Washington, D.C. is an exciting place to visit simply because of the amount of fun things to do and see in our nation's capital. Below and to the right, you'll find a list of monuments, memorials, galleries and events that are located here. An additional resource, the Washingtonian Magazine, can also help you to locate good restaurants and local entertainment.
In order to make your time here more enjoyable, our office offers Congressional tours for a few of the sights that you may want to visit. You may request that we reserve a tour for you and your family. Please feel free to either fill out and submit an online Tour Request Form or call the D.C. office. You may also contact ( call ) your local District office listed at the bottom of this page to request tours in Washington, D.C.
Please note that there are a limited number of spaces available; therefore, our reservations are made on a first-come, first-serve basis. We recommend that you make your reservations up to three months in advance. We will then contact you by phone or e-mail regarding ticket availability.
We hope you enjoy your visit to our nation's capital and please be sure to drop by and say hello while you are here--our door is always open.
Click here to download the printable version of the information below.
ARLINGTON
NATIONAL CEMETERY
Open daily April 1 – September, 8am -7pm; October – March, 8am- 5pm. See the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, the Custis-Lee Mansion, and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft. Changing of the Guard every hour on the hour and every half hour in the summer.
www.arlingtoncemetery.org.
(703) 607-8000 BOTANIC
GARDEN CONSERVATORY
Located at the foot of the U.S. Capitol
along First Street, SW, between Maryland
Ave. and C Street. Free: Conservatory open
daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Bartholdi
Park daily from dawn to dusk. www.usbg.gov
(202) 225-8333.
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING
Open Monday through Friday year round (closed on weekends and federal holidays); Tickets are same day only and available on a first-come first-served basis. The Ticket Booth opens at 8am and closes when all tickets have been handed out. All tour visitors must present a valid photo ID at the Tour Entrance located on 14th and C. Streets, S.W. Tour times are every 15 minutes between 9am-1:45pm and 12:30pm - 2pm; Extended Summer Tour Hours: April - August between 2p.m - 3:45pm and 5pm - 7pm.
CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART Located at the intersection of 17th Street and New York Avenue, N.W. Open 10am - 5pm daily. Closed every Tuesday. Extended hours Thursday evenings until 9pm The museum is closed Tuesdays, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission: $6; Members and Children under 6 are free. http://www.corcoran.org (202) 639-1700 |
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)
J. Edgar Hoover Building, 935 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW. www.fbi.gov
(202) 324 3447. *As of August 30, 2002, tours will be closed until further notice for extensive renovations.
FORD’S
THEATRE
Tours at Ford’s Theatre are free and
self-guided. The theatre is open between
the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Ford’s
Theatre is still an active stage, the theatre
closes at times for matinees and rehearsals.
www.fordstheatre.org
(202) 426-6924. * The Lincoln Museum will be closed for restoration until the winter of 2009mber. The Petersen House will be open daily, 9:00-5:00. |
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
Located near the National Mall, just south of Independence Ave., SW, between 14th Street and Raoul Wallenberg Place. Timed passes are necessary for visiting the Permanent Exhibition and can be obtained at the Museum on the day of your visit. Each day, the Museum distributes on a first-come first-served basis a large but limited number of timed entry passes for use that same day. Regular Hours 10am–5:30 pm every day including weekends. Closed only on Yom Kippur and Christmas Day. Extended Hours: March 31 - June 13, 2008 10am - 6:20pm www.ushmm.org
(202) 488-0400. |
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
South bank of the Tidal Basin. The public may visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial 24 hours a day. However Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm daily. Open All Year 8:00 AM to 11:45 PM. www.nps.gov/thje/
(202) 426-6841. |
JOHN
F. KENNDEY CENTER OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
Located at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue, NW, and the Rock Creek Parkway. Free tours of the Kennedy Center are given Monday through Friday from 10am-5pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10am-1pm www.kennedy-center.org
(800) 444-1324 or 202-467-4600. |
LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS
Public tours are offered Mondays - Saturdays in the Great Hall. Tours are free and reservations are not required. Tour Schedule Monday-Friday 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm; Saturdays 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 2:30pm.www.loc.gov
(202) 707-5000.
LINCOLN MEMORIAL
West Potomac Park at the foot of 23rd St. NW. The public may visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 24 hours a day. However Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 8:00 AM until 11:45 PM daily.
www.nps.gov/linc/
(202) 426-6841. |
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MOUNT VERNON
George Washington’s home and estate. Open seven days a week. Mount Vernon opens April - August from 8am - 5pm; March, September, October from 9am - 5pm; November - February from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. www.mountvernon.org
(703) 780-2000.
