Lindsey Mastis

I got a sneak peek of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center today. It doesn’t open for another week, (December 2), but I was able to get passes from a friend. Since the tour, I can’t stop thinking about the statue of Freedom that sits on top of the Congressional Building. At the Visitor Center, you can see her mold up close. And she is truly inspiring.

It’s much easier to get through security at this new Visitor Center. A couple months ago I did the original tour. Here are some differences:

Getting inside…

OLD TOUR: Wait outside in the cold, get a timed pass, and then walk up a hill toward the Congressional building. Enter a security building where items are scanned and you walk through a metal detector. The move on to the Capitol building.
NEW TOUR: Go directly inside the Visitor Center, which is located underground. Items are quickly scanned and you walk through a metal detector. Go to the front desk to get a timed tour ticket or pick up reservations. See exhibits while you wait. (Even if you don’t have a pass, you can still tour the Visitor Center– just not the Congressional Building itself).

The tour…

OLD TOUR: Wait outside until you are handed headphones. Follow your tour guide through the building, starting at the Rotunda, and ending at the Crypt .
NEW TOUR: Line up inside in one of several lines where you are handed headphones. Tour begins with a film in one of the two theaters. Follow your tour guide through the Crypt and into the Rotunda. The tour ends back in the Visitor Center.

After the tour…
OLD TOUR: Hang out in the Crypt to read about Capitol Hill. Buy something at the small gift shop located in the Crypt.
NEW TOUR: Eat at the Visitor Center restaurant, go to a large gift shop (not yet completed), view the House and Senate staging areas (not yet open), tour Exhibition and Emancipation Halls. You can even walk through an underground tunnel to the Library of Congress (not yet open).

I spent about two hours at the Visitor Center and still didn’t have enough time. They recommend that you have about 90 minutes– I say give yourself three hours if you want to see everything.

The best part is Exhibition Hall (that’s if you’ve taken the tour before and have already seen the Rotunda and the Crypt, etc.). It includes the original catafalque , which supports a casket. It is made out of wood and was constructed in 1865 for Abe Lincoln . It catches your eye and seems pretty eerie. There are also original documents, including some of Thomas Jefferson’s books . There are also sections highlighting the issues and achievements by Congress throughout history. And there are House and Senate theaters.

The best part of Exhibition Hall are the interactive computers. You can take a quiz to test your knowledge and look at rooms in the Capitol Building off limits to the public. It even has records of every Congressman and Congresswoman who served. You could spend an hour on one of these interactive computers.

MY CONCERN: While I enjoyed the tour– (and am especially grateful for the helpful tour guides and coat check lady)– it still seems hard to justify. The cost was $621 MILLION! That’s WAY more than it was supposed to cost. For that price, it seems there should be more to do.

I took my time when going through Exhibition Hall because I could. But what will happen when the Visitor Center fills up with anxious tourists? I wonder whether there will be enough to keep them occupied while they wait for their tour, or if they will even get a chance to see some of the original documents when there are hundreds of people crowding around the display cases? For $621 Million, I would expect there to be several more exhibits. There is so much open space– the Center seems like it will only serve as a glorified waiting room.

And with seven days until the opening, I truly wonder whether things will be ready. After all, the gift shop isn’t even completely constructed.