The 56th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony
My office and I welcome all Ohioans to Washington, D.C. for the 56th Presidential Inauguration ceremony to be held on January 20, 2009. I appreciate your desire to witness this landmark moment -- the start of a bold new era in our nation’s history. Since this event is open to everyone, the National Mall will have non-ticketed areas available to the public for viewing the ceremony. There will be jumbotrons and loudspeakers broadcasting the events to all gathered on the Mall.
If you decide to attend the Inauguration, please be aware that the ceremony is outside and the weather will be cold and possibly wet. You will be standing for several hours before and during the ceremony -- whether you are in a ticketed area or not. Additionally, car traffic near the Capitol and around the Mall will be not be possible on Inauguration day. One of the best ways to travel around Washington and to the Inauguration on January 20th will be the D.C. subway system. The D.C. Metro rail will open at 4:00 AM on Inauguration day. There may be waits up to several hours long on Inauguration day for a train, so please plan accordingly. I encourage you to visit the Metro Inaugural Page, which should be able to answer any questions you may have about Metro service on Inauguration day -- including Metro Stop closings near the Capitol.
Information on tickets that can be purchased for Inaugural events other than the swearing-in ceremony—such as Inaugural balls— is available through the Presidential Inaugural Committee (http://pic2009.org/). For more information on Inaugural events, you may also visit http://inaugural.senate.gov/.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office at (202) 224-2315 or use the contact form here.