Congresswoman Pelosi is pleased to be able to assist constituents in scheduling tours at several popular attractions in Washington, D.C. Please be sure to request your tours through this website and to include your email address as that is the primary method of correspondence.
Many tours in Washington, D.C. require advance notice, as they fill up very quickly due to high demand. While the Congresswoman's office can assist you in acquiring tickets, there are no guarantees of availability.
The White House requires an absolute minimum of 30 days to process the required security information. Congresswoman Pelosi's office cannot process White House tour requests made less than 30 days in advance. Please note that White House tours are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
School Tours
Congresswoman Pelosi's office can schedule tours for San Francisco school groups visiting Washington, D.C. Please give the office as much advanced notice as possible to accommodate your school group.
Self-Scheduled Tours
Keep in mind that most tour locations are open to the public and there are still opportunities to take the same tours without scheduling them through my office. You can use the information provided below to schedule tours at most locations on your own.
View Washington, D.C. Tours in a larger map
United States Capitol
http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/
Free, guided tours of the Capitol are conducted Monday through Saturday throughout the year. Tours of the Capitol last approximately an hour and reservations can be made through our office or through the Capitol Visitor’s Center website. If Congress is in session and you would like to observe from the galleries, please visit my office in the Cannon House Office Building, Room 235 to acquire passes.
Metro: Capitol South or Union Station.
Supreme Court
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
The Supreme Court building is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the exception of federal holidays. My office can make reservations for constituents wishing to attend a 45 minute lecture about the Supreme Court and its history. Lectures take place in the court room on weekdays at 2:00 p.m. when the Supreme Court is not in session. Public tours of the Supreme Court are conducted every hour on the half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. when the court is not in session and do not require reservations. All visits to the Supreme Court are free of charge.
Metro: Capitol South or Union Station.
The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events
Self-guided tours of the White House are available Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays). Tours are scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis and are free ofcharge. Requests can be submitted up to six months in advance and no less than 3 months in advance.
Please be aware that on September 4, 2009, President Obama announced that visitor access records to the White House Complex will be made publicly available 90 - 120 days after the date of visit. This policy includes all guests touring the White House. Should you tour the White House, your full name and the date of your visit will be part of the publicly released records. Your date of birth, Social Security Number, and all other information provided will not be released.
Metro: Metro Center, McPherson Square or Federal Triangle.
Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/visit/tours/
The Library of Congress offers hour-long, docent-led tours of the historic Thomas Jefferson Building. The Library of Congress offers public tours Monday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please note there is no 3:30 p.m. tour on Saturdays. Reservations are not required. Admission to the Library of Congress is free of charge.
Metro: Union Station or Capitol South
Department of State’s Diplomatic Reception Rooms
https://receptiontours.state.gov/
The Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State, which are used for official functions hosted by the Secretary of State and other high level government officials, hold a premier collection of 18th century American furniture, paintings and decorative arts.
Guided tours are conducted Monday through Friday at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 2:45 pm. Tours are 45 minutes in duration. Reservations are required and should be made at least 2 months in advance.
Metro: Foggy Bottom
Pentagon
http://pentagon.afis.osd.mil/index.html
The Pentagon is located in Arlington, Virginia. Tours of the Pentagon last about 60 minutes and follow a route that is approximately one and one half miles in length. Each tour includes the mission of the Department of Defense and each of its branches of service, and visits numerous displays that highlight and depict significant moments in military history. Tours of the Pentagon are free of charge and require reservations.
Metro: Pentagon
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
http://www.moneyfactory.gov/tours/washingtondctours.html
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a great place to learn all about U.S. paper currency. The free 40-minute tour of the BEP includes an introductory film and gallery tour of the production process. The BEP is closed on weekends, Federal holidays, and the week between Christmas and New Years Day.
Congressional tours of the BEP take place Monday through Friday. Reservations should be made at least three months in advance.
Metro: Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
http://www.si.edu/museums/
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum complex. The Smithsonian museums include the following: the African Art Museum, the National Air & Space Museum, the American Art Museum, the American History Museum, the American Indian Museum, the Freer & Sackler Asian Art Galleries, the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, the Natural History Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Postal Museum and the Renwick Gallery. Admission is free to all Smithsonian museums.
