capitol hill dc walking tour self guided

Book a Tour

Reservations are recommended .

The Capitol Visitor Center is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tours begin every 10 minutes until 3:20 p.m. All tours are led by our professional tour guides and visit the  Crypt , the  Rotunda  and  National Statuary Hall . The tour does not include the  Senate and House Galleries . The tour route is subject to change.

Reservations are recommended, but not required. Visit the  schedule a tour  page to select a day/time for a reservation. Same day passes may be available. Visitors without reservations are encouraged to arrive at the Capitol Visitor Center as early in the day as possible, but no later than 2:30 p.m., to obtain passes.

All tours, programs and activities are free of charge.

Visitors enter through the Capitol Visitor Center, located underground on the east side of the Capitol. Please leave time to go through security and review the U.S. Capitol’s  prohibited items list  before your visit.

You can begin your Capitol experience at the Visitor Center by visiting Exhibition Hall , perusing our Gift Shops or getting a bite to eat at the Capitol Cafe.

For information on tours offered in Mandarin and Spanish, please view the Foreign Language Tours page.

How Do I Cancel My Reservation?

You can cancel your reservation through your account in the Capitol Visitor Center’s online reservation system.

• Go to  https://tours.visitthecapitol.gov  (A new page will open.)
• Beneath the blue banner reading “Reserve a Tour of the Capitol,” click on the link to log in. (A sign in/signup dialog box will open.)
• In the sign in section, log in with your email address and password.
• Search for reservations by clicking “More” in the “My Reservations” tab.
• Once you have located your reservation, click the link to “Cancel.”

Routes and Trips Travel Guide with Maps and Photos

Washington dc: capitol hill walk.

Posted by: Liisa Nygård

This self-guided Capitol Hill walk will take you to the world-famous halls of the US Capitol, Washington DC. In addition we will visit the Library of Congress and the US Botanic Gardens right below the hill.

Capitol Hill walk to the US Capitol

To see all these attractions you will preferably need a full day and prepare your visit in advance. To visit the US Capitol you need a reservation through on their website, at least during travel peaks.

However, in November there were no crowds. It was sunny, not too hot and autumn showed its best colors. Not a bad month to visit the Capitol Hill!

The Capitol Hill Walk on the Map

Map of the Capitol Hill walking itinerary

The map shows the Capitol Hill of Washington DC. The hill is located at the east end of the National Mall, to see the whole National Mall zoom out the map.

Our Capitol Hill walk is marked in blue on the map, not a long walk at all, probably something like a mile only.

The Congress Library is located behind the Capitol and so is the Supreme Court and some other institutions.

After you have completed the Capitol Hill walk, the next day you should take the National Mall, read about it here: National Mall Walking Itinerary, Washington DC . But now to the Capitol Grounds:

Capitol Grounds

The US Capitol Grounds

Before getting indoors we will have a look at the green Capitol Grounds surrounding the Capitol building.

And why not walk a bit further away to the National Mall, at least to the water basin of Reflecting Pool that offers great views of the Capitol building:

The US Capitol seen from the Capitol Grounds and Reflecting Pool

Then, to find the entrance to the Capitol you have to go round the building. The entrance is behind the Capitol:

The US Capitol

The US Capitol, the highest building in Washington DC

This is the US Capitol, the highest building in Washington DC, seen from the square behind.

The US Capitol is not just a building among many others, but one of the most important buildings in the whole world and the home of the Congress and Senate of the United States.

The public enters at the lower level behind the building and of course all visitors are inspected.

The entrance hall of the US Capitol

To see the building you will have to join a guided tour, the time of which you should book in advance on their website.

Only during low season you might be lucky enough to get a tour without pre booking it, but probably after standing for ages in the ticket queue.

The House of Representatives

Capitol Hill walk: tickets to the House of Representatives

Then, if you want to visit the House Chamber where the Congress sits and the Senate Chamber where the senate sits, these visits must be arranged separately.

We got the tickets to both places. It was a positive surprise that they let even overseas visitors get into the Chambers and then watch their sessions.

Of course there was one more inspection for that. Cell phones, cameras and such were not allowed in the chambers and they re-checked our IDs. But the chambers where so highly interesting, definitely worth all the trouble!

Above you can see our tickets to the House of Representatives. That’s all we can show as cameras where not allowed.

 Capitol Hill Walk: The Crypt

The Crypt of the U.S. Capitol

The guided tour of the US Capitol begins with the Crypt, a large hall with 40 Doric columns surrounded by remarkable statues from the different states.

