Unspecified/General

In the heart of Washington at the eastern end of the National Mall, Capitol Hill is the historic neighbourhood surrounding the United States Capitol building and one of the most heavily visited destinations in the federal capital district. The neighbourhood takes its name from the gently sloping rise on which the iconic Capitol building stands, with the rise itself named by the urban planner Pierre Charles L'Enfant in his original 1791 master plan for the new federal city in homage to the Capitoline Hill of ancient Rome. The neighbourhood's defining single landmark is the United States Capitol building itself, the seat of the bicameral United States Congress and one of the most recognisable buildings in American government. The original neoclassical sandstone building was designed by William Thornton in 1793 and substantially completed in 1800, when the Capitol formally opened on 17 November of that year for the first session of Congress to be held there. The structure was extensively damaged when British troops set it ablaze during the War of 1812 in August 1814, with the rebuilt structure completed in 1819. The celebrated cast-iron Capitol Dome was added between 1855 and 1866, designed by the celebrated American architect Thomas U. Walter and completed during the depths of the American Civil War (President Abraham Lincoln famously insisted that work on the dome continue throughout the war as a powerful symbol of the persistence of the union). The 288-foot dome supports the 19-foot bronze Statue of Freedom at its peak. The Capitol Visitor Center, opened in December 2008 in a 580,000-square-foot underground complex extending east from the Capitol building itself, provides the principal public entrance to the complex. Free guided tours of the Capitol building's historic interior, including the Rotunda, the National Statuary Hall, the original Senate Chamber and the original Supreme Court Chamber, are available throughout the day by advance reservation. The surrounding neighbourhood includes several other federal buildings of major significance. The Library of Congress (the largest library in the world, housing more than 39 million catalogued books) occupies three buildings on the Capitol's south side. The United States Supreme Court occupies a 1935 marble building immediately east of the Capitol. Tours of all three are free with advance reservation.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: East Capitol Street Northeast and First Street Southeast, Washington, DC, United States

Telephone: 202-226-8000

Website: visitthecapitol.gov

Opening Date: 17/11/1800