National Cathedral
http://www.nationalcathedral.org/
The National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States. The National Cathedral offers a variety of tours including a garden tour, gargoyle tour, highlights tour and an art and architecture tour. Guided 30 minute tours of the Cathedral are offered Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. On Sundays, tours are offered between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Kennedy Center
http://www.kennedy-center.org/
The Kennedy Center tour highlights the historic events that led up to the establishment of a national cultural center, as well as an interactive exhibit on the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy. The tour also includes the majestic Hall of States Hall of Nations and five of the Center's main theaters, including its three grand performance halls (the Concert Hall, Opera House, and Eisenhower Theater).
The Kennedy Center is accessible by the Foggy Bottom/George Washington University Metro Station (23rd and I Streets). From the metro stop, it is a seven minute walk via New Hampshire Avenue, or you may use the Kennedy Center Show Shuttle free of charge. Signs for the shuttle are located toward the left as you exit the escalator. The shuttle departs every 15 minutes from 9:45 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday.
Washington Monument
http://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm
The Washington Monument is one of the most prominent structures in Washington, D.C. and one of the city's early attractions. It was built in honor of George Washington, who led the country to independence and then became its first President. The Monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, stands 555’ 5 1/8” tall, and offers views in excess of thirty miles. It was finished on December 6, 1884. Admission to the Washington Monument is free, but requires reservations. Please visit the website to make a reservation.
Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle
U.S. Archives
http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/
The National Archives is home of the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights which are housed in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. Advance reservations to visit the National Archives are not required, but are highly recommended during peak tourist season. Reservations can be made by visiting the website. The National Archives is located at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 9th Street. Admission is free of charge.
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter.
Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/
Arlington National Cemetery is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier occurs every hour on the hour and every half hour during the summer months.
Metro: Arlington Cemetery.
United States Botanic Gardens
http://www.usbg.gov/
The United States Botanic Garden is a botanic garden run by the Congress of the United States. It is located on the U.S. Capitol Grounds campus near Garfield Circle. The building is divided into separate rooms, each one simulating a different habitat. The United States Botanic Garden is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and admission is free.
Metro: Capitol South or Federal Center SW
National Mall & Memorial Parks
http://www.nps.gov/nacc/index.htm
Please visit the National Parks Service website, which will help you find all of the monuments, memorials and gardens you will enjoy while visiting the National Mall.
Newseum
http://www.newseum.org/
The Newseum is a museum dedicated to the history of journalism and the First Amendment. A trip to the Newseum offers a unique opportunity to study our nation’s history through the lense of what previous and current generations have found newsworthy. Please note that the Newseum charges for admission. Updated pricing information and museum hours can be found on the Newseum’s website.
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter.
International Spy Museum
http://spymuseum.org/
The International Spy Museum is the first public museum in the United States dedicated solely to espionage. The museum features displays of spy-related artifacts, films and various interactive exhibits. Please visit the museum’s website for updated hours and admission pricing.
Metro: Chinatown/Gallery Place
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
http://www.ushmm.org/
The Holocaust Memorial Museum is a living memorial to the Holocaust and America’s national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history.
Admission to the museum is free of charge, but tickets are required. Tickets can be obtained at the museum on a first-come-first-served basis or reserved in advance online or by calling 877-80-USHMM. Please visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website for updated museum hours.
Metro: Smithsonian
Mount Vernon
http://www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm/pid/27/
Mount Vernon, President George Washington’s historic home estate, is located just 16 miles south of Washington, D.C on the banks of the Potomac River. The mansion, its grounds, and over a dozen outbuildings are open for tours 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Please visit the Mount Vernon website for updated information regarding ticket pricing, tour times and directions to the estate.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual two-week event that celebrates springtime in Washington, as well as the cherry blossom trees that were a diplomatic gift from Japan in 1912. The dates of the festival vary from year to year so please visit the website for current information.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
http://www.wmata.com/
Most of the attractions listed above are accessible by public transportation. Please visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website for bus and metro maps.