Tour Information
Arlington National Cemetery 703-607-8052 Location: Memorial Drive and Hwy 110 Metro stops: Arlington Cemetery Open daily October through March from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and April through September from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. View the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every hour on the hour and every half hour during the summer months. See the Amphitheater, the Custis-Lee Mansion, and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft.
* The Bureau of Engraving & Printing 202-283-2646 Location: 14th & C Sts, SW Metro stops: Smithsonian See how United States currency is printed. Open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. closed weekends, Federal holidays and December 24 through January 3rd. Public tours are available from 10:00 am to 1:45 pm and are 30-45 min. in length. Tickets are required and are available at 8:00 am each day for that day’s tours only. The ticket booth is located on 15th St. Congressional tours are offered Monday through Friday at either 8:15 am or 8:45 am. Reservations must be made by your Congressman`s office.
* Congressional Gallery Passes 202-225-4236 Location: United States Capitol building Metro stops: Capitol South View the floor of the House of Representatives. Open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm when the House is in session. Availability varies when House is in recess. Passes are required and are available in your Congressman`s office.
Ford’s Theater and Lincoln Museum 202-426-6924 Location: 10th Street between E & F St Metro stops: Metro Center or Gallery Place or Archives The building is open every day between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm with the exception of Christmas. The Peterson house, where President Lincoln died, is across the street and free tours are available.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Location: Between the Potomac River and the Cherry Tree Walk of the Tidal Basin Metro stop: Smithsonian This memorial is a tribute to both President Roosevelt and the time in which he lived. There is a sequence of four outdoor rooms, each representing one of FDR’s four terms in office. Park ranger talks and tours daily.
Holocaust Memorial Museum 202-488-0400 Location: just south of Independence Ave SW between 14th St and Raoul Wallenborg Place Metro stops: Smithsonian The Holocaust Museum serves as a national repository for Holocaust related artifacts and materials. Permanent exhibition is recommended for those over the age of 11. Open 7 days a week except on Christmas and Yom Kippur. Admission is free and a limited number of tickets are passed out each day. During peak tourist season, tickets are usually completely dispensed before noon. To ensure a specific day for the museum, you can reserve your tickets through Tickets.com at (800) 400-9373 for a fee of $2.75 a ticket.
Jefferson Memorial 202-426-6822 Location: South end of the Tidal Basin at 14th St Metro stops: Smithsonian This monument is in honor of Thomas Jefferson, third president, author of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. You may rent paddleboats at the Swan Boathouse and cruise the Basin. Open 8:00 am to Midnight every day but Christmas.
Kennedy Center 202-416-8341 Location: Virginia Ave and F St Metro stops: Foggy Bottom/GWU (free shuttle bus service available from Metro station every 15 min. from 9:45 am to midnight, Monday through Saturday and noon to midnight on Sunday. Look for burgundy & white Kennedy Center vans.) The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts offers a fine arts tour Monday through Friday at 9:30 am and 4:30 pm, and Saturday at 9:30 am. Reservations must be made through your Representative`s office.
Library of Congress 202-707-5458 Location: Jefferson Building, 1st St and Independence Ave, SE Metro stops: Capitol South The world’s largest and most open research library, millions of scholars, readers and tourists visit the Library of Congress annually. Our country’s national library contains over 75 million volumes. Public tours are offered Monday through Friday at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.
Lincoln Memorial 202-426-6895 Location: West Potomac Park at the foot of 23rd Street Metro stops: Foggy Bottom This monument is in honor of Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president, overlooking the Reflecting Pool toward the Washington Monument and the US Capitol. Open 24 hours daily.
Mount Vernon 202-426-6895 Location: Mount Vernon, Virginia Visit the estate of President George Washington. General tours are offered 7 days a week, admission is as follows: $11 adults; $10.50 seniors; $5 children age 6-11; children 5 and under are free. Congressional tours run from April through October and are offered Monday through Friday at 8:45 am only. Congressional tours still require the purchase of admission and reservations must be made through your Congressman`s office.
