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Visiting Dc

Coronavirus Notice

Federal agencies and buildings have limited many of the tours that we typically offer due to coronavirus (COVID-19). As of March 2022 the following tours have been impacted:

  • White House: Limited self-guided tours are currently available from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. Please be advised that White House tours are subject to last-minute cancellations or time changes. Advance reservations are required for all tours. Beginning July, 19, 2022, the White House will resume a more robust schedule of tours. After this date, tours will be offered between 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
  • U.S. Capitol and the Capitol Visitor’s Center: Tours are very limited and scheduled to resume through a phased approach. Limited staff-led tours will initially be available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Advance reservations are required for all tours.
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters: The FBI headquarters will be closed to all visitors until further notice.
  • The Bureau of Engraving and Printing: Tour reservations are not being accepted at this time, and a date has not been determined for when tours might resume.
  • The Pentagon: Tours are currently suspended until further notice.
  • The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: Until further notice, all tours are offered on a walk-in basis only, with no tour to exceed 10 attendees in the party.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding tours, please do not hesitate to contact our office at tours@hassan.senate.gov.

Tours

Senator Hassan and her staff are delighted to welcome you to our nation’s capital and are happy to help you make the most of your visit to Washington, D.C. Our office can help book and request tours at some of Washington’s most iconic and historic buildings.

On this page, you can find more information on each of these options by clicking on the individual tours below. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact Senator Hassan’s Washington office at (202) 224-3324.

Note: Please keep in mind that space is limited for most tours and we advise that constituents plan as far ahead as possible. To increase the likelihood of securing spots, please submit requests to our office at least three months in advance but no more than five months in advance. While we will make every effort to accommodate your request, we cannot guarantee tickets for all requests.

To request a self-guided tour of the White House, please submit your request to our office at least three months in advance. Although White House tours are open for reservations one month to three months in advance, please keep in mind that tickets are limited and always in high demand. To increase the chances of securing a reservation, we encourage you to submit your reservation three months in advance. Once our office submits your request to the White House, the White House will send you a tour registration request directly. Constituents are responsible for submitting their personal identification information online via the secure White House RSVP security link generated by the White House Tour Portal System. All guest RSVPs regardless of age, to include infants, toddlers, and minors, must be submitted before each tour request RSVP deadline. The deadline is auto-generated to be exactly one week after our office submits the tour request to the White House. You will receive an email informing you that your request has been submitted. All public White House tour requests are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis by the White House Visitors Office. Final confirmation notifications for public White House tours will be emailed by the White House Visitors Office approximately two to three weeks prior to the requested tour date.

Limited public tours will initially be available from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. Please be advised that White House tours are subject to last-minute cancellations or time changes. The White House Visitors Office will notify ticket holders if there are any last-minute changes. The White House is ADA accessible, but please make a note of any special accommodations needed in your request. 

The Capitol Visitor Center has reopened for a very limited number of staff-led tours. To request a staff-led tour of the U.S. Capitol, please submit your request a minimum of two months in advance. Currently, the Capitol Visitor Center is not allowing tours without prior reservations.

Limited staff-led tours will initially be available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. The U.S. Capitol is ADA accessible, but please make a note of any special accommodations needed in your request.

Library of Congress

Please request to reserve a tour of the Library of Congress at least two months in advance. Please keep in mind that the Library of Congress offers a limited number of tickets, which are always in high demand. Reserved tours are provided Monday through Friday at 9:45 AM, 11:45 AM, and 1:45 PM.

If we cannot secure a reserved tour for you, the Library of Congress offers public tours for parties of 10 or fewer Monday through Friday at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM, and Saturday at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:30 PM only. To request public tour tickets, arrive at the Library of Congress 20 minutes prior to the time of the tour you wish to join. Please be aware that public tour tickets are limited and issued at the discretion of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is ADA accessible. 

U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing

You can see how the nation’s paper currency is made and printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). As tickets for this tour are extremely limited, requests for a tour must be submitted three to five months prior to your desired date of visit to be considered by the BEP. Tours are offered Monday through Friday at 8:15 AM and 8:45 AM, and from April through August, additional tours are offered at 4:00 pm, 4:15 PM, 4:30 pm, and 4:45 PM. If your requested time is not available, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing also offers public tours through same day walk-up tickets, available at the ticket booth starting at 8:00 AM. However, please note that walk-up tickets usually run out by 8:30 AM and are restricted to five per person. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is ADA accessible.

The FBI Experience is a self-guided tour at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Open to the public, the tour features interactive multimedia exhibits, content, and artifacts—including a number of items from notable cases—that help illustrate the importance of the Bureau’s work to protect the nation.

Tours are available Monday – Friday at the following times: 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, and 3:00 PM.  Although FBI tour dates are available for reservation one to five months in advance, tour spots are limited and subject to the sole discretion of the FBI. As such, please submit your tour request as early as possible to allow for processing and security. Before we can initiate a tour request for you, please keep in mind that we must have complete registration information for each member of your party. For security purposes, this registration information must be submitted to our office at least three weeks prior to your requested tour dates.

