Capitol Visitor Center Opens

At a cost of $621 million and after 6 years of construction, the Capitol Visitor Center is set to open on December 2, 2008. The largest project in the Capitol's 212-year history, the 580,000 square-foot Visitor Center will enhance the visitor's experience with new interactive features, orientation theaters and exhibits. As visitors enter the massive underground facility, they'll catch a glimpse of the Capitol Dome through two skylights. A new advance reservation system allows visitors to reserve a tour of the U.S. Capitol up to three months ahead. While waiting for tours, visitors can browse galleries displaying artifacts from the Library of Congress and National Archives, touch a 10-foot model of the Capitol Dome and even watch live video feeds from the House and Senate. Tours begin with a new 13-minute film exploring the history of the Capitol and Congress, shown in the facility's orientation theaters.

See Photos of the Capitol Visitor Center

© Architect of the Capitol