The United States Capitol Virtual Capitol Tour

The United States Capitol Building

The Rotunda

The symbolic and physical heart of the United States Capitol is the Rotunda, an imposing circular room 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet in height. It is the principal circulation space in the Capitol, connecting the House and Senate sides, and is visited by thousands of people each day. The Rotunda is used for important ceremonial events as authorized by concurrent resolution, such as the lying in state of eminent citizens and the dedication of works of art.

National Statuary Hall

National Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is the large, two-story, semicircular room south of the Rotunda. The meeting place of the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, and now the main exhibition space for the National Statuary Hall collection, this room is one of the most historic chambers in the Capitol.

The Old Senate Chamber

The semicircular, half-domed chamber, located north of the Rotunda, was occupied by the Senate between 1810 and 1859. After the Senate moved to its present chamber, this room was used by the Supreme Court from 1860 until 1935.

The Capitol Crypt

The large circular area on the first floor of the Capitol is called the Crypt. The 40 Doric columns of brown stone surmounted by groined sandstone arches support the floor of the Rotunda. This center section of the building was completed in 1827 under the direction of the third Architect of the Capitol, Charles Bulfinch. Despite its name, the Crypt has never been used for funerary purposes; it serves today for the display of sculpture.

The Hall of Collumns

The Hall of Columns is a dramatic, high-ceilinged corridor over 100 feet long. It runs along the North- South axis of the first floor of the House wing in the U.S. Capitol, directly beneath the Hall of the House of Representatives (National Statuary Hall). The hall takes its name from the 28 fluted, white marble columns that line the corridor. The hall was constructed in the mid-19th century as part of architect Thomas U. Walter's extension of the Capitol, which added the present House and Senate wings and the dome. Since 1976, the hall has housed part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. These bronze or marble portrait sculptures have been donated to the Capitol by individual states in commemoration of notable citizens.

The Bronze Door

National Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is the large, two-story, semicircular room south of the Rotunda. The meeting place of the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, and now the main exhibition space for the National Statuary Hall collection, this room is one of the most historic chambers in the Capitol.

Old Supreme Court Chamber

The Old Supreme Court Chamber is the first room constructed for the use of the nation's highest judiciary body. Built by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, it was a significant architectural achievement, for the size and structure of its vaulted, semicircular ceiling were virtually unprecedented in the United States. After Latrobe's resignation in 1817, work on the chamber continued under architect Charles Bulfinch. Bulfinch was able to complete it in time for the court session that began in February 1819. For the next 41 years, the Supreme Court met in this chamber.

In addition to housing the Supreme Court, this space later served as a committee room, a law library, a meeting room, and a storage room. Today, it has been restored to its mid-19th-century appearance.

Brumidi Cooridors

The vaulted, ornately decorated corridors on the first floor of the Senate wing in the United States Capitol are called the Brumidi Corridors because, although assistants and other artists are responsible for many of the details, the design of the murals and the major elements are by Constantino Brumidi. Born in Rome in 1805, Brumidi had painted in the Vatican and in the palace and villa of a Roman prince before emigrating to the United States in 1852. After he proved his skill in fresco painting in 1855, he spent much of the next 25 years until his death in 1880 decorating the Capitol.

West Front Lawn

The Capitol’s West Front looks out onto the National Mall which leads to the Washington Monument. The terraces were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who believed the addition was needed to visually support the massive Capitol.

East Front Plaza

Construction to expand the East Front of the Capitol building began in 1958. The new front was built 32 feet 6 inches beyond the old front, in a marble duplicate of the original sandstone structure. The old sandstone walls were not destroyed; rather, they were left in place to become a part of the interior wall and are now buttressed by the addition. The marble columns of the connecting corridors were also moved and reused. Historically, the East Front was the side of the building intended for the arrival of visitors and dignitaries by horse-drawn carriage.

East Front Plaza

Construction to expand the East Front of the Capitol building began in 1958. The new front was built 32 feet 6 inches beyond the old front, in a marble duplicate of the original sandstone structure. The old sandstone walls were not destroyed; rather, they were left in place to become a part of the interior wall and are now buttressed by the addition. The marble columns of the connecting corridors were also moved and reused. Historically, the East Front was the side of the building intended for the arrival of visitors and dignitaries by horse-drawn carriage.

