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.
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Bureau of Engraving and Printing Hours and Admission: 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).
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 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 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 Hours and Admission: |
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 Contact my office for further reservation information. |
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 |
 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 (located at the Washington Navy Yard) Hours and Admission: |
 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. |
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(202) 226-8000 Automated visitors' information line To schedule a tour, call (202) 224-6142 to schedule a tour through my congressional office or fill out the Tour Request Form. Additionally, you may arrange a tour yourself through the Capitol Visitor Center website.
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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 compliment your tour. |
Walking Tours of the U.S. Capitol Exterior and Grounds
Hours and Admission: Monday-Saturday, 9am and 10am. No passes or reservations are required. |
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) hosts a 50-minute outdoor guided tour of the Captiol. These free tours explore the Capitol building and grounds, weather permitting, from the outside.
Those interested in taking a tour can meet outside of the Captiol Visitor Center, near the bottom of the north ramp to the entrance. No passes or reservations are needed. |
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(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. |
 As 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. |
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (202) 488-0400 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024
Hours and Admission: |
 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. |
U.S. Marine Corps Evening Parade Hours and Admission: |
| 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. |
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(202) 762-1467 (Fax) Massachusetts Avenue at Observatory Circle, NW
Hours and Admission: |
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 Hours and Admission: Monday-Friday at noon. |
| 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 offered. The tour lasts 45 minutes. You can make arrangements for a tour online through the link above. |
Washington Monument
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 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. |
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(202) 537-6200 |
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. |
| Notice: The links contained in this website are intended to provide a tool for easy navigation to sites related to the Washington, D.C. area. The content of the sites listed are the sole responsibility of those who maintain the websites. The views reflected in these sites are not necessarily the views of Senator Mike Crapo. In no way should a link from the website of the office of Senator Crapo be construed as an endorsement by Senator Crapo of that organization or the views contained in the site. Once you have left the Senator’s website, Senator Crapo is not responsible for the content of the website you may visit. |
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.
The U.S. Capitol Guide Service offers tours of the U.S. Capitol, which we can reserve for you or you can book it yourself. You can tour the Capitol Visitors Center without any reservation or ticket, but tickets are required to enter the U.S. Capitol. You can book a tour online at 
The oldest scientific agency in the country offers 
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).
