U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

About U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

The Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), opened in 2008, is the primary entrance for all public visits to the U.S. Capitol, located beneath the East Front plaza. It provides orientation films, security screening, and staging areas for guided tours of the historic Capitol building, as well as its own attractions including Emancipation Hall, Exhibition Hall, two gift shops, and a restaurant. Emancipation Hall, the CVC's central gathering space, is named in recognition of the enslaved laborers who helped construct the Capitol, and displays statues from the National Statuary Hall Collection alongside a large skylight view of the Capitol Dome. Access to the CVC itself and its exhibits is free, but a tour reservation is recommended to see the historic Capitol building; visitors can book through the CVC website or through their member of Congress.

Location

First St SE, Washington, DC 20515

Nearby attractions

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  National Mall

  A vast open-air national park stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, lined with iconic monuments and Smithsonian museums.

• 

  Washington Monument

  A 555-foot marble obelisk honoring George Washington, offering sweeping views of DC from its observation level.

• 

  Thomas Jefferson Memorial

  A domed neoclassical monument on the Tidal Basin honoring Thomas Jefferson, surrounded by famous cherry blossom trees.

• 

  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

  A granite memorial on the Tidal Basin featuring a colossal carved likeness of Dr. King emerging from a 'Stone of Hope.'

• 

  Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

  A sprawling outdoor memorial along the Tidal Basin divided into four outdoor 'rooms' representing FDR's four terms in office.

• 

  Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  A stark black granite wall inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 U.S. service members who died or went missing in the Vietnam War.

Nearby restaurants

• Zaytinya

  Mediterranean · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Ben's Chili Bowl

  American / Comfort Food · $ · U Street

• Mi Vida

  Mexican · $$ · Navy Yard / Waterfront

• Ambar Capitol Hill

  Balkan · $$ · Capitol Hill

• Centrolina

  Italian · $$$ · Downtown / Penn Quarter

• Maketto

  Cambodian / Taiwanese · $$ · Capitol Hill