The original idea with the crypt was to make it George Washington’s tomb.

Capitol Hill walk: the Crypt of the U.S. Capitol

Then the dome:

The Capitol Dome

Statues in the Dome of the US Capitol

The Dome of the US Capitol is full of amazing paintings and great statues showing the most important events in American history. And statues of remarkable American people.

Capitol Hill walk: the US Capitol Dome

And more statues will follow in the next hall:

National Statuary Hall

National Statuary Hall of the US Capitol

The Old Hall of the House of Representatives, the National Statuary Hall, also has statues from different states. Every state has two statues of its notable citizens in this hall of the Capitol.

Capitol Hill walk: National Statuary Hall

So now we have seen the Capitol and will move further to the next building, the Library of Congress.

To get to the library we only have to take an underground tunnel.

Capitol Hill Walk: Library of Congress

The Congress Library, Capitol Hill, Washington DC

The US Library of Congress is so huge. It is the world’s biggest library that has 150 million items in its collections.

The library is one of the three Capitol Hill buildings that any citizen is free to use, so it’s not only for the congress members.

If you only have time with one of the many library buildings, visit the Thomas Jefferson Building that’s known for its stunning architecture.

To get more out of your visit take a free one hour guided tour. On the tour the guide will show you all the highlights and after the tour you can examine more on your own.

The Great Hall of the Library of Congress

These pictures are from the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, decorated with fantastic arches, columns and balconies. Look at it!

Reading Room and the Bibles

The Main Reading Room of the Congress Library

This again is the Main Reading Room of the Congress Library. The massive hall is full of enchanting details, like the eight marble columns with female figures watching the readers sitting lower down in the hall.

The Gutenberg and Mainz Bibles of the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress also contains two real treasures dating back to the 1450s: the printed Gutenberg Bible and the handwritten Mainz Bible .

Jefferson Collection and Magna Carta

Thomas Jefferson’s Collection at the Library of Congress

And of course the library has much more, like a collection of Thomas Jefferson’s books, loads of old maps and bible. Then there are children’s books and comics and other things to see.

By the way, the old map in the picture below is worth 10 Million dollars. It’s the first map ever with the word America:

Treasures of the Congress Library, Washington DC

The day we were visiting happened to be the opening day of an exhibition of the original Magna Carta 1215. The Magna Carta (the photo up in the middle) was brought from the Lincoln Cathedral in Great Britain, just for the exhibition.

US Supreme Court

US Supreme Court on the Capitol Hill of Washington DC

Then, next to the Library of Congress is the United States Supreme Court. The court building looks a bit like a Greek temple and you can go in and watch the court’s proceedings for free.

We missed the court interior as it was already closed for the day at the time we were finished with our other Capitol Hill walk attractions. It was soon getting dark but luckily there was still some time to see the Botanic Gardens.

Capitol Hill Walk: US Botanic Garden

The conservatory of US Botanic Garden

After a long walk in cold Washington autumn weather we really needed a moment in a warmer, tropical climate. Especially having arrived from Florida two days earlier.

The Washington DC Botanic Garden in photos:

Capitol Hill walk: US Botanic Garden

We really appreciate that anybody is free just to walk in the conservatory and stroll in the all the beautiful gardens around it. They have such a huge amound of plants from different countries and climate zones.

And most of all I liked this little bird that was staring at me from the bush. But it was getting dark soon and it was time to finish out Capitol Hill walk.

Capitol Hill walk: a bird in the bush

So I hope you enjoyed reading about our little walk in the capital of the United States. If you have been to the Capitol Hill what more would you recommend to see on the hill?

Good bye from Washington DC!

More on Washington DC

If you are planning a trip to Washington DC, check out these two posts:

• National Mall Walking Itinerary, Washington DC
• Washington DC Day Trip to Old Town Alexandria

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• America Unscripted
• Lincoln Assassination Unscripted
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Capitol Hill
• Off Menu Union
• Get the Book

Capitol Hill Tour

• Search Experiences
• Manage Booking
• Phone # SMS #
• My Offers 5

Washington DC: Capitol Hill Guided Small-Group Walking Tour

Be the first to get offers and news, shopping cart, find your experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and analyze the use of the website. Learn More

Union Station Washington DC

This post is about Union Station in Washington DC.

We have advice on getting to and from downtown DC from Union Station, as well as a self guided tour of this beautiful building.

While there is a lot of history to experience at this American landmark, it's worth noting that this isn't the most impressive train station in the country, so we only recommend visiting and taking our self-guided tour if you're going to be boarding or arriving here anyway.

