Welcome to Washington

The U.S Capitol:
Passes to the United States Senate Gallery can be picked up in my office (Russell Senate Building, SR-304). No advance notice is needed to obtain these passes. A scheduled tour of the Capitol can be arranged through my office for groups of 15 or less. These tours are offered Monday thru Friday, 10am-3pm. Groups of 15 or more can obtain tours through the U.S. Capitol Guide Service. The U.S. Capitol Guide Service also offers tours to all individuals and groups Monday thru Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The White House:
The White House currently offers Congressional tours of the East Wing to groups of 10 or more. It is highly recommended that your request for this tour be put in at least 3 months in advance and even further ahead around holidays. An alternative to a White House tour is a visit to the White House Visitors Center. The Visitors Center features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. It is located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets and is open 7 days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. For the most up-to-date information, visitors are encouraged to call the 24-hour tour information line at 202-456-7041.
* All tours for the months of June, July, and August are currently booked.

The Smithsonian Institution recently announced that the National Museum of American History will close to the public in September 2006 and will remain closed until the Spring of 2008, in order to accommodate a major infrastructure renovation project. Please be advised that it is ONLY the American History Museum that is closing. The rest of the Smithsonian will remain open as usual - - 364 days a year (every day but Christmas).

Several federal offices have changed their tour policies recently to reflect the need for increased public safety. As of October, 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has suspended their tours indefinitely, and all requests for tours after September, 2001, will not be honored. My offices are currently not able to accept reservations for these tours. We will resume the coordination of these tours when security restrictions have been lifted.

To schedule a tour, please contact my office at:

Office of Senator Kerry
Attn: Tour Director
304 Russell Bldg.
Washington D.C. 20510-2102
Phone - (202) 224-2742
Fax - (202) 224-8525

Washington, D.C. Attractions

Here is some helpful information regarding a few of the most popular Washington, D.C. attractions.

Arlington National Cemetery: Open daily, October through March, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, and April through September, 8:00 am-7 pm Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the amphitheater, the Custis-Lee Mansion and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft. Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every hour on the hour during winter months and every half hour during the summer months.
Phone: (703) 607-8052.
Metro Stop: Arlington Cemetery (Tourmobile Sightseeing Transportation available).

Botanical Gardens: First and Maryland Avenue, SW. Open 7 days a week from 9:00AM-5:00PM Phone: (202)225-8333.
Metro Stop: Federal Center SW.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing: 14th and C Streets, SW. See how U.S. currency and stamps are printed. Tours Monday through Friday from 9 am-2 pm, leaving every 10 minutes. Closed weekends and Federal holidays. Tour tickets are distributed beginning at 9am each day. During peak visiting season, plan to arrive early (7:30 or 8:00am). Lines are long and tickets are often gone by 9:30. Phone: (202) 874-3019. Metro Stop: Smithsonian.

Corcoran Gallery of Art: 17th and New York Avenue, NW. Open daily, 10:00 am-5:00 pm Closed every Tuesday and holidays. Contributions suggested. Information: (202) 639-1700.
Metro Stop: Farragut West.

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Closed for tours due to security precautions.

Folger Shakespeare Library: 201 East Capitol Street. Shakespeare exhibits and performances. Open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am-4:00 pm Closed holidays. Information: (202) 544-4600.
Metro Stop: Capitol South.

Ford's Theatre and Lincoln Museum: 511 10th Street, NW. Open daily, 9 am-5 pm Phone: (202) 462-6924.
Metro Stop: Metro Center.

Georgetown: West of Rock Creek Park. Old Stone House, oldest standing house in Washington. Metro Stop: A 15-minute walk from Foggy Bottom.
Metrobus: Even 30 numbered buses or the circulator.

Holocaust Memorial Museum: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW (formerly 15th Street between Maine and Independence Avenues). Open daily, 10:00 am-5:30 pm. Free tickets available in limited quantity on a first-come, first-served basis for same-day passes. Box office located on 14th Street side of museum and opens at 10:00 am. Due to the nature of this exhibit, the main gallery not recommended for children under the age of 12. A children’s exhibit is available.
Metro Stop: Smithsonian.

Iwo Jima Memorial: Edge of Arlington Cemetery, Northern Virginia. Open 24 hours daily. Memorial is a tribute to Marines who have lost their lives while serving the United States of America.
Metro Stop: Rosslyn.

Jefferson Memorial: South Bank of the Tidal Basin. Open 24 hours daily. At the Swan Boathouse you can rent a paddleboat to cruise the Basin. (summer only)
Metro Stop: Smithsonian.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: New Hampshire Avenue at Rock Creek Parkway, NW. Public tours leaving every 20 minutes and lasting 45 minutes, conducted daily, 10 am-1 pm Visitors should go to the Tour Lounge, Parking Level A. Phone: (202) 416-8340.
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom (shuttle to Kennedy Center).

Korean War Memorial: Independence Avenue and Daniel French Drive, SW. Open 24 hours daily.
Metro Stop: Smithsonian.

Library of Congress: Capitol Hill. Thomas Jefferson Building tours available Monday through Friday at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm. Saturday at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Phone: (202) 707-5458.
Metro Stop: Capitol South

Lincoln Memorial: West Potomac Park at the foot of 23rd Street, NW. Open 24 hours daily.
Metro Stop: Smithsonian or Foggy Bottom.

Mount Vernon: Sixteen miles south of Washington, D.C., at the south end of the George Washington Parkway. Home of George Washington. Opens 8:00 am April through August and 9:00 September through March. Entrance gates close 5:00 pm March through October and 4:00 pm November-February. Admission fee. Information: (703) 780-2000.

