Capitol building
 

Hi there,

We have reservation for US capitol building tour this weekend. But water, food and many other stuffs are prohibited, is there a place inside we can register our bags? This is ridiculous.

thanks!

There is definitely a coat check, and I believe that they take bags (though I can't remember because I don't typically travel with a lot of stuff).

Do you mean a bag with prohibited stuff in it?

I hope you're not planning on a White House tour.

There is - for obvious reasons - much stricter security at a lot of places - not just the Capitol but a lot of monuments, ball parks etc.

If you can't take it on a plane - don't take it there. (Like the idiot woman who took a GUN in her purse to the 911 memorial - and was charged with a felony.)

we plan to carry a bag with prohibited stuff, like water, because we will visit other places after capitol tour.
yes, this is getting ridiculous.
thanks.

It is ridiculous that you can't forgo the water your the bag for one day or part of a day. You will not die of thirst if you don't have water in a bag in Washington, DC in February.

You could check your bag at Union Station
Does Union Station have a place to store baggage?
Baggage storage is available near Gate A on the Amtrak concourse. For more information, please call (202) 898-1592.
http://www.tiburonlockers.com/storag...-bag-check.php

Don't carry food or water in your bag. It's silly because it's available for purchase everywhere and you'll weigh yourself down for no reason, and troublesome because many places prohibit it, even if you check the bag containing it.

According to http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/visit...index.html#q23 there are no storage facilities at the Capitol. The only place you can check items like your camera or cell phone is at the Senate and House Galleries.

Lee Ann

You cannot store <i>any</i> prohibited items including food and water there. And if you leave it outside the door, intending to get it later, then someone will report the package or backpack to police. This will shut down anyone from entering or leaving until the bomb squad comes and clears it. We got to wait for an hour or two while this happened.

They do allow you to bring in a small (not crazy big) purse which will be handchecked <i>very</i> thoroughly. If you have passes to go in the galleries (separate from a regular tour ordered from the capitol) then yes, you must check all electronic devices, phones, cameras and purses. It is incredibly efficient and safe.

There are lots of places to eat, including a cafeteria in the Capitol itself. Pretend your a staffer, take a tray and stand in line. Or, use the Yelp App and you can find some great spots wherever you are in downtown DC. If it's a question of cost, there are some inexpensive places nearby that Yelp should pull up for you including a local sandwich chain called Potbellies.

PS As sf7307 hinted at, it only gets stricter if you take a White House Tour. No purses even tiny ones, no cameras. phones and wallet go in your pocket. No storage. Read your ticket instructions for details.

I'll second the Potbelly recommendation. We ate lunch there before our Capitol tour and were really pleased with our sandwiches.

If you really need to bring a bag with water, vjpblovesitaly's suggestion to check it at Union Station is about as close to the Capitol as you will get. We checked our luggage there the morning of our last day in DC so we could go to the American History Museum.

Lee Ann

Pretty much any museum or government building prohibits food and drink just as in any other city. Not only is it for security reasons but also because people can be careless pigs. I always carried a single granola bar with me just in case I needed something to tied me over and I never had an issue with security. I also found that snacks were available almost everywhere and not so overly priced.

Gardendiva, you are correct. The Smithsonian did let us take in bottled water. No other drinks. There was a heatwave at the time, so this was helpful.

The granola bar will not make it through the security at the Capitol. The lady in front of me had multiple packets of jelly and butter, fruit, breakfast bars all in her bag. The guard went through each and every little zippered section of her bag and found it all, then threw it in the trash. All of us behind her in line were just thrilled at how long this took.

Believe me, I do not encourage anyone to carry food with them or buck any of the rules. Sounds like that lady had her pantry in her purse. I was alone and older and there was not line at all. They may have just missed it. I totally forgot that it was in my purse that day.

I'm amazed that people don;t expect this. I suppose because we in New York are more aware of terrorist issues - having been the victims so often.

Here your purse is thoroughly examined even going into Yankee Stadium - and the ferry for Liberty Island has airline level security. And for courthouses, city hall etc - the public can't even bring in cell phones - and there is NO place to check them.

We are living in a world in which security is more important than your bottle of water.

For potenti

jz, With all due respect, the only thing on the prohibited list that might be an inconvenience is food and water/drinks. Can you not buy your food & water or fill your water bottle after you do the Capitol tour? Or eat and drink prior to the visit if you are carrying food you packed yourselves before leaving the hotel?

>>And for courthouses, city hall etc - the public can't even bring in cell phones - and there is NO place to check them.<<

Your amazement notwithstanding, this is common outside of NYC as well.