Want the most up-to-date information? Join our mailing list to stay in the know.

You can begin your Capitol experience at the Visitor Center by visiting Exhibition Hall, perusing our Gift Shops or getting a bite to eat at the Capitol Cafe. For information on tours offered in Mandarin and Spanish, please view the Foreign Language Tours page.

Reservations are recommended, but not required. Visit the schedule a tour page to select a day/time for a reservation. Same day passes may be available. Visitors without reservations are encouraged to arrive at the Capitol Visitor Center as early in the day as possible, but no later than 2:30 p.m., to obtain passes.

United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., is a symbol of the American people and our government and the meeting place of the nation's legislature, the U.S. Congress. The Capitol is a working office building, but it is also the place where visitors from around the United States and the world come to learn about American democracy.

Hours - The Capitol Visitor Center is open to visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and on Inauguration Day.

Hours - The Capitol Visitor Center is open to visitors with tour reservations from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and on Inauguration Day.

Coming to the Capitol? Join our staff as they walk you through what to expect during your visit.

All tours of the Capitol start at the Capitol Visitor Center. Exhibition Hall offers interactive exhibits dedicated to telling the story of Congress and the U.S. Capitol.

The Capitol Visitor Center, the main entrance to the U.S. Capitol, is located beneath the East Front plaza of the U.S. Capitol at First Street and East Capitol Street.

Before entering the Capitol Visitor Center, all visitors are screened by a magnetometer and all items that are permitted inside the building are screened by an x-ray device. The following items are strictly prohibited in the Capitol, including the Capitol Visitor Center: Liquid, including water.