So where should I start first. Most of the must see points for first time visitors is located in an area referred as the “National Mall“.

With Washington Monument as the center,

• in the east is the US Capitol
• in the west is the Lincoln Memorial
• in the south is the Jefferson Memorial &
• in the north is the White House

Let’s head east first. The US Capitol. It serves as the the legislative branch of the US federal government. The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and two wings, one for each chamber of Congress, the north wing is the Senate chamberand the south wing is the House of Representatives chamber.

During peak holiday season tickets to US Capitol tour get sold out fast, u can come & stand in the line and get the tour tickets. They have tours every 15 minutes with every tour consisting of 20-25 people. U can also get advance tickets by contacting your local congressman. Also they have escorted tours, so if you know anyone who works in the US Capitol and is ready to show you around, grab him, thats the best offer you can ever get to see the US Capitol. If you are a commoner and lucky to get a ticket for the tour plan rest of your DC sightseeing accordingly. If you don’t have much time between your tour start, then spend time clicking pictures around the Capitol. if you have more then couple of hrs, some of the places that U could visit are Union station, US Supreme Court, US Library of Congress, US Botanical Garden & the National Museum of American Indian.

Facts & Trivia

Which is taller, the Capitol or the Washington Monument?

The Washington Monument, standing 555 feet tall, is 267 feet taller than the Capitol. Because the base of the Washington Monument is 30 feet above sea level, and that of the Capitol is 88 feet above sea level, the top of the Washington Monument is 209 feet higher than the top of the Capitol.

Lot of interesting things to note in the National Statuary Hall (The Old Hall of the House)

Why is the statue from the state of Hawaii (King Kamehameha) behind?

Because the statue weighs roughly 8 tons and the only place where the statue could stand without damaging the structure was at the back.

Statue from the state of Florida - Dr. John Gorrie, father of refrigeration. Can’t live without AC in Florida

Tour time - 2 to 2.5 hrs

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