Thursday January 29, 2009
Tour Information
Every year, we have hundreds of Idahoans who come to Washington, DC, on business and pleasure trips. My office can assist you with certain tour arrangements, which have been noted below. I have also listed a number of other popular attractions along with a short summary of what you can expect when visiting that attraction and the current operating hours. Please use these links to learn more about tourist attractions in Washington, D.C. and help plan your visit here.
Click here to fill out and submit a Tour Request Form through my office.
| The
United States Capitol 10:30 am - 2:30 pm Monday - Friday |
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| Visitors can watch debate in both the House of Representative and the Senate from the galleries. | Must
be reserved through my office a minimum of seven (7) days
in advance of your visit. |
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| The
Supreme Court 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Monday - Friday |
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| The High Court is in session October through April. Courtroom seats are available on a first come first served basis (every hour on the half-hour). | No Reservations Needed. Contact
my office for additional information. |
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| The
White House 7:30 am - 11:30 am Tuesday - Saturday |
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The
East Room and the Blue Room are part of the tour of the Executive
Mansion. |
Special restrictions apply regarding a White House tour visit; contact my office about reservation, which can be made up to six (6) months in advance. |
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| The
Federal Bureau of Investigation Closed |
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| Home of America's Premier Law Enforcement Agency | No public tours available. Closed until further notice. | ||
| The
Bureau of Engraving and Printing 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Friday |
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| "The Money Store" is where America prints its money. | Contact my office about reservations, which should be made at least 1 week in advance of your visit. Groups are limited to 25 persons. | ||
| National Archives 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Labor Day - March 14 |
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| Home of the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution | No passes needed, although lines form early during spring and summer months. | ||
| Smithsonian
Information Center (The Castle)
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
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| Visit the Smithsonian site for complete listings of exhibits. | No tickets needed | ||
| Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the Mall 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
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Space capsules from America's first astronauts, Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and the Wright Brothers aircraft. Also visit the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly for more air and space exhibits. |
No tickets needed for entrance to museum, although admission is charged to IMAX movie. | ||
| National Museum of American Art
11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. |
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| Specializes in American art, history and biography , including works by Winslow Home and Edward Hopper. | No tickets needed for entrance to museum. | ||
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
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| The Hope Diamond, dinosaur displays, and Mammal Hall. | No tickets needed for entrace to museum. | ||
| Smithsonian National Museum of American History 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM |
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| Among the displays: The Star Spangled Banner that served as inspiration for Francis Scott Key, Mister Rogers' sweater, and First Ladies Exhibit. | Closed for renovation until summer of 2008; however "Treasures of American History," a collection of more than 150 objects from the museum, are on display at the National Air and Space Museum during construction at the American History Museum. |
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| National Gallery of Art
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday-Saturday; 11:00 AM - 6 PM Sunday |
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| One of the nation's premier art galleries with two halls--one devoted to classic painters and the other with more modern works. | No tickets needed for entrance to museum. | ||
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM, extended hours begin in April, 10:00 AM - 7:50 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays |
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| America's memorial to the millions murdered in World War II. | Free tickets required for admission and are available on-site. You can also purchase tickets on-line for a small processing fee per ticket. | ||
| Ford's
Theatre
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Closed until November 2007 |
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| Site of the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865. Theatrical events still performed on its stages | No tickets needed for entrance to museum; admission charged for play performances. | ||
| Mount
Vernon 9:00 AM - 5 PM |
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| Home and final resting place of America's first President, George Washington. | Admission charged. Not easily accessible using public transportation. | ||
| Arlington
National Cemetery 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
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| "Our nation's most hallowed ground." Final resting place of President John Kennedy and thousands of American servicemen and women. The Changing of the Guard occurs on the hour each hour through March, then occurs every half-hour beginning in April. | No tickets needed, although tour bus services operate throughout the day. Tickets are required for the tour bus. | ||
| Lincoln Memorial Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; park rangers are available 9:30 AM - 11:30 PM |
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| Monument to our Sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln. | No tickets needed | ||
| The
Pentagon Closed |
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| Home of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps. |
Closed until further notice |
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| Washington Monument 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM |
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| Monument to our First President, George Washington. | Tickets are free and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets can also be purchased on-line for a small transaction fee. | ||
| Jefferson Memorial Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; park rangers are available 9:30 AM - 11:30 PM |
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| Monument to our Third President, Thomas Jefferson. | No tickets needed | ||
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial 8:00 AM - 11:45 PM |
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| Monument to our Thirty-second President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. | No tickets needed | ||
| National
Cathedral
8:00 AM - 6:30 PM Sunday; 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM M-F; 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM Saturday; tours offered 10:00 -11:30 AM; 12:45 - 4:00 PM M-F and similar times on weekends |
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| The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul took 83 years to build. It has been the site of a number of Presidential funerals, with more than 150 people interred (including Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson). | No tickets needed In 2007, the Cathedral is celebrating its Centennial and is hosting several special events, including Cathedral Day on September 29th and a Centennial Gala in November. |
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| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; park rangers are available 9:30 AM - 11:30 PM |
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| "The Wall" is a somber tribute to those men and women who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. | No tickets needed | ||
| Korean War Memorial Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; park rangers are available 9:30 AM - 11:30 PM |
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| Memorial to those who served in the Korean War. | No tickets needed | ||
| The
Kennedy Center Tours from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM M-F; 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Saturday and Sunday |
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| Performing Arts Center's Millennium Stage site of many free concerts. | Free tours by reservation; admission charged for performances. | ||
| The
Library of Congress Congressional tours daily at 8:30 AM and 2 PM; Public tours at 11:00 AM |
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| Home of the Congressional Archives. | Contact my office for reservation information. | ||
| National Aquarium 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
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| Marine and aquatic life on display. | Admission charged | ||
| National Postal Museum 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM |
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| See how mail has been delivered over the years. | No tickets needed | ||
| Old
Post Office Pavilion 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM |
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| Take a tour of the Bell Tower for a wonderful view of the city. | No tickets needed | ||
| Theodore
Roosevelt National Park Park is open 24 hours a day, year-round; three visitors centers on the island are generally open from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM |
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| Nature trails on an island in the Potomac River. | No tickets needed | ||
| U.S. Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) Open 24 hours a day, year-round |
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| The bronze replica of the iconic photo taken shortly after the Battle of Iwo Jima commemorates the soldiers of the U.S. Marine Corps who paid the ultimate price for their country. | No tickets needed | ||
| World War II Memorial Open 24 hours a day, year-round |
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| The National World War II Memorial commemorates the sacrifice and celebrates the victory of the of the WWII generation. | No tickets needed | ||