This is the perfect time to Visit the Capitol building. A few years ago I had done the same thing: jumped on an Amtrak train to D.C. on a sunny, but chilly day in November and off I went to explore the museums and memorials without the lines and crowds. This time it was no different. I ended up walking into the new Capitol Building Visitor Center at 2:50pm and was told I could get right on the last tour at 3:10pm. Great! During tourist season, they tell you to be there 45 minutes in advance and you have to have a reservation.
Related Articles
The tour hadn’t changed since I was last there in 2006, but the building is still awe-inspiring. Gazing up into the rotunda just makes you lose your balance. The tour starts off with a 15 min film titled ‘E Pluribus Unum’ (Latin for out of many, one), then you get a high-tech headset so you can hear your tour guide at all times, and off you go into this sanctuary of American democracy.
You will visit the Rotunda, the old House of Representatives Chamber (interestingly enough this was once a farmer’s market) and the former Supreme Court chamber. If you have a visitors pass from your congressperson for the House of Representatives and/or the Senate Chamber, you can go there after the tour. You will have to give up your electronics before entering as no phones and cameras are allowed there. The House can sometimes be very busy when representatives are called in to vote but sometimes nothing is going on there. I enjoyed seeing the House because it’s also where the President holds the State of the Union address and where you can see the famous portrait of George Washington which was saved by Dolley Madison right before the British torched the White House in 1814.
The Capitol is worth a visit, but I would only go in off-peak season and I would make sure you have a pass for the House or Senate from your congressperson to round off your visit.
The nearest metro station is Capitol South on the Blue or Orange line.
More info: http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/
