Monument Monday - Tour the Outside of the US Capitol Building
If you have already toured the inside of the US Capitol Building, perhaps, now that the weather is starting to get a bit more bearable, it’s the perfect time to take an outside walking tour of the most recognizable landmarks in Washington, DC.
George Washington laid the Capitol’s cornerstone in 1793 and since it opened in 1800, it’s been the center of American power and government.
The building needed to be partially rebuild after the British burned parts of Washington, DC in 1814. In the 1850s, the Capitol building was expanded, with the massive dome top statue, Freedom being put in place in 1863, after he dome rebuilding was complete. Finally, the front of the Capitol (east end) was rebuilt in 1904 to balance the two sides.
The most recent construction project, started in 2001, involved the same east end of the building, for the addition of the new underground visitors complex. It’s due to open December 2, 2008, 145 years to the day after the Freedom statue was placed on the top of the Capitol Building.
The U.S. Capitol Historical Society offers 2-hour walking tours of the exterior of the building every Monday morning, through November.
Spectacular Tour to Remember - US Capitol Exterior Walk
U.S. Capitol Historical Society
200 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC
Meet point - Union Station, at the top of the Massachusetts Avenue exit escalator. (map it)
Dates and Times – Mondays only, May 19, - November 24, 2008 10:00 a.m.
Tickets – No reservations required, $10.00 (cash only) collected by the tour guide. Contact [email protected] or 202-543-8919, ext. 17, for additional information or to arrange a private walk.
Meet-up point is at Union Station, at the top of the Massachusetts Avenue exit escalator. (map it)
Nearest Metro Subway Station - Union Station – Red line, meeting point is outside the station or use the DC Circulator.
Parking – Paid parking is available at Union Station, as well as limited and time-restricted street parking in the area.
Images - from personal collection ©2008, Jon Rochetti ___________________________________________________
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