Tours You Can Schedule On Your Own
Many sites in Washington, DC, allow you to make your own arrangements for guided tours. There are several sites that require congressional assistance (like the White House), and my staff is happy to assist you with those. Please click here for a Tour Request Form that lists the attractions we can help with. Below you will find a listing of attractions that you can make your own tour arrangements.
It is worth remembering that most federal buildings and tour attractions will require you to pass through security screening. As such, please consider leaving backpacks, large bags and metal jewelry behind in order to expedite entry.
Anderson House (Society of the Cincinnati)
2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW (between 21st and 22nd Streets along Embassy Row)
Washington, DC 20008
Hours and Admission
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm
Sunday Noon-4pm
Closed most federal holidays and during some Cincinnati Society meetings and events.
Free admission
A magnificent Beaux Arts mansion that was the winter home of Larz Anderson, an American diplomat and his wife, Isabel. Completed in 1905, the National Historic Landmark is one of the few original Embassy Row homes open to the public. It also serves as the headquarters for the Society of the Cincinnati. Hour-long guided tours are offered; museum contains weapons, portraits and artifacts from the Revolutionary War. Tours are wheelchair accessible.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
(866) 874-2330 or (202) 874-2330
14th and C Streets, SW, Washington, DC 20228
Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday 9am-2pm; Extended hours in summer months; Closed federal holidays
No admission charged but tickets are required March-August.
A limited amount of same-day tickets are available beginning at 8:00am Monday-Friday. Tickets are distributed from a ticket booth located at Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th ST, SW).
You may also contact my office assistance. Reservations should be made at least one month in advance of your visit, but cannot be guaranteed.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is responsible for the design, engraving and printing the paper currency that we use every day. During a tour of the facility, you will see millions of dollars being printed - from the blank sheets of paper right through to bills ready for your wallet. The Bureau was first established in 1862; although printing, producing and examination technologies are up-to-date, engravers still use some of the same traditional tools that have been used for over 125 years.
Department of State Diplomatic Rooms
U.S. State Department
2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520
(202) 647-3241
Hours and Admission
Tours conducted Monday-Friday at 9:30am; 10:30am; and 2:45pm.
Make reservations by calling the number above or through the tour website.
Reservations can be made up to 90 days in advance.
The 45-minute tour covers the Diplomatic Reception Rooms used by the Department of State for official functions. The renovation of the modern glass and wood rooms took place in the early 1960s, and provided a remarkable transformation into an area that has hosted dignitaries and world leaders from around the globe. The rooms hold a premier collection of 18th century American furniture, paintings and decorative arts. The tour is recommended for those over the age of 12. For a preview of what you will see, please visit the website link above.
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
(202) 416-8340 - Visitor Information Line
2700 F Street NW, Washington DC 20566
Hours and Admission
Tours 10am-5pm weekdays
10am-1pm weekends
No admission charged for tours; tickets required for most performances
Ballet, jazz, symphony, opera and theatre combine in this center, established by an Act of Congress in 1958. Its artistic mandate is to present a wide variety of classical and contemporary performances.
To make it easier to reach The Kennedy Center, a free shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes or so from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop from 9 a.m. to 45 minutes after the final curtain each day.
Library of Congress
(202) 707-8000
101 Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, DC
Hours and Admission
Monday-Saturday 8:30am-4:30pm
No admission charged.
Home of the Congressional Archives, the Library of Congress consists of three buildings: the Adams, the Thomas Jefferson and the James Madison. The Jefferson Building is named for 3rd President Thomas Jefferson, who, in 1814, sold his personal library of 6,487 books to the library to rebuild the library’s collection which was destroyed when the British burned the Capitol during the War of 1812. It is the most ornate of the buildings and is home to the spectacular Reading Room; public and congressional tours are conducted daily. The other buildings are open to the public and researchers.
The lobby of the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress is ornate and remarkable. The Great Hall is constructed of white Italian marble with a stucco ceiling accented with 23 karat gold leaf. A tour of this building won't leave you disappointed!
National Archives 
(866) 272-6272
700 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408
Between 7th and 9th Streets, NW
Hours and Admission
10am-5:30pm Daily
Closed Thanksgiving Day and December 25
No admission charged.
Those wishing to make an advance reservation can do so online for a small transaction fee.
Millions of documents are created in the course of government business, but less than three percent are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept forever. It is in the National Archives that you will find some of those documents, including the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, which are in display in the Exhibit Hall. You can also make arrangements to visit the Research Room to conduct your own research in the textual and microfilm records kept at the National Archives. You can view what documents are available here. The Archives were collected starting in 1926. While no tickets are needed, the lines form early during spring and summer months.
National Museum of the United States Navy 
(202) 433-4882
Building 76, 805 Kidder Breese SE, Washington, DC 20374-5060
Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
Weekends 10am-5pm
Closed Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, January 1.
No admission charged, but appointment required
Located at the Washington Navy Yard, this is the official history program of the U.S. Navy and is a great research resource about Naval history. It contains displays on Navy ships, submarines, and various wars in which the Navy has played a role. Artifacts from Admiral Richard Byrd’s Polar Expedition, uniforms and weapons. For safety reasons, please do not use public transportation to get to the Museum; plenty of parking is available inside the Navy Yard.
U.S. Capitol
(202) 226-8000 Automated visitors' information line
Hours and Admission
8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Saturday (including most federal holidays)
No admission charged
You can book a tour online at Visit The Capitol or you can pick up same-day tickets in the Capitol Visitors Center. Tours operate Monday-Saturday, 9 AM to 3:30 PM. Please be aware of security guidelines and prohibited items in the U.S. Capitol.
