The United States Capitol: Perfect for Student Tours
One of my fondest memories when visiting a government building was taking a self-guided tour of my state capitol shortly after an election in which the party majority had changed. It was fascinating to watch the Congress men and women exchange offices while ribbing each other over the shuffle.
It is one of the most beautiful things about our government that we can all participate. The legislative branch is made of up of senators and representatives voted on by us. An exciting way to help students feel connected to this process is in planning Washington D.C. educational tours and especially in touring the government buildings.
Possibly the most famous of these is the United States Capitol. Student groups can tour the Capitol at almost any time throughout the year, except Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Tickets are free and can be obtained at a kiosk on the curving sidewalk southwest of the Capitol starting at 9 a.m. daily.
When students visit the United States Capitol building, they will be overwhelmed by the imposing architectural structure and interior beauty. The Capitol experience brings together history as well as government with the Old Senate Chamber and Old Supreme Court refurbished almost perfectly to their original appearance.
The old chamber for the House of Representatives is also still intact and beautifully renovated, but rather than a museum showcasing the room’s original intent, this chamber has been commissioned as the National Statuary Hall. Each state was given the opportunity to donate two sculptures to the Capitol building. The statues could represent prominent residents from the state who donated it. So many contributions have now been made that the sculptures spill out of the beautiful statuary hall and into the rest of the Capitol. The learning aspect of educational tours is greatly enhanced here as students enjoy looking for prominent figures they may recognize from history.
Perhaps best known in the Capitol building is the beautiful rotunda, or the round room that rests beneath the impressive dome. The rotunda contains further sculptures and presidential busts as well as other beautiful artwork. The wings on this floor contain the current House of Representatives and Senate chambers as well as the Old Senate Chamber mentioned previously. Each wing has its own small rotunda, each of which is a further beautiful embellishment to this amazing building.
It is from the third floor that student groups can access the galleries to observe the House of Representatives and the Senate when they are in session. This is a fascinating way to make our government come alive. It helps students engage in the process of law-making and the importance of participating in the right to vote for the men and women who will represent them in Congress.
An even better way to educate and inspire students about their government is in arranging a meeting for them with their representative to congress. These meetings, of course, require quite a bit of advanced planning. If you hope to make this a part of your tour, you may need to be flexible with the time frame, scheduling the trip around this appointment. The task can seem daunting on your own, but some student travel companies will take it on themselves. Rest assured, you and your students will be extremely grateful if this amazing experience can be arranged.
Even without a meeting with your representative, you need to allow one to two hours for a Capitol tour as there is so much to see here. There are over one thousand tile designs in the Capitol building, amazing artwork displayed throughout, impressive architecture, and stunning modern dcor. The famous and impressive dome is a redesign from its smaller, original version to one that would rest in better proportion to the expanded Capitol. This expansion is what led to the Senate and House wings you see today.
The grounds of the Capitol are in keeping with the structure. They are maintained so as to maximize the view of the building itself a framework rather than the showpiece. Students will, however, find enjoyable artistry and picnic areas on the grounds, which just serve to better enhance the overall Capitol tour.
The United States Capitol is an irreplaceable Washington D.C. experience. Its history will educate, its relevance engage, and its beauty inspire your students like few other D.C. attractions can.
Tags: United States Capitol | educational tours | educational tours | Washington D.C. | student travel | student travel | Capitol Hill | Capitol Hill | Congress