NATIONAL
AQUARIUM
Located in the Department of Commerce Building on 14th Street, halfway between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue, NW. Open seven days a week, from 9-5pm, last admission at 4:30 pm. General admission (ages 11 and up): $5.00; Children (ages 2-10): $2.50; Seniors and Military Personnel: $4.00; Children under 2 years of age are free.www.nationalaquarium.com
(202) 482-2825. |
NATIONAL
ARCHIVES
The National Archives Building is located on Pennsylvania Avenue between Seventh and Ninth Streets, NW. The National Archives is open from 10am - 7pm between March 15 - Labor Day and 10am - 5:30pm from the day after Labor Day to March 14. Admission is free. NATIONAL
GALLERY OF ART
Located on the National Mall between Third and Ninth Streets at Constitution Avenue, N.W. Open Monday - Saturday from 10am - 5pm and Sunday from 11am - 6pm The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. Admission is free. www.nga.gov
(202) 737-4215. |
NATIONAL ZOO
The National Zoo is open every day except December 25. April 1 - October 31: Grounds are open from 6am - 8pm; Buildings are open from 10am - 6pm; November 1 - March 31: Grounds are open from 6am - 6pm; Buildings are open from 10am - 4:30pm. Admission is free.www.nationalzoo.si.edu
(202) 673-4800. |
NEWSEUM
The world’s only interactive museum on news. The new Newseum is located at Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W. The Newseum is open from 9am - 5pm daily and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. General admission (13 to 64) $20; Seniors (65+) $18; Youth (7 to 12) $13; Children under 6 are free. www.newseum.org
(888) NEWSEUM.
PENTAGON
Tours of the Pentagon are available to schools, educational organizations and other select groups by reservation only. Groups interested in touring the Pentagon should contact the Pentagon Tour Office at 703-697-1776.
www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pentagon/.com
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
10:00 am - 5:30 pm; The Museums are open every day except December 25. Admission is Free.www.si.edu
(202) 633-1000.
African Art Museum : 950 Independence
Ave., SW
Air and Space Museum : 7 th and Independence
Ave., SW
American Art Museum : Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW
American Indian Museum : 4th St. and
Independence Ave., S.W.
Anacostia Community Museum: 1901 Fort Place SE
Arts and Industries Building: 900 Jefferson Drive SW *closed in preparation for renovations
Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
: Independence Ave. and 7 th Sreet, SW
Museum of Natural History : 10 th and
Constitution Ave., NW
National Portrait Gallery: 8th and F Streets, NW
National Postal Museum: 2 Massachusetts
Ave., NE
Smithsonian Institution Building, the Castle (Visitor Information): 1000 Jefferson Drive SW
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STATE
DEPARTMENT
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State are open for pre-arranged tours at no charge. This is a fine arts tour. Guided tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:30am, 10:30am and 2:45pm. Reservations are required and should be made approximately four weeks in advance. Reservations for tours may be requested by calling: (202)-647-3241. www.state.gov
SUPREME
COURT
The building is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Lectures in the Courtroom are typically given every hour on the half-hour, on days that the Court is not sitting, beginning at 9:30 am and concluding at 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. Located at One 1st Street, across from the Capitol
www.supremecourtus.gov/
(202) 479-3211.
TOURMOBILE
SERVICE
The National Park Service has a guided tourmobile service that travels from Capitol Hill to Arlington Cemetery and points in between with unlimited reboarding privileges the day of ticket purchase. www.tourmobile.com/
(202) 554-5100 or (888) 868-7707.
US
CAPITOL
Open for guided tours only. Tours will be conducted from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Saturday. Visitors must obtain free tickets for tours on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk located along the sidewalk southwest of the. Ticket distribution begins at 9am daily. Maximum tour size is 40 people. www.aoc.gov (202) 225-6827. Congressional Tours are also available please call or visit Rep. Hall’s DC office to schedule a staff lead tour and to obtain gallery passes for the House of Representatives and Senate.
US
NAVAL OBSERVATORY
Public tours offered on alternating Monday evenings from 8:30pm - 10pm. Individual tour passes must be reserved in advance for every Monday night tour. www.usno.navy.mil/.
(202) 762-1489. |
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VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
West Potomac Park. The public may visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 24 hours a day. However Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm daily. Free. www.nps.gov/vive/. |
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WASHINGTON
MONUMENT
Advanced Reservations may be made between 10am - 10pm by calling 1-877-444-6777. There is a $1.50 fee for tickets reserved ahead of time. Free tickets are distributed for that day's visit from the kiosk on the Washington Monument grounds at 15th Street and Madison Drive on a first-come first-served basis. Hours for the ticket kiosk are 8:30am - 4:30pm, but tickets run out early. Hours for the Monument are 9am - 4:45pm; closed December 25. www.nps.gov/wamo/
THE
WHITE HOUSE
Tours of the White House are currently available to groups of 10 or more people. Group requests must be submitted through one’s Member of Congress. These self-guided tours are scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays).
www.whitehouse.gov
(202) 456-7041.
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL— Located on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues. The public may visit the WWII Memorial 24 hours a day. However Rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm daily. http://www.nps.gov/nwwm/ (202) 426-6841
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