West Front Lawn Night

The glowing dome atop the Capitol Building at night is one of America’s most iconic images. The Capitol’s West Front looks out onto the National Mall which leads to the Washington Monument. The terraces were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who believed the addition was needed to visually support the massive Capitol.

Capitol Grounds

West Front Lawn

The Capitol’s West Front looks out onto the National Mall which leads to the Washington Monument. The terraces were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who believed the addition was needed to visually support the massive Capitol.

East Front Plaza

Construction to expand the East Front of the Capitol building began in 1958. The new front was built 32 feet 6 inches beyond the old front, in a marble duplicate of the original sandstone structure. The old sandstone walls were not destroyed; rather, they were left in place to become a part of the interior wall and are now buttressed by the addition. The marble columns of the connecting corridors were also moved and reused. Historically, the East Front was the side of the building intended for the arrival of visitors and dignitaries by horse-drawn carriage.

West Front Lawn Night

The glowing dome atop the Capitol Building at night is one of America’s most iconic images. The Capitol’s West Front looks out onto the National Mall which leads to the Washington Monument. The terraces were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who believed the addition was needed to visually support the massive Capitol.

Summer House

The Summerhouse, a brick structure set into the sloping hillside of the West Front lawn among the paths that lead from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Senate side of the Capitol, has offered rest and shelter to travelers for over a century. Constructed to provide comfort for those who explore the area on foot, it is also a pleasant location from which to appreciate the Capitol's classical architecture and the landscaping that surrounds it.

Robert A. Taft Memorial

The memorial to Senator Robert A. Taft is a lean, modern design consisting of a rectangular bell tower 100 feet tall and faced with Tennessee marble. Douglas Orr of Connecticut was the architect of the memorial, which is located in the park between the U.S. Capitol building and Union Station. The 10 foot bronze statue of Taft was sculpted by Wheeler Williams.

Peace Monument

The white marble Peace Monument was erected in 1877-1878 to commemorate the naval deaths at sea during the Civil War. The 44-foot-high monument stands in the circle to the west of the Capitol at Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street, N.W.

At the top of the monument, facing west, stand two classically robed female figures. Grief holds her covered face against the shoulder of History and weeps in mourning. History holds a stylus and a tablet that was inscribed 'They died that their country might live.' Inscribed 'In memory of the officers, seamen and marines of the United States Navy who fell in defense of the Union and liberty of their country, 1861-1865,' this sculptural group has also been called the Naval Monument.

Garfield Monument

The sculptural monument to President James A. Garfield is an outstanding example of American sculpture. The monument stands in the circle at First Street, S.W., and Maryland Avenue, where it was unveiled on May 12, 1887. The tapered, cylindrical granite pedestal holds four over-life-size bronze figures, with the portrait statue of Garfield at the top and three allegorical figures representing different phases of his career below. The top-coated figure, depicted as if giving a speech, gazes intently outward, a sheaf of papers in his left hand, his right resting on a book on a draped column.

Senate Garage Fountain

The display fountain in the park between the Capitol and Union Station is located over the Senate underground garage. It operated for the first time on July 16, 1932.

The fountain, a hexagonal granite monolith with high jets of water spouting from its center, is surrounded by six smaller jets on a lower level. Lion-head spouts on the faces of the hexagon project streams of water into a large circular basin with a scalloped stone rim, over which the water spills into a larger oval basin. The hexagon is 25 feet across and the basin measures 85 feet by 100 feet.

Capitol Visitor Center Entrance

The most unusual aspect of the Capitol Visitor Center is that it lies entirely below ground on the east side of the Capitol. Putting the new facility beneath the east plaza was considered to be the best way to render such a large structure invisible and thus preserve the views to the Capitol and respect its historic landscape setting. Slight modifications to existing walkways were necessary to lead the visitor down to the center’s entrance, and along with two new elevator pavilions, six new skylights, and new granite paving, were some of the few above-ground modifications made to the site. While construction was under way, the opportunity was also taken to restore the 19th century fountains, walks, benches, and lighting that were part of the landscape improvements designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1870s.

