State Department
Intersection of C and 22nd Street
Northwest Washington, D.C.
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom

Established as the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1789, the U.S. Department of State is the principle federal agency in charge of foreign and diplomatic relations. Thomas Jefferson served as the first Secretary of State in 1789.

The State Department offers free pre-arranged tours of the eighth floor Diplomatic Reception Rooms, which are used for official functions hosted by the Secretary of State and other high level government officials. 

These rooms hold a premier collection of 18th century American furniture, paintings, and decorative arts.  This is a Fine Arts tour and the State Department does not recommend the tour for children under the age of 12.

Times of Operation

Guided tours of the State Department Diplomatic Reception Rooms are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.  Tours are free and are 45 minutes in duration.  Reservations are required and should be made approximately four weeks in advance, due to the large volume of requests.  Strollers are not permitted and there are no facilities for storage of personal belongings.  Wheelchairs as well as sign language interpreters are available upon request with advance notice. 

Reservations for tours may be requested online or by calling:  (202) 647-3241 (Voice Mail), (202) 736-4232 (Fax), (202) 736-4474 (TDD).

State Department Links

• State Department Website
• State Department Tour Office
• Request a Tour Online
• Virtual Tour

Places of Interest Nearby

• Lincoln Memorial
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• Constitutional Gardens

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