Washington Tours
Our Nation's Capital is the home of our most important
government institutions, but it is also a major cultural
and historical center with great natural and architectural
beauty. Whether you are visiting Washington for the first
time or are simply on another weekend excursion, you will
find that Washington always has something new and fascinating
to offer. This section of my web site will help you locate
old favorites and suggest a variety of attractions to make
your visit special.
I recommend a visit to the U.S. Capitol, a beautiful structure
providing many insights into the history of our nation.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are in the Capitol
and you are welcome to observe the lawmaking process while
either body is in session. Please stop by my office and
we will be happy to provide you with passes.
There are many things to do and see in Washington. We hope
the following list of tour sites will be helpful as you
plan your visit. Some tours require no reservations, while
others require reservations well in advance of the tour
date. Our office can assist in scheduling some of these
tours for you. Please call us at (202) 224-4654 and let
us know what we can do for you.
Special Congressional Tours
Many federal buildings in Washington, D.C. offer reserved
tours that can be booked through Congressional offices.
Senator Mikulski's booking policies are:
- Bookings are made on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- All requests are subject to availability. Specific tour
dates cannot be guaranteed until confirmed by the host
site.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR REQUEST EARLY. Spaces for tours
during the summer months and holiday periods are often filled
months in advance.
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Group Tours and Special Services
For information on tours for larger groups
or if your party needs special services (access for the
disabled, translation for deaf or hearing-impared, or tours
for the blind or visually-impared), please call Senator
Mikulski's Washington office and ask to speak with the Tour
Coordinator.
Public Tours
Most sites also offer public tours on a first-come,
first-serve basis. If a public tour is available,
that information is included in this fact sheet. Most
public tours are identical to the Congressional tours.
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The U. S. Capitol
Between Constitution and Independence Avenues
Tours are conducted Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.
to 3:45 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's
Day. same-day, time-stamped tickets are distributed
every morning at 8:15 a.m. Advance reservations are
available for organized groups of 15 or more. Gallery
passes are required to view the Senate and House in session
and may be obtained from Senator Mikulski's DC office, room
709 of the Hart Senate Office building.
Tours are given Tuesday through Saturday from 7:45 to 10:45
a.m. For security reasons, groups can be no less than
10 people and are subject to White House availability. Requests
must be made at least four to five weeks in advance, and
can be submitted up to a year in advance. To set up
a tour contact the Tour Coordinator in Senator Mikulski's
DC office by calling (202) 224-4654.
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Special Congressional Tours
CONGRESSIONAL TOURS: Monday through Friday at 8:15
and 8:45 a.m. and also between 4 and 5 p.m. in the summer
months (note limited to groups of 10). To set up a tour
contact the Tour Coordinator in Senator Mikulski's DC office
by calling (202) 224-4654.
PUBLIC TOURS: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Every 15 minutes. All visitors must bring a valid
photo ID.
CONGRESSIONAL TOURS: Monday through Friday at 8:30
a.m. and 2 p.m. Limited to groups of six or fewer.
To set up a tour contact the Tour Coordinator in Senator
Mikulski's DC office by calling (202) 224-4654.
PUBLIC TOURS: Monday through Saturday, at 10:30 a.m.,
11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and weekdays only at 3:30
p.m. for information call (202)707-8000.
Supreme Court
First and East Capitol Streets N.E.
CONGRESSIONAL TOURS: Monday through Friday at 2 p.m.
when the court is not sitting. Limited to groups of
six or fewer. To set up a tour contact the Tour Coordinator
in Senator Mikulski's DC office by calling (202) 224-4654.
PUBLIC TOURS: Public lectures are given in the courtroom
every hour on the half hour Monday through Friday from 9:30
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on days the court is not sitting.
for information call (202) 479-3030.
CONGRESSIONAL TOURS: Monday through Saturday at 9:30
a.m. and Monday through Friday at 4:30 p.m. To set up a
tour contact the Tour Coordinator in Senator Mikulski's
DC office by calling (202) 224-4654.
PUBLIC TOURS: Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tours leave every fifteen minutes from the Friends of the
Kennedy Center tour desk on Level A.
CONGRESSIONAL TOURS: Monday and Wednesday mornings
at 9:00 a.m. To set up a tour contact the Tour Coordinator
in Senator Mikulski's DC office by calling (202) 224-4654.
PUBLIC TOURS: Monday through Saturday 10:00 to 11:30
a.m. and 12:45 to 3:15 p.m., Sunday from 12:45 to 2:30 p.m.
For information call (202) 364-6616.
PUBLIC TOURS: Tours of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms
are available Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30
a.m., and 2:45 p.m. by advance reservation only. For
information call (202) 647-3241.
Other sites of interest in Washington: