G Aquino

Review of United States Capitol

This is where the country's legislature (Senate an...

This is where the country's legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) meet, and is also the site of many important events in the country's history, so a trip to DC is not complete without visiting.

There are several things to do as a visitor:

1) You can walk around the massive outdoor grounds and take pictures of the beautiful building and monuments. You might even see a protest going on.

2) If you want to see the inside of the building, head to the Visitor Center at the east side of the capitol. You go through a security check first - make sure you don't have items you'd normally be prohibited from carrying at airports. Once you're in, you can request for free passes to the guided tours that they run many times a day. These 45-minute tours are well-run and take you to the capitol's rotunda/dome and crypt, where you can really get a sense of the history of the place. Photography is allowed.

The free passes are subject to availability, so to get guaranteed spots, book in advance via their website and show up at your appointed time. If you don't get passes for some reason, you can check out the gift shop and restaurant at the Visitor Center.

3) Visit the congressional halls where you can see the galleries and even watch proceedings if the legislature is in session. This requires separate passes and must be booked in advance via a senator or congressperson's office.

So 1 and 2 are pretty straightforward, but 3 requires some planning. All are definitely worth your time.