In advance of a Capitol tour, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society's website offers a wealth of information about the Capitol's art and exhibits such as the National Statuary Hall Collection, murals within the Capitol corridors painted by Allyn Cox, and the large 12' x 18' paintings within the Rotunda to complement your tour.
Another resource with information about the architecture, art and grounds of the U.S. Capitol is the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) website. The AOC is the steward responsible for the maintenance, operation, and preservation of many of our nation’s most recognizable landmarks of democracy and government including the U.S. Capitol and its grounds, the U.S. Supreme Court, Library of Congress and the U.S. Botanic Gardens.
U.S. Capitol Exterior Tours
Meet outside of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center near the bottom of the north ramp to the entrance.
Hours and Admission
Monday-Saturday at 1:00pm
No admission charged.
No passes or reservations are needed.
Tours of the exterior of the U.S. Capitol are offered Monday through Saturday at 9am and 10am. Visitors will explore the Capitol building and grounds on a 50-minute guided tour.
The Pentagon
(703) 697-1776 (Pentagon Tours Office)
Arlington, VA
Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday 9am-3pm
No admission fee, but reservations required through the Pentagon Tours website
Guided tours of the Pentagon are available and reservations must be made in advance. A tour can be booked as early as 90 days in advance but no later than fourteen 14 days before your desired tour date. Requests for dates within 13 days of a desired date or more than 90 days in advance will not be accepted.
Please review the Pentagon's tour guidelines and security information before requesting a tour.
The headquarters of the Department of Defense, the Pentagon is one of the largest office buildings in the world and houses approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees. Its unique five-sided construction makes it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the country. The Pentagon conducts limited one-hour public tours, which must be arranged through my office.
You can visit the 9/11 Memorial on the Pentagon grounds without being on a tour.
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
(202) 488-0400
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024
Hours and Admission
10am-5:30pm daily
Closed Yom Kippur and December 25
Free timed tickets are required and are available on-site.
Advance tickets can be purchased online for a small transaction fee.
During World War II, approximately six million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The Holocaust Museum is America's memorial to those who were killed. Its goal is to stimulate visitors to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity and strengthen democracy. Carefully-crafted exhibits carry stark reminders of what happened during the Holocaust. While this is a somber museum, it is an educational and personal experience that is unforgettable. Children's programs are available, along with a special exhibit directed at younger visitors.
U.S. Marine Corps Evening Parade
Marine Corps Barracks, Washington, DC
8th and I Streets, SE, Washington, DC 20390
Hours and Admission
Friday's at 8:45 p.m.
May-August
No admission charged, but online reservations required.
Each Friday evening during the summer months, the Washington, DC, Marine Corps Barracks hosts an evening parade and concert by the U.S. Marine Corps Band. The one hour, fifteen minute performance of music and precision marching ceremony reflects the story of the Marines and their service throughout the world. Features are “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, “The Commandant’s Own” The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Marine Corps Color Guard, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, Ceremonial Marchers, and Sgt. Chesty XIII, the official mascot of the Marine Barracks Washington. Reservations can be made through the Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, website.
U.S. Naval Observatory
(202) 762-1467 (Fax)
Massachusetts Avenue at Observatory Circle, NW
Hours and Admission
Tours offered at the discretion of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Check website for current tour status.
The residence of the Vice President is located on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Until 1974, Vice Presidents and their families lived in private homes, but the cost of securing those homes grew over the years until it became advisable to select a permanent Vice Presidential residence. The residence is not open for public tours.
The oldest scientific agency in the country offers limited public tours. The tour takes you through the USNO's unique library and gives you a perspective on the timekeeping responsibilities entrusted to the agency. You may even have the opportunity to view celestial objects with the 12-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope.
Please be aware that the U.S. Naval Observatory is a military installation. Public access is limited to the designated tour nights and tours may be suspended at any time and with little notice by military security and/or other considerations.
Voice of America
(202) 203-4990
330 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20237
Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday at noon
No admission is charged
While walk-in tours are available, reservations are encouraged by visiting Voice of America's website.
The Voice of America is an international broadcasting service that provides more than 1,000 hours of news, information, educational and cultural programming each week to a worldwide audience that exceeds 115 million people. Those broadcasts are conducted in more than 40 languages. The studio tour is a behind-the-scenes look at live broadcasting in radio, television and the Internet in several of the languages in which VOA broadcasts; a "Kid's Version" of the tour is also available. The tour lasts 45 minutes. You can make arrangements for a tour online through the link above.
Washington Monument
2 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20024
The 555-foot monument to our 1st President, George Washington, is the world's tallest stone structure. Dedicated in 1885, it is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk and took 40 years to build. The 50 flags that surround the base of the monument represent the 50 states.
Washington National Cathedral
(202) 537-6200
3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016
Hours and Admission
Monday-Friday 10am-5:30pm; Tours begin at 10:15am
Saturday 10am-4:00pm; Tours begin at 10:15am
Sunday: Worship services at 8am, Guided tours at 1pm.
Admission charged; Sunday tours are free.
The National Cathedral is an Episcopal church that was chartered by Congress. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul took 83 years to build. It has been the site of a number of Presidential funerals, with more than 150 people interred (including Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson).
Several touring options are offered--guided tours that focus on art, architecture and history; a garden tour; a gargoyle tour; and other options. Check the Washington National Cathedral website for details on what is offered.
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