Tours of the Pentagon highlight the missions of the five Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Staff. Tours are available Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Reservations are available up to three months in advance, and requests must be made at least two weeks in advance to be considered. Please note that tours are subject to change and cancellation by the Pentagon Tours Office. The Pentagon is ADA accessible.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts highlights the historic events that led up to the establishment of the Kennedy Center and includes an interactive exhibit on President John F. Kennedy’s life and presidency. To request a Congressional tour of the Kennedy Center, please contact our office two months in advance. Congressional tours are available daily at 9:30 AM (allowing you entrance before the building opens to the general public), and an additional tour is offered Monday through Friday at 4:00 PM. If we are unable to secure a Congressional tour on your behalf, public tours are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM, and Saturday through Sunday from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM.

The National Archives Museum

The National Archives Museum displays our nation’s most important documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. We kindly ask that you submit your request to reserve a guided tour of the National Archives Museum at least 3 months in advance of your desired dates of visitPlease keep in mind that the National Archives Museum only offers guided tours once per day, Monday through Friday, at 9:45 a.m., resulting in extremely limited availability for these tickets.

If we cannot reserve a guided tour of the National Archives Museum for you, you can also visit the museum on a self-guided tour. Admission to the museum is always free for same day walk-ups and reservations are not required. The museum is open every day, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The last admission occurs 30 minutes prior to closing. Visitors can enter the museum, located at 701 Constitution Avenue, NW, using the General Public entrance near the corner of Constitution Avenue and 9th Street NW, to the left of the stairs.

While advanced reservations are not required to visit, they are highly recommended during the busy tourist season, from March 1 to Labor Day. To reserve your own self-guided tour of the National Archives Museum in advance, visit http://www.recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777. A $1.00 per person non-refundable convenience fee will be applied for these advance reservations. The National Archives Museum is ADA accessible.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is dedicated to the documentation and study of Holocaust history and serves as the U.S. memorial to the six million Jews, as well as the other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust.

Admission to the museum is free but tickets are required for entrance to the Permanent Exhibition from March through August. If you are visiting during these months, we ask that you please submit your request for tickets at least two months in advance of your desired dates of visitTickets are not required from September through February and you may visit the museum at your convenience during that time.

Located just off of the National Mall, visitors can enter the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, with the last entrance to the Permanent Exhibition occurring at 4:30 p.m. The museum often offers extended weekday hours during the summer. For complete information on opening hours, directions, and more, please visit http://www.ushmm.org/visit/.

Other Attractions in Washington, D.C.

Many public attractions in Washington, D.C. do not require prior tour reservations. Most of these attractions are free and open to the public year-round.

  • The Arlington National Cemetery is the nation’s largest military cemetery, serving more than 400,000 military veterans and their immediate family.
  • The United States Botanical Gardens were established by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison in 1820. They hold a large collection of plant life, including the 19th-century hothouse conservatory and the butterfly garden.
  • The State Department offers tours of the Diplomatic Reception rooms, which the Secretary of State and other high level government officials use to host official functions. This 45 minute tour highlights the rooms’ fine arts collection, which contains 18th century furniture, paintings, and decorative arts. The tour is offered Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:45 p.m. Please note: The State Department does not recommend this fine arts focused tour for groups with young children. If you would like to tour these historic rooms or need more information, you can visit https://receptiontours.state.gov/.
  • The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens were established in 1926 to preserve the forests, water quality, and recreation value of the waterways of Washington, D.C. and to highlight the policies that affect rivers and wetlands. They are administered by the National Park Service and are open year-round to the public.
  • The United States National Arboretum is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is home to 446 acres of gardens and research centers.   
  • The National Mall is home to many of our nation’s renowned monuments and memorials, including:
    • Constitution Gardens
    • Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
    • Thomas Jefferson Memorial
    • Korean War Veterans Memorial
    • Abraham Lincoln Memorial
    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
    • Vietnam Veterans Memorial
    • George Washington Monument
    • World War II Memorial

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, encompassing 19 museums, galleries, gardens, and a zoo. Washington, D.C. is proudly home to 17 museums, galleries, gardens, and the National Zoo, all of which are open to the public year-round.

Museums Include:

  • African American Museum
  • African Art Museum
  • Air and Space Museum
  • American Art Museum
  • American History Museum
  • American Indian Museum
  • Anacostia Community Museum
  • Archives of American Art
  • Hirshhorn Museum
  • Museum of Natural History
  • Postal Museum

Galleries include:

  • Freer Gallery of Art
  • Portrait Gallery
  • Renwick Gallery
  • Sackler Gallery

Other Smithsonian attractions include:

  • Smithsonian National Zoo
  • S. Dillon Ripley Center
  • Smithsonian Castle
  • Smithsonian Gardens

The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation. It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and visitors can tour public portions of the building on a self-guided basis, participate in various events, and view Court sessions at the discretion of the Court.