National Arboretum: 24th and R Streets, NE. 444 acres of flowering trees and shrubs. Open weekdays, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, and weekends, 10:00 am-5:00 pm Information: (202) 475-4815.

National Gallery of Art: Constitution Avenue, between 3rd and 7th Streets, NW. The main building and I.M. Pei's magnificent east building house the nation's art treasures and are connected by an underground concourse. The National Gallery encompasses all aspects of the visual arts. Open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am-5 pm and Sundays, 11:00 am-6:00 pm
Metro Stop: Archives and Judiciary Square or Smithsonian.


National Visitors' Center: 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, located in the Treasury building. Information: (202) 622-0889.
Metro Stop: Farragut West.

Pentagon: Closed for public tours due to security precautions. The Pentagon is open, however, for tours by school, church, and military groups if prearranged. Please contact my office at (202) 224-2742 for assistance in scheduling these tours. Located across the 14th Street Bridge in Virginia.
Metro Stop: Pentagon.

Smithsonian Institution Group: Free admission. Open daily 10:00 am-5:00 pm, except the Castle which opens at 9:00 am, National Museum of African Art which closes at 5:30p.m, and the Air and Space and American History museums which close at 6:00 pm Extended summer hours determined annually.

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum: 2405 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE

Arts and Industries Museum: 900 Jefferson Drive, SW

The Freer Gallery of Art: Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: Independence Avenue at 7th Street, SW

National Air and Space Building: Independence Avenue and 7th Street, SW

National Museum of African Art: 950 Independence Avenue, SW

National Museum of American Art: 8th and G Streets, NW

Museum of American History: 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW (Closed until Summer 2008 – part of the exhibit is on display in the Air and Space Museum)

Museum of Natural History: 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW

National Portrait Gallery: 8th and F Streets, NW

Renwick Gallery: Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, NW

Sackler Gallery: 1050 Independence Avenue, SE

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle): 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW

State Department: 2201 C Street, NW. Tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 2:45 pm Arrive 30 minutes before tour times. Entrance is on 23rd Street. Tours are by reservation only, accepted 90 days in advance. Phone: (202) 647-3241.
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom.

Supreme Court: 1st Street and Maryland Avenue, NE. Tours are available Monday through Friday 9:30 am-4:30 pm when court is not in session. When the Court is in session, tours are only given on Thursdays and Fridays. To see the Court in session, line up outside the building; lines start forming about 8:30 am, so get there early. No tours are given during August. Public lectures are conducted in the Courtroom from 9:30 am-3 pm when the Court is not in session. Phone: (202) 479-3000.
Metro Stops: Union Station and Capitol South.

Tourmobile Service: The National Park Service has concessionaire-operated guided tourmobiles that travel from Capitol Hill to Arlington Cemetery and points in between with unlimited re-boarding privileges the day of ticket purchase. Daily, 9:30 am-4:30 pm Information (202) 554-7950.

Treasury Department: 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Paper money and both real and counterfeit coins on display Monday through Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm Tours available Saturday morning only at 10:00 am, 10:20 am, 10:40 am, and 11:00 am Information: (202) 622-2000.
Metro Stop: McPherson Square and Metro Center.

United States Capitol: Capitol Hill. Tours are conducted March through August on Monday through Friday, 9:30 am-8:00 pm, Saturday, 9:30 am-3:45 pm, and Sunday, 1:00 pm-4:30 pm During September through February, tours are conducted Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am-3:45 pm Line for tours is located on East Front Drive on the House side. For information on these tours, please call: (202) 224-3235. Congressional Tours are also available by contacting my office at (202) 224-2742. Metro Stop: Capitol South or Union Station.

U.S. Navy Memorial: Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW. Lone Sailor Stature.
Metro Stop: Archives/Navy Memorial.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Near the Lincoln Memorial at Henry Bacon Drive and Constitution Avenue, NW. Open 24 hours daily. Constructed of black granite to honor all Americans who served in the Vietnam War. As a special tribute to those who did not return, the names of more than 58,000 who gave their lives or who remain missing are inscribed on the Memorial wall in chronological order.
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom or Smithsonian.

Washington Monument: On the Mall at 15th Street, NW. Open April 1-Labor Day, 8:00 am-11:45 pm, and mid-September-March 31, 9:00 am-4:45 pm Tickets required 8:00 am-8:00 pm April 1-Labor Day, and 9:00 am-3:00 pm during rest of year. Tickets are free and available at the booth located on the west side of 15th Street, NW, on the Mall. First-come, first-served at other times. Phone: (202) 426-6839.
Metro Stop: Smithsonian.

Washington National Cathedral: Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenues, NW. Tours given Monday through Friday, 10:00 am-9:00 pm in the summer and10:00 am-4:30 pm the rest of the year. Information: (202) 537-6200.
Nearest Metro Stop: a twenty minute walk from Tenleytown/AU or Metrobus: Even 30 numbered buses.

National Zoo: 3000 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Grounds open April 15 to October 15th, 8:00 am-8:00 pm, animal rooms open 9:00 am-6:00 pm October 16 through April 14, grounds are open 9:00 am-4:30 pm and animal rooms are open 9:00 am-4:30 pm unless otherwise posted. Phone: (202) 673-4800 or 673-4717.
Metro Stop: Woodley Park/Zoo.

Airports:
DCA: National Airport
BWI: Baltimore Washington International Airport
IAD: Dulles International Airport