There are efforts being made to improve the structure and the area around it, but they have yet to be fully implemented.

• How to get from Union Station to National Mall
• Parking at Union Station
• Restaurants at Union Station
• Self Guided Tour of Union Station

How to get to the National Mall from Union Station

Union Station is the main transportation hub in Washington DC with access to the Metro, trains, buses, bikeshare, taxis and more.

But if you want to get to the National Mall from Union Station, it is easy! 

You can easily walk to the Capitol and Museum side of the National Mall from Union Station. In fact, our Capitol Hill Walking Tour ends near Union Station. 

If you exit out of Union Station and walk straight from the entrance along 1st Street, you'll be on top of Capitol Hill to visit the Supreme Court, US Capitol, and Library of Congress.

It's only a 10-minute walk.

You can also easily get to the National Gallery of Art, Air and Space Museum, and other museums located on the east side of the National Mall by taking Louisiana Ave (a diagonal road heading more to the right from the entrance of Union Station).

But if you want to get to the memorials or museums closer to the Washington Monument, it will be a longer (but beautiful) walk. You may want to take the Metro!

If you're arriving at Union Station by Amtrak, MARC train, or bus, you can also take the Metro to get to the National Mall (or anywhere, really!)

Union Station is on the RED LINE of the subway/DC Metro system.

You'll find the Metro station on the west side of the building and can access the station from escalators outside the station or inside.

There are also Capital Bikeshare racks on the west side of the station, a taxi stands out front, and a number of buses make a stop on Massachusetts Ave (walk out of the station, across the taxi and passenger pick-up lanes, and turn right for the city bus stops). 

Hop On Hop Off Buses and Trolley also have stops here at Union Station.

NOTE: It is recommended to arrive at least 30 minutes before your departure to ensure you get on your train before it leaves.

PARKING AT UNION STATION

This location has a large parking garage and is a central place to park in Washington DC.

The Union Station parking garage behind the station can be accessed either behind or in front of the station by H ST NE or by Massachusetts Avenue NE. It is open 24 hours 7 days a week.

You can get discounts for the first 2 hours by using the validation machines inside the station! 

Rates vary depending on the time of the week, but you can usually expect prices of $8-$10 per hour.

There is one electric car charging station at Union Station. 

If you have a smaller RV (less than 13' tall), they do allow RVs to park in the oversized bus parking lot. 

Find up-to-date rates and information: https://www.unionstationdc.com/parking/

RESTAURANTS AT UNION STATION

There are usually a lot of places to eat either at or near Union Station, but many of these locations are actually closed at the moment. There is a Raising Canes opening on-site very soon, but it has not yet opened for business.

Here are a few of the better places to grab a snack while you're here:

• UNO Pizzeria
• Jamba Juice
• Shake Shack
• East Street Cafe
• Starbucks (Permanently closed)
• Chipotle (Permanently closed)

SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF UNION STATION WASHINGTON DC

Stop A- Columbus Fountain

Start at the large marble statue in the traffic circle in front of Union Station.  

At the center of Columbus Circle is a fountain and statue of Christopher Columbus.

It was designed by American sculptor Lorado Taft in 1912.

Taft was based in Chicago and was working with architect Daniel Burnham on the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition when he decided to hire whoever was available to do the sculpting work to make sure they would be finished on time.

He hired women, which was unusual for the time, and is credited with advancing the field to include female sculptures.

Columbus Fountain symbolizes the spirit of exploration during Columbus’s expedition to the New World in 1492.

Christopher Columbus sits at the center of a ship’s bow, with a globe of the Western World on a pedestal behind him.

The seated figure on the north side of the statue represents the Old World and the American Indian figure on the south side represents the New World.

Behind Columbus is a relief of King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella, the Spanish monarchs who sponsored Columbus’ expedition across the Atlantic Ocean.

Three flag poles located in the circle between the fountain and station represent the three ships of Columbus’ fleet; the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

Walk toward the station to the other side of Columbus Fountain.

Stop B- Freedom Bell

This large cast iron bell was a gift in 1976 from the American Legion to Congress in honor of the bicentennial of Independence. 

The Freedom Bell is a replica of the Liberty Bell, located in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Liberty Bell hung in the bell tower atop Independence Hall and was supposedly rung in 1776 at the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

The bell is a national symbol of American liberty and independence.

The Freedom Bell here in DC was cast by the Whitechapel Foundry in Great Britain, the same foundry that cast the original Liberty Bell in 1752.

Turn around to face the front of Union Station, with the Freedom Bell behind you.