National Cathedral 202-537-6200 Location: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave, NW Metro stops: Tenleytown Station to “30” series Metro bus The National Cathedral is the second-largest Gothic cathedral in the United States. From the Cathedral, you may view the nation’s capitol or simply enjoy the peaceful gardens and the beauty of the Cathedral. Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:15 pm, except during services and special events. Tours are offered Monday through Friday between 10:45 and 11:15 am and 12:45 and 3:15 pm. No reservation is required, $3 donation is appreciated.
National Gallery of Art 202-737-4215 Location: National Mall between 3rd and 7th Sts, NW Metro stops: Smithsonian or Archives The National Gallery of Art is one of the world’s largest marble structures, measuring 780 feet in length and containing more than 500,000 square feet. Open year round Monday through Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Smithsonian Museums 202-357-2700 Location: National Mall Metro stops: Smithsonian As the world’s largest museum complex, it holds over 139 million artifacts of American history; including the Air and Space Museum, Arts and Industries, Museum of Natural History, and Museum of American History. Open year round from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Smithsonian National Zoo 202-673-4717 Location: 3001 Connecticut Ave, NW Metro stops: Woodley Park Zoo or Cleveland Park Visit the new panda exhibit, see the orangutans swing or tour the heritage gardens and wetlands. This visit takes a minimum of three hours; parking charges are per hour. The grounds are open daily from May 1 to Sept 15 from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm (Buildings are open from 10 am to 6 pm) and September 16 to April 30 from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (Buildings are open from 10 am to 4:30 pm).
Spy Museum 202-393-7798 Location: 800 F Street NW Metro stops: Gallery Place/Chinatown or National Archives/Navy Memorial Metro station Gain access to the world`s largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. Over 600 pieces are on exhibit, including our collection of G-Man toys from the 1930s and 1940s when interest in G-Men ("G" stands for "Government," in this case FBI agents) was at a high and children searched for worthy role models. Same-Day Tickets are those purchased in person at the International Spy Museum for use on the same day as purchased, either for immediate access or for a time later the same day. All Tickets are date and time specific and are subject to availability. You may purchase advance tickets by phone at 800.551.7328 (800.551.SEAT); online Ticketmaster.com.
* State Department 202-647-3241 Location: 23rd and C Sts, NW Metro stops: Foggy Bottom/GWU Tour the Diplomatic Reception rooms of the Department of State, which are used for official functions and contain a premier collection of 18th Century American furniture, paintings, and decorative arts. Tours are offered Monday through Friday at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 2:45 pm. Tours are 45 minutes in length. Visitors must arrive at the 23rd St. entrance 30 minutes prior to their appointed tour time; late arrivals will not be admitted. Tours must be reserved through your Congressman’s office.
Tourmobile Sightseeing 202-554-5100; toll free: 1-888-868-7707 Location: Departs from several sites throughout city Tourmobile Sightseeing Trams make 25 stops featuring more than 40 major historic sites within the Washington area. From history past to history in the making, Tourmobile narrators provide information on exhibits, architecture and the people who inspired it all.
U.S. Botanical Gardens 202-225-8333 Location: Independence and First St, SW Metro stops: Federal Center SW or Capitol South At the foot of the Capitol, under 29,000 square feet of glass, surrounded by ornamental pools this conservatory has more than 8,000 different types of exotic fruits, flowers and plants.
* United States Capitol 202-224-3121 Location: Located at the center of the city Metro stops: Capitol South or Union Station The Capitol Guide Service offers a forty-minute guided tour. Tickets to the public are distributed daily at 9:00 am at the Visitor`s Center in front of the East Entrance. The Capitol is closed Christmas, New Year’s and Thanksgiving. Visitors are welcome to view the floor debates from the galleries when Congress is in session by obtaining passes from their Congressman or Senator.
* The U.S. Supreme Court 202-479-3030 Location: 1st and East Capitol Streets Metro stops: Capitol South This impressive building of white marble houses the highest court in the land. Public tours are offered Monday through Friday every hour on the half hour from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, except Federal holidays. Congressional tours are offered Monday through Friday at 2:00 pm only on days the Court is not sitting. Congressional tours are limited to 4 people, and are 30 minutes in length. Reservations must be made through your Representative’s office. No tours are given during August.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial 202-634-1568 Location: Henry Bacon Drive and Constitution Ave NW, on the Mall Metro stops: Foggy Bottom Constructed of black granite to honor all Americans who served in the Vietnam War. In chronological order are over 58,000 names inscribed in the marble wall. Open 24 hours daily.
