Thomas Jefferson Library of Congress Building, US
Explore the majestic buildings of the Capitol Hill complex with a local guide. Discover how the Supreme Court works, marvel at the Library of Congress architecture, and step inside the US Capitol.
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
English
Take in the grandeur of Capitol Hill on a guided walking tour to explore the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and the US Capitol. Learn about the country's legislative and judicial branches, discover the history behind each turn, and step inside with the included entry tickets.
Supreme Court: Marvel at the Marple Palace. The tour does not enter the halls of justice, but you will get a full understanding of the judicial branch.
Gaze at the intricate mosaic and artwork of the Library of Congress' Main Hall and Reading Room. See an original Gutenberg Bible, learn about Thomas Jefferson's literary pursuits, and view his original library collection. Take a peek in the main Reading Room, and have some time to explore the newest exhibit, "Treasures."
Admire the collection of the library's most precious items, such as a draft of the Gettysburg Address handwritten by President Abraham Lincoln, original handwritten lyrics for “The Sound of Music,” Maya Lin’s original drawings for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, original artwork by Stan Lee and Steven Ditko for the Spider-Man comic, and President James Madison’s crystal flute (the one that Lizzo got to play).
See the US Capitol Building to marvel at its neoclassical style and iconic architecture while your guide details its rich history. Learn what survived the Burning of Washington and how the Statue of Freedom was placed at the top of the dome in the midst of the American Civil War.
Discover the best angle to get the full building in your photo, before coming to your last stop, the Capital Visitor Center. Here, see the original plaster model of Freedom and a few of the statues from the National Statuary Collection.
Your guide will also secure those hard-to-get tickets for the docent-led "Red Coat" tour for you to use at the end. Their experience brings you into the Crypt, the Rotunda, and the Old House for a full experience of the US Capitol. This experience is included in the overall length of the tour, but please remember there will be a separate docent for this experience.
Guide
Walking tour of the Capitol Hill Complex
Reserved entry to the Library of Congress
Guided tour inside the Library of Congress
Entry ticket to the US Capitol with docent-led tour
Written guide in Spanish or French (if requested)
Tips
• This tour includes some stairs
• All visitors must pass through security to enter federal buildings and while no ID is required, there are strict restrictions on what you may bring inside (e.g. no liquids, food, sharp objects, or suitcases)
• You will have to wait in line to get through security
• The tour ends at the US Capitol Visitor Center approximately 2.5 hours after the start of the tour. Tickets for the US Capitol Building docent-led interior tour are provided for after the tour. This is an additional 45-50 minutes experience. If you choose to take both our tour and the US Capitol Building tour, the experience is about 3.5 hours in total
We liked Brooke, our guide. She did a great job of tellling us all about Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress.
The whole tour was great, informative, and interesting. Becca is a fantastic guide and it was easy to follow her explanations. It was a wonderful experience!
Quick trip to the capitol
Very good guide!
Good overview of sights in DC.
The tour was good, I would have liked more time in the library for the "exhibitions."
Becca had great knowledge.. she included all members in conversations
Clear and useful explanations. A great guide! A small group with a human touch. Brilliant, I recommend it.
Brooke adjusted to the temperature outside and made sure everyone was feeling comfortable.