Stop C- Front Façade of Union Station

Union Station was originally commissioned by Teddy Roosevelt as part of a large-scale urban redevelopment project in 1903. This was once the largest train station in the world.

The building was meant to be a “great vestibule to the city of Washington.”

Prior to Union Station, there were two main stations in DC located on the National Mall.

They were owned by the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad.

The name Union Station refers to the uniting of these two competing railroads into one grand station.

Union Station was designed by famous architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham.

Burnham was influential throughout the United States but is mostly known for his work in Chicago.

He is considered to be the father of the skyscraper, for example, one of his more well-known works is the Flatiron Building in New York City.

Stop D- The Progress of Railroading

Look above the three center arches in front of you and notice six granite figures over the main entrance to Union Station.

These sculptures are 18 feet tall. In 1908, sculptor Louis St. Gaudens, brother to famous sculpture Augustus St Gaudens, created these to depict Greek figures representing the invention and triumph of the railroad industry.

From Left to Right:

• Prometheus with a torch, known in Greek mythology for giving fire to man.
• Thales, a Greek philosopher known to be the first to study electricity
• Themis, goddess of law and justice
• Apollo, the god of inspiration
• Ceres, goddess of agriculture
• Archimedes, god of mechanics (note the gear behind him).

Walk under the center arch through the main entrance of Union Station, into the Waiting Room.

Stop E- Main Waiting Room

Union Station is one of the largest granite buildings in the world, built of stone from Bethel, Vermont with a cast iron/steel frame.

Hundreds of Italian stone masons were brought over to build the structure and were housed in parked rail cars during construction.

The Main Waiting Room is modeled after the architecture of ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian.

It includes massive 96 ft high-barrel vaults.

The room is 220 feet wide by 120 feet long, with marble floors and gold leaf throughout the coffered plaster ceiling.

In its heyday during WWII, Union Station saw 200,000 people pass through each day. 

Note the 36 Roman centurions standing guard above you around the perimeter of the waiting room.

Originally these statues were designed to be nude, but shields and clothing were added to the final design.

With your back to the main entrance, make a right and walk into the East Hall.

Note the clock above the entrance to the East Hall, with the Roman numeral showing IIII instead of IV on its face.

Stop F- East Hall

The decoration in the East Hall is taken directly from ancient Pompeii, which was being excavated around the time Daniel Burnham designed Union Station.

This area was originally used as a public dining room but was converted into retail space in the 1980s.

Walk to the back of the East Hall and look through the glass door in the center of the back wall.

This bar area was once part of the Presidential Suite, built for the President of the United States to travel and greet visiting dignitaries.

This area was added to the original station plans after President James Garfield was assassinated in 1881 at the former Baltimore & Potomac railroad station near what is now the National Gallery of Art.

The suite was converted to a USO lounge in 1941 to accommodate large numbers of troops coming through the station during WWII.

The area has since been used as a restaurant and a private event space.

Walk back into the Main Waiting Room and make a right, through the center doors into the Main Concourse.

You’ll see a curved staircase in front of you, walk up to the top level, and stand near the top of the stairs.

Stop G- Main Concourse

This area was once the largest single room in the world, stretching 760 feet down the length of the concourse.

Passengers would walk straight through this massive corridor to get to the train platforms beyond.

With your back to the Waiting Room, look across the length of the concourse to your left and notice a dirty-looking patch of the ceiling.

This portion of the ceiling was left to show what the state of this room was like with trains billowing smoke and ash into this enclosed area as they loaded and unloaded passengers from the tracks.

The concourse has undergone substantial changes, reflecting the rise, deterioration, and eventual revitalization of Union Station.

After the frenzy of activity during WWII, rail travel declined rapidly in favor of car and air transit.

Union Station went from a bustling hub of urban life to an off-the-beaten-path attraction surrounded by underused government buildings and seedy neighborhoods.

In 1976, Congress attempted to convert the station into the “National Visitor’s Center,” installing a massive multimedia display in a sunken area carved out of the floor of the Waiting Room referred to as “the pit.”

The Visitor’s Center was a total flop and failed to draw visitors off of the National Mall and into Union Station.

The building continued to deteriorate until a massive storm in 1980 brought down parts of the plaster ceiling in the Waiting Room and Concourse, which forced the station to close entirely.

In 1981 Congress passed a redevelopment act that invested $160 million dollars into revitalizing the station.

Amtrak, the primary interstate passenger railway in the United States, contributed funds and, in exchange, was permitted to use Union Station as its new national headquarters.