Washington Monument 202-426-6840 Location: On the Mall at 15th Street NW Metro stops: Smithsonian The Washington Monument is the city’s tallest structure, standing at 555’ 5”, a tribute to our nation’s first president. There are 897 steps the public may walk down, however, to reach the top, elevators must be used. The lines tend to be long, but they generally move quickly. Your wait will be rewarded by a panoramic view of the nation’s capitol from the top of the Monument. Open daily the day after Easter to Labor Day from 8:00 am to Midnight and from Labor Day through March from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Reserved tickets may be purchased online through the National Park Service.
* The White House 202-456-7041 Location: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Metro stops: Metro Center or Federal Triangle.
|
The White House tour is self-guided and includes the ceremonial rooms in the center of the White House and the East Wing. Because this tour is very popular and the White House schedules on a first-come, first-serve basis, you should request a tour as early as possible, and can be requested from 30 days to six months in advance. Please keep in mind that a very small percentage of tours are approved. Tours requested for dates in March, May, June, July, August, and December are most popular and fill up quickly.
Availability:
The tour does not include the West Wing. Tours are offered Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 am – 11am; Friday, 7:30 am – 12 pm; and Saturday, 7:30 am – 1 pm. No tours are offered on Sunday and Monday.
- Unfortunately, we cannot specify a particular tour time, nor can we request the tour dates in order of preference. If a tour is granted, the White House will determine the time and date.
- Our office will notify those people who are approved for tours approximately one month before the date of the scheduled tour. We ask that constituents contact the Congressman's tour coordinator at 202-225-4236 to check on the status of their White House tour request.
Please note there will be no tours on:
- December 24th thru January 3rd
- January 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th, 26th, and 27th
Security Information:
Beginning in October, 2010, all requests must be accompanied by security information for you and your guests. To be eligible for a White House tour, you must include everyone’s:
- Full name, last name and middle initial. Middle initial is now mandatory. If there is no middle initial, leave the field blank.
- Date of birth
- Gender: M/F - This should be the gender you identify with.
- Social Security numbers are required for guests 16 and over. You do not need to type anything in the social security box if the guest is under 16: leave it BLANK. Please note that you will need to provide social security information for anyone who is 16 and over on the date(s) of the requested tour, not the date you submitted your request.
- Citizen: If you are a US citizen, check the box. If you have a US Social Security number, you should be listed as a US Citizen.
- City and State (of current residence). This should match your driver's license or government issued ID if 15 and over.
- For foreign citizens please include the city and state they are staying in. It’s the same type of paperwork they fill out on the plane asking where they are staying when in town. Washington, DC, Fairfax, VA, etc. Also indicate which country they are visiting from.
Click here to fill out the request form for White House tours. Please note that our office can not submit your request to the White House unless the security information is provided. If the information is incorrect or incomplete, the White House will cancel the tour. Once the request and security information has been forwarded to the White House, no additions and changes can be made.
|
* WWII Memorial The memorial is now open to the public. Visit the official WWII Memorial website by clicking on the link above for more information.
* Indicates locations where the following items are prohibited:· Backpacks, duffle bags, suitcases, oversized purses or handbags; Aerosol and non-aerosol sprays including perfumes, mace and pepper spray; Cans and bottles; Food and beverages of any kind; Knives of any length, razors, and box cutters In addition to the list above, the White House also prohibits the following items: Strollers; Cameras, video recorders, or any type of recording device; Tobacco products; Personal grooming items (makeup, hair brush or comb, lipstick, hand lotion, etc.); Any pointed items (pens, knitting needles, etc.) All locations where the above lists apply do not have purse/baggage check facilities. If prohibited items are present, they will be confiscated and will not be returned. Please plan ahead and leave prohibited items behind on days when you are touring a location indicated by a *. Thank you.
Other places of interest