U.S Botanic Garden

The Conservatory - Exterior

The U.S. Botanic Garden is a living plant museum that highlights the diversity of plants and interprets the role of plants in enriching human life and supporting Earth’s diverse and fragile ecosystems.

The Conservatory is a neoclassical limestone structure with 11 lofty arches inspired by the 17th-century orangery at Versailles near Paris. The domed glasshouses are constructed with an aluminum framework styled in the glass house tradition first seen in the 1850s Crystal Palace in London. The Conservatory was designed by the Chicago firm of Bennett, Parsons & Frost and completed in 1933.

Jungle Room

In the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Jungle a tropical rainforest overtakes an abandoned plantation. The dome rises to 93 feet and has a mezzanine level from which to view the jungle canopy.

Orchid Room

U.S. Botanic Garden maintains a permanent, ever blooming, ever-changing display of orchids. The USBG orchid collection numbers about 5,000 specimens, but about 200 orchids are on display at any given time.

Desert Room

World Desert in the Conservatory is filled with succulents, grasses, shrubs, and other flowering plants.

The National Garden - Fountain

The National Garden is a living laboratory for visitors to learn about gardening in harmony with nature, including cultivating America’s national flower, roses. Creation of the National Garden was authorized by Congress in 1988 and opened to the public in 2006.

The National Garden - Rose Garden

The National Garden provides 'living laboratories' for environmental, horticultural, and botanical education in a contemplative setting. The Rose Garden is designed as an outdoor garden room featuring many varieties of the rose, the national flower. The Garden features two octagonal parterres edged with limestone pavers and a permeable walkway.

National Garden - Regional Garden

The Regional Garden features a cascading waterway under a boardwalk and showcases plants native to the mid-Atlantic region in a naturalistic setting. An amphitheater is located at one end and is a gathering place and venue for outdoor programs. Seats were created from marble steps that once were used on the U.S. Capitol.

The Rain Garden

Located at Independence Ave. and First St., SW, the U.S. Botanic Garden’s rain garden was completed in May 2010. This project’s goal—the purpose of any rain garden—is to capture rainwater and allow it to infiltrate into the soil. This process allows plants to soak up the water they need, while capturing and filtering runoff and returning it to our water table. The result is lower volumes of water entering our storm sewers and less water pollution.

New downspouts on the Conservatory’s existing gutter system redirect rainwater from the southeast section of the Conservatory roof into the Rain Garden basin. Unlike wetlands, rain gardens are not meant to retain water for more than 24 to 48 hours, so their plants must be able to tolerate both wet and dry conditions. Plants were also selected for aesthetics, flower and foliage color, as well as fragrance. Mesa Design Group, a Dallas-based landscape architecture firm, and Baltimore-based civil engineers Gannett Fleming designed the project.

Bartholdi Park

Bartholdi Park was created in 1932 and named for Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the historic fountain located at its center, and currently being renovated by the AOC. The Park now serves as a home landscape demonstration garden and showcases innovative plant combinations in a variety of styles and design themes. The U.S. Botanic Garden Administration Building is located in a residential building at the south end of the park.

Capitol Visitor Center

Capitol Visitor Center Entrance

The most unusual aspect of the Capitol Visitor Center is that it lies entirely below ground on the east side of the Capitol. Putting the new facility beneath the east plaza was considered to be the best way to render such a large structure invisible and thus preserve the views to the Capitol and respect its historic landscape setting. Slight modifications to existing walkways were necessary to lead the visitor down to the center’s entrance, and along with two new elevator pavilions, six new skylights, and new granite paving, were some of the few above-ground modifications made to the site. While construction was under way, the opportunity was also taken to restore the 19th century fountains, walks, benches, and lighting that were part of the landscape improvements designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1870s.

CVC - Emancipation Hall

From its inception, the Capitol Visitor Center was conceived as an extension of the U.S. Capitol Building. The materials used to construct the Visitor Center were selected to match the colors, textures, and materials seen throughout the historic building. This care is evident in Emancipation Hall, named to recognize the contributions of the enslaved laborers who helped build the U.S. Capitol, the central gathering place for visitors coming to see the Capitol.