One of the major successes in this renovation was the addition of retail, which brought business and activity back into the station.

The track beds were pushed back, adding a modern train waiting area behind the original building, and the massive Concourse was converted into retail space.

Walk back down the stairs and take the escalators on either side down to the bottom food court level.

Stop H- Baggage & Mail Level

This food court was once used at the baggage and mail area, where trains would offload packages as passengers disembarked upstairs.

You can still see the low arches of the original track beds, with numbers in the tile work indicating track numbers.

The basement mail level was converted at the same time as the concourse above to bring activity back into the station.

This area was also the site of one of the most dramatic runaway train stories in American history, known as the Federal Express train wreck. (This event inspired the 1976 film, Silver Streak ).

On January 14th, 1953, the overnight Federal Express No. 173 departed Boston at 11 pm carrying both passengers and mail en route to Washington D.C.

The engineer reported trouble with the air brakes about 45 minutes later, and an inspection was carried out during the New Your City stop, though no problems were discovered.

The Federal Express departed New York City at 4:38 a.m. , continuing to Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore, and departed from Baltimore at 7:50 a.m. for the last stop at Union Station.

The train accelerated to 80 mph (normal speed) until reaching Landover, Maryland, when the engineer attempted to apply the brakes and start slowing for the approach to Washington D.C.

The regular brakes only slowed the train to 60mph, and emergency breaks applied moments later brought it down to 50mph.

The engineer then tried to throw the train into reverse, but the stress caused the electric engine to spark and malfunction.

As the train began the final descent into the city, a grade change caused the Federal Express to pick up speed.

Finally, the engineer sounded the distress signal and began running through the cars telling passengers to get down and brace.

The signal worker in the yard quickly directed the train onto track 16 and phoned the stationmaster’s office to warn them of the approaching train, supposedly shouting “Runaway on track 16! Run for your lives!”

Twenty seconds later, the Federal Express barreled through the stationmaster’s office at 45 miles per hour, just barely missing the fleeing master and his staff.

The Federal Express struck the bumper at the end of the track bed going 35 mph and crashed through the bumper, offices, a newsstand, and finally into the concourse itself.

The concourse floor gave way beneath the 240-ton locomotive, and the engine plunged into the main level below (where you are standing), coming to rest 6 inches from the foundation of the Main Waiting Room beyond.

Incredibly, no one died or was even seriously injured in the crash, and train service was delayed but not suspended.

News coverage of the event came in just one hour after the crash, which was the fastest live nationwide broadcast ever made up to that point.

The engine that had crashed through the floor was back in service nine months later and continued to operate until 1985.

Proceed back up the escalators to the main level. From here you can exit back out of the station via the Main Waiting Room, or peruse the shops and dining!

To access the metro station, walk past the Amtrak ticket counters into the modern train waiting area.

Make a left and walk down to the end of the corridor, where you will see the metro station entrance on your right.

Choose a Destination... I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Amsterdam Berlin Boston Charleston Chicago Dubai Lisbon London Los Angeles Miami Nashville New York City New Orleans Paris Philadelphia Prague Rome San Francisco Washington DC

About The Author

Canden Arciniega

North america, united kingdom & ireland, middle east & india, asia & oceania.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content

DC Guided Tours

Your passport to adventures in DC

DC Morning Tour + Capitol Hill Walking Tour

Tour highlights.

• 3-hour guided morning tour offering you the essential monuments, memorials, and attractions
• tour packaged to suit families with children, people with limited time, or the occasional tourist
• visit to landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol, White House, and Lincoln Memorial etc… 
• photo ops stops where you get off the bus with the tour guide to explore and discover and take memorable pictures 

Walking Tour

Get your chance to discover the famed Capitol Hill. Your experienced personal guide will walk with you, detailing the historical facts related to each building and landmark. In this walking tour, you’ll  explore the seat of the legislative and judicial branches of the US Government and its supporting facilities, collectively known as Capitol Hill. Every spot is within walking distance from one another, so you get a chance to see them all with a minimum of time and a minimum of hassle. The area is notable with its distinctive architecture and its rich history of American politics..

Tour ends at 1:00pm at the Lincoln Memorial

Adult: $145 Child: $ 135

Need to know.

meet point: 800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20004 start time: 10:00am* end time:   1:30pm

meets at the US Supreme Court:   1 1st St NE, Washington, DC . Please arrive 15 min before tour starts. Metro Stop: Capitol South Metro Station – Blue Line, Orange Line, Silver Line.

*Please arrive 30 minutes prior to tour start