Hi!

Going to DC for 4 days in May - I hear that they are only allowing tours that are arranged by your local congressman. Is this accurate? Or can you just show up for a tour? What is the best time od day to go? Also how do you get in touch with your congressman to get tickets?

Thanks!!!!

The easiest way to reach your Congressman probably is to locate his/her office in your district and contact them. They will be able to assist you.

You do not need to go through your congressman. They hand out free tickets every morning at a kiosk between the capitol and the US Botanic Gardens (check the US Capitol website for tour info). I have taken this tour and thought it was very good. I have also toured through my Senator's office. I preferred this. If you can try to arrange this. You will get to ride the Senator's undergound train from the Senate office building to the capitol.

A few year ago, we had a private tour through our senator's office. Only our family and two of our friends went. We were impressed to have such generous arrangements made for only 6 people. It's amazing how nice the people in these offices are to their constituents. (We aren't campaign donors or anything, just average residents.) It's definitely worth contacting your senators' local offices in advance.

Not sure if security issues have changed this, but it used to be that if you got a Capitol tour through your elected represntative, it included and opportunity to visit an observation deck somewhere up around the dge of the Capitol dome. It is said to provide the absolute best view of DC from above. The only other way to really see DC from up on high is in the Washington Monument and the windows are tiny (and crowded).

I toured the US Capital just last week on 3/28/03 through a pre-arranged tour. We were informed that the walk up tours had been temporarily terminated. I suggest you contact your representative so you won't be disappointed. It was a great tour!

A note about that kiosk (which is moot, of course, as it's closed indefinitely): we arrived on a weekday at 8 am and were told that all the tickets had been handed out by 7:15, and accounted for (that is, there were enough people in line outside to claim them all) by 6 am. Granted, this was during the week that the cherry blossoms were out, but be warned: walk-up tickets are a dicey proposition for both the Capitol and the White House during busy tourist seasons. Better to arrange through your congressperson, whom you can find doing a Google search . Capitol and White House tour info is also available online.

http://www.aoc.gov/visit/visit_overview.htm

You can find your senator or represenative's contact info by going to either www.house.gov or www.senate.gov

Per the Capitol's website, all public tours have been suspended as of 3/21/03. The only tours that are going through are those that have already been set up. They suggest that visitors contact the Capitol Guide Service at 202-225-6827 for the most up-to-date information.

Otherwise, try and contact your local congressman.

Don't know if there even will be tours via your senator or rep's office, but I do recommend letting your "favorite" rep/senator set you up and then visiting his/her office at the end of the tour. Nothing makes the sense that you are, in fact, being represented in WashDC as lively as actually seeing how the offices look and what they do -- and it's always worth shaking hands with a legislator if one is around. (And forget, just for that day, any cynicism you might have about Washington or the electoral process -- just enjoy the history and the connection).

Before going to D.C., we contacted our (Michigan) congressman's office. As a result, we were able to watch a vote being taken, have a private tour of the White House (I know, that's a thing of the past now), take a tour of the Capitol building, have lunch with him in the House dining room, and he also arranged for someone to take us to the top of the dome (circular stairs of 365 or so steps and great view). We rode with a Virginia Rep's wife from the White House to the Capitol and, from the underground parking garage, we got to ride the underground train. Because of everything that's happened since 9/11, it's a shame that some of these things are no longer available to visitors.