Rising 36 feet above the floor, the walls and columns of Emancipation Hall are lined with sandstone slabs marked by a variety of color and texture similar to the sandstone seen in the Capitol.

At the entrance to the Exhibition Hall, visitors can see two round columns with a decorative leaf detail at the top of each column that matches the design of the 40 Doric columns in the Crypt of the Capitol.

CVC Skylight

In Emancipation Hall, skylights provide striking views of the U.S. Capitol. The skylights also provide more than aesthetical value; the natural light they allow to fill the hall decreases the need for electric lighting during daytime hours.

CVC Orientation Theatre

There are two Orientation Theaters in the Capitol Visitor Center where visitors will start their tours of the Capitol by watching a 13-minute orientation film that introduces them to the Capitol and illustrates how government was initially established in the United States.

House Office Buildings

The Cannon Rotunda

Cannon House Office Building

Cannon House Office Building, completed in 1908, is the oldest congressional office building as well as a significant example of the Beaux Arts style of architecture. Of special architectural interest is the rotunda. Eighteen Corinthian columns support an entablature and a coffered dome, whose glazed oculus floods the rotunda with natural light. Twin marble staircases lead from the rotunda to the Caucus Room.

Rayburn House Office Building - Courtyard

Rayburn House Office Building

Completed in 1965, the Rayburn House Office Building is the newest and largest of the three office buildings constructed for the House of Representatives. This courtyard faces First Street, SW, and directly overlooks the U.S. Botanic Garden Administration Building in Bartholdi Park. From this courtyard one can also view the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory and Ford House Office Building.

Senate Office Buildings

Russell Rotunda

Russell Senate Office Building

The Russell Senate Office Building (built 1903-1908) is the oldest of the Senate office buildings as well as a significant example of the Beaux Arts style of architecture. Of special architectural interest is the rotunda. Eighteen Corinthian columns support an entablature and a coffered dome, whose glazed oculus floods the rotunda with natural light. Twin marble staircases lead from the rotunda to the Caucus Room.

Hart Senate Office Building - Atrium

Hart Senate Office Building

In contrast to the other Senate office buildings, where offices ringed open courtyards, the Hart Senate Office Building features a 90-foot high central atrium. The skylit atrium provides an energy-efficient means of lighting corridors and offices. Walkways bridge the atrium on each floor. Located on either end of the atrium are elevator banks and skylit semicircular staircases.

The Library of Congress

Library of Congress - Exterior

Thomas Jefferson Building

The Thomas Jefferson Building was designed by Washington architects Paul Pelz and John Smithmeyer, who took the Paris Opera House as their model. After construction was transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers in 1892, the work was directed by Edward Pearce Casey, who orchestrated a legion of artists and sculptors to decorate the inside and outside of the building. Immediately after it opened in 1897, the Library of Congress was widely considered to be the most beautiful, educational and interesting building in Washington.

Library of Congress - Exterior

Thomas Jefferson Building

The Thomas Jefferson Building was designed by Washington architects Paul Pelz and John Smithmeyer, who took the Paris Opera House as their model. After construction was transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers in 1892, the work was directed by Edward Pearce Casey, who orchestrated a legion of artists and sculptors to decorate the inside and outside of the building. Immediately after it opened in 1897, the Library of Congress was widely considered to be the most beautiful, educational and interesting building in Washington.

Library of Congress - Great Hall

Thomas Jefferson Building

Works of art from nearly 50 American painters and sculptors embellish the elaborately decorated interior of the Great Hall in the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building. The design linked the United States to classical traditions of learning and simultaneously flexed American cultural and technological muscle.

Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court

Finished and occupied in 1935, the Supreme Court’s great marble temple is a fitting home for the nation’s third branch of government. Chief Justice William Howard Taft was behind the effort to provide the Court with its own building, moving out of the Capitol where it had been meeting since 1801. The Court did not move far, however. Its new location was just across the street and was selected to remain near Union Station and thus convenient for out-of-town lawyers.