Over two million people a year tour the United States Capital building. The tour is done by Capitol Guide Service or by a Senate or Congressionial intern. If you have a private tour the tour is done by an intern.Before you leave home check the Capital website for prohibited items. http://www.aoc.gov/ You will meet the intern at the Congressman office or Senators office. You should be in the office a little before your schedule time. It is always better to be early than late.If you bring any of the prohibited items you will have to leave them in the office.You will leave the office and go directly to the Capital. If you are leaving from the Senate side of Capital hill you probably ride over on the little subway system. If you are on the House you will walk through a maze of coridoors and buildings.Depending on what time of year you come the tour can take from 30 minutes to two hours. The reason for the difference in time is the volume of people in the Capital and security. In the spring there are thousands of school kids from all over world here. The security at the Capital is very tight . You must remain with your guide at all times. If you leave your guide a Capital hill police might find you and escort you out of the capital. The tour starts in the Rotunda. It is very hard to hear in the Rotunda because sound bounces off walls. The next stop will be Statuary Hall. The final stop will be cyrpt where George and Marta Washington were almost buried .
If you are in the public line for tickets , be in line at 7:45 am in the morning. Each person taking the tour must have their own tickets. In the spring time many bus loads of people try to get tickets early. The public tours are every 10 minutes. The ticket you recieve has a time on it. you should be in line 10 minutes before the time on the ticket. From the time you get line to the time the tour ends is about 2 hours.
