays as well but double check that. Make sure you get here at around 8am to get to the front of the line. I think they let people in on a 5-minute or 10-minute interval for crowd control. My advice is that get there early and get in line. You do not necessary need to buy tickets in advance. Tickets are free, by the way. If you plan to visit in the morning, you shouldn't have a problem getting the "unreserved timed" tickets. However, if you really want to secure your spot, make sure get a reserved timed ticket. I didn't reserve any tickets. I was there early in the morning so I went through security, took the staircase down, and got my unreserved tickets right away. read more

It's the freaking capitol of the United States. So yeah, I'm a fan. And the visitors center is a pretty cool place to look around. And contrary to some popular belief, you do not need to have advance tickets from your MOC (member of Congress) to take a tour of our nation's capitol. Upon entering the vistor's center, when you approach the ticket counter, you will see a public walk-up line. Enter that line and chances are pretty good you'll be put on the next upcoming tour. Now, of course, the larger your party, the more difficult this will be. But for parties of 2 to 4, it's relatively easy. What I'm not a big fan of here is the tour itself. But you kinda need to be on the tour to wander around the capitol. So the tour becomes a necessity. You'll primarily learn about all the statues that are all around the capitol. But you will get to see the capitol and learn some of its history. And sometimes you even get to go into the House and/or Senate galleries. And while the tour groups are large and there are a lot of them, they do make it nice by giving everyone a headset that is pre-set to a certain audio channel - and then your tour guide speaks normally into a mic and everyone in your tour group can easily hear the guide. So yeah, the US Capitol is a total DC must-do. read more

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Home to the Legislative branch of our Government. Set up a tour through your local Senator's office or jump in line in the visitor's center and enjoy your time with the mobs. Either way, it is going to be crowded and the place is full of school groups. We arrived early and passed through security. Inside the visitor center are many statues and an interactive gallery near the back. We met up with a member (huh huh) of our Senator's staff (huh huh) and our tour began with a quick movie. The Capital is even more impressive on the inside. We walked all around it and there was a lot to see. We saw the old chamber of the Supreme Court, the Rotunda, the Crypt, and the Statuary Hall. Our guide provided us with gallery passes for the Senate and House, but we didn't have time to check it out. As with most places in Washington, it was very crowded, you are limited on what you can bring in, and you will wait in lines for security. Tough it out and deal with it. The Capital is a gorgeous and impressive building. You can also take the tunnel to the Library of Congress and avoided re screening upon entry. read more

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I didn't really know what to expect, we were able to get a reservation for the last tour of the day, and boy was it worth it. Although security made me throw out my favorite coffee mug, I guess it was a security risk ( I rescued it from the rubbish later), and I still use it today, as a matter of fact I'm drinking out of it right now. Take that national security. This place is great, huge and very majestic. The craftsmanship to build this is incredible. So much marble, wow. So when you go, don't bring anything but your ID and yourself. Enjoy read more

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The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is a gift to the American people. It opened new ten years ago. Once you go through security, you're in a grand space filled with shops, a restaurant, statues, a tunnel to the Library of Congress and the areas where you wait for a tour. Tours are daily and free. They also offer these free tours worth your time- 1) Civil Rights tour at 3pm Monday through Friday, 2) Votes for Women tour at 1pm Monday-Saturday, and 3) Special tour of the Senate wing at 11am and 2pm Monday-Friday. All are open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis. The staff are very friendly! read more

A friend had her cousin's daughter from Arizona in town and was showing her the sights, so she organized a tour of the Capitol Building through the Arizona representative for a bunch of folks, including myself and my best friends who were in town for Independence Day week. We got the the office of Congressman Renzi and one of the interns, Matt, took us on a grand tour of the Capitol. We traveled through the underground warrens between the staff offices and the Capitol building, which were quite impressive. Then we had to wait through an hour or so line to get inside the Capitol through the basement entrance. Who knew that one could walk all around under DC without ever having to see the sunlight? What a perfect place for vampires to thrive and multiply! Some of the highlights of the tour were the Capitol's Rotunda (http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/rotunda.cfm), the Old Senate Chamber (http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/old_sen_ch.cfm), the National Statuary Hall (http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/nat_stat_hall.cfm), and the coffin used for presentation of deceased presidents. We also got to see the current Senate Chamber, but had to check in all of our electronic devices before entering, and the day that we were there, the Old Supreme Court Chamber was blocked off. I think the most fun that we had was at the spot directly below the Rotunda where there's a little plate of metal that marks the exact center of Washington, DC. We got a fantastic picture of the four of us all pointing in different directions. Ah - I love my friends! On our way out of the Capital, we got to take an underground tram car back over to the staff offices across the street, which was brief, but amusing. Thanks again to Matt and Rep. Renzi's office staff for a wonderful touristy time and for leading us through the complex, lovely architecture of our nation's Capitol. If only they could do something about the interminable wait to just get inside! read more

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What a great FREE tour. I was impressed with the visual displays that depict the growth of DC over the years. The statue of Freedom is a must see! read